The Foreman Family Is Crushing It!

Jul 21, 2021 - 4 years ago

The Foreman Family Is Crushing It

It truly is a family foreman-affair at Chilliwack, BC-based, Foreman Equipment Ltd.
Story & Photos By Ron Mullins

Ask around any job site, or for that matter…any project or place of business, and it becomes exceedingly obvious, very quickly, that one of the many keys to success is a well organized, worker friendly, logical, common sense driven, customer focused…and possibly the most important…knowledgeable… foreman. It can be rightfully claimed that these same qualities are vital to the happy success of family relationships.

The Foreman Family Is Crushing It — *The Foreman’s “foremen”. L-R: Ashley Foreman, Controller. Ryan Foreman, Vice President. Adam Foreman, President and Snickers…the company mascot.*

So in the case of a very successful, family-run business, it can be affirmed that a foreman with these qualities is critically important. But at Western Canada’s leading supplier of quality aggregate screening, crushing, environmental and washing equipment, they don’t have one foreman who measures up to all of these qualities…they have three. Allow the introduction of company president and oldest brother, Adam Foreman, vice-president and younger brother Ryan Foreman and the sister who keeps the company’s finances in check, controller Ashley Foreman. It truly is a family foreman-affair at Chilliwack, British Columbia-based, Foreman Equipment Ltd.

But how did these three siblings get there? “This was dad’s business,” stated Adam Foreman, “John Foreman, our dad, pioneered the aggregate crushing and screening business here in western Canada, British Columbia and the Yukon and grew it to be the premier company that it is today. When dad passed away in November 2015, Ryan and I knew that we had to do whatever it took to carry on and honour his legacy… the loyal legacy that he had built.”

A Glimpse At The Past

How did John Foreman, a young man born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland and a skilled, experienced glass blower in the neon light industry, end up in British Columbia in the rock crushing business? Not exactly complementary industries.

History allows us a glimpse back at the reasons a young man, recently married and raising a family would give up his career, extended family and friends, leave his birthplace and move his wife and two young boys, to a new country on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Northern Ireland, from approximately the 1960’s to the 1990’s, was in the throws of civil unrest and as disappointing as it was, John Foreman knew that this was not the ideal place to build a new career and raise a family. He was somewhat familiar with the country called Canada as he had two sisters that had previously immigrated. He and his blushing bride Hilary (Lea) had spent their honeymoon in Canada visiting a number of regions…one being British Columbia. So in August 1976, he and Lea along with their two young boys said goodbye to family and friends, and boarded an aircraft destined for Toronto, Ontario, ready to start a new life in a new country.

There wasn’t a huge need for neon glass-blowers in Canada (and still isn’t) so John worked as a machinist and took a turn at a number of odd jobs. As with most new Canadians, John was a hard worker and did whatever was necessary to provide for his family. Along the way, he met Brian Farmer, who was establishing a market in Ontario and eastern Canada for Powerscreen an aggregate processing, crushing and screening company. They became not only good friends on a personal level, but John joined Brian in business, and success, although not always easy, followed.

Due to the work of John, Brian and many others, Powerscreen has become a world leader in the manufacture of mobile aggregate, mining and recycling crushing and screening equipment.

Now for a touch of Irish irony. Powerscreen equipment was, and still is, designed and manufactured in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland… just a few kilometres away from John Foreman’s former home in the City of Belfast. Although Powerscreen was located only about 65 kilometres distance from the Foreman homestead, John Foreman knew nothing about the company or the aggregate processing business but he was a good student, a hard worker and with possibly a bit of Luck of the Irish tossed in… success always followed. Today County Tyrone remains the global centre for the design and manufacture of equipment for the aggregate processing industry.

When Brian Farmer and the Powerscreen company decided to expand the business into western Canada, John Foreman was offered the opportunity to head up the new territory. He quickly accepted, and in 1984 established Powerscreen of Canada, Western Ltd. in Abbotsford, British Columbia where the company operated with great success. Over time, the company name changed to Foreman Equipment Ltd. “Powerscreen is still our main product line,” noted Adam Foreman, “but as our customer’s needs changed, we knew we had to take on other equipment lines, and since we are a family business with strong family values the obvious choice was to just go with the family name. Foreman works in so many different ways.”

A Glimpse At The Future

“We are excited about our brand new facility here in Chilliwack.” Ashley Foreman stated, “Although our business was located a few kilometres away in Abbotsford, mom and dad loved Chilliwack and this was home. Dad, mom and Adam had drawn up rough plans for a new location here in Chilliwack regrettably dad did not see his plans become a reality. With dad’s passing, Adam and Ryan had to concentrate on keeping the business going so the plans for this new location had to be put aside. Earlier this year, shovels went in the ground and here we are. We tried to honour our dad’s ideas and wishes as much as was practical. This new facility is truly a labour of love.”

Foreman Equipment Ltd. have just moved into their brand new facilities located on two acres of land at 44109 Yale Road in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Ryan Foreman is pleased with their customer’s response to the new location. “We’ve seen a noticeable uptick in customer visits since we moved,” he stated. “It’s easy in, easy out and visible from the highway right at the Lickman Road interchange with Highway 1. Dad always liked his business to be highly visible. He always referred to highway-frontage as business-waterfront.”

Here the extensive storage yard provides ample room for large pieces of both new and used crushing, screening, environmental and conveyor equipment as well as the loading and unloading of trucks. In addition, there is ample room for the outdoor storage of larger replacement parts. The indoor parts area has been expanded to 3,500 square feet and completely modernized. As impressive as that is, there are two crown jewels at this new location. One being an 8,000 square foot, four bay maintenance building and the second a completely separate 2,800 square foot customer service and head office building.

The expansive maintenance building features doors and work bays built to accommodate the largest Powerscreen units as well as office and staff comfort areas. Although the maintenance building is impressive, it must take a close second place to the open concept customer service and head office building. But as Adam said, “We tried really hard to honour what dad would have liked and I think we came close, but both Ashley, Ryan and myself had to have some skin-in-the-game. Dad we tried!”

Foreman Equipment sells, rents and services the most respected brands in the aggregate processing, recycle processing, environmental processing and material handling industries…top brands like Powerscreen, Komptech, Evoquip, Terex Washing Systems, MDS rock trommels and MGL Engineering. With service locations throughout both British Columbia and Alberta, they are western Canada’s leading supplier of quality screening and crushing equipment. They are a proud family business that has offered the same great customer service and equipment since 1984.

“Currently we have about 14 people on full-time staff,” stated Ashley. “Staff that have been with us for years and years. Adam has been with the company since the mid 90’s. Ryan joined the company in 2002. In 2017, I came along and so did Ryan’s son Chris, who is the third generation to join the team and is a key member of the company as well. Colin Hamill, our general manager and someone who has an invaluable wealth of knowledge about the aggregate industry, has been with the company since 1992. Rob Coates, our parts manager, has been with us for over 22 years, Greg Cavanagh, our service manager, started with the company almost directly out of high school. Our receptionist, Tina Clare has been greeting our customers for over 15 years…we are family. Oh and I can’t forget mom…she was there with dad in the beginning. She lived through all the highs and lows of those first few years and she is still there for us today. Which of course can make family dinners very interesting!”

Foreman Equipment is also a proud member of the Chilliwack community, another legacy of John Foreman who was a very proud Rotarian. Today the company participates with Chilliwack Community Services, the Chilliwack Rotary Christmas Parade and is also a proud sponsor of the Pig Races at the annual Chilliwack Fair… to name just a few.

To Adam, Ryan and Ashley Foreman, family values are what their dad, the late John Foreman, and mother Lea built this business on and it is obvious that they will do whatever it takes to carry on that tradition of success. It can rightfully be stated that the Foreman family is crushing it!

May the lilt of Irish laughter lighten every load, may the mist of Irish magic shorten every road, may you taste the sweetest pleasures that fortune ’ere bestowed, and may all your friends remember all the favours you are owed. — Traditional

Families Working Together

As Supply Post, a true family business, celebrates 50 years serving the heavy equipment industry in Canada they are grateful for the continued support of Foreman Equipment Ltd., another true family business celebrating almost 40 years of service to the aggregate industry in Western Canada.

John Foreman understood the necessity of advertising and promotion to grow his fledging company Powerscreen of Canada, Western Ltd. and the Supply Post family were there to help. When Supply Post went to full colour, John Foreman signed a contract (it may have been just a handshake) to always have his company on the front page of section two of every Supply Post issue. Today, Adam, Ryan and Ashley Foreman are proud to abide by that contract as they continue to honour their dad’s successful business legacy. This is just another example of families working together and supporting each other.

Supply Post extends their most sincere congratulations to the Foreman family on the opening of the new Foreman Equipment complex in Chilliwack, British Columbia.

Ronald Mullins is a Kelowna, B.C. based writer / photographer and is a regular contributor to Supply Post.