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Current owners (Left to Right): Brent Burtt, Derek Hamm, Greg Johannesen, Matt Brunt, Geoff Munn and Dennis Seaward
When employees of Bird-Stairs, together with their guests, gathered in Fredericton recently to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, president Geoff Munn thanked them for the contribution they have all made to the success of this respected distributor of construction materials.
Mr. Munn publicly recognized the dedication of those who work in Saint John, Moncton, Dartmouth, Halifax, and St. John’s divisions, as well as the Fredericton staff.
The evening started with a photo slide presentation of employees past and present which brought back memories for many of the staff members who have been with the company for a number of years.
J.W. “Bud” Bird, the founder of the company, was in attendance on this special occasion and spoke on his involvement in the company from the early days until he sold the company to a group of employees in 1990.
Geoff Munn then gave a brief history of the company, complete with a slide photo presentation from the early days until the present time.
Mr. Munn stated, “It all started in 1958, when J.W. Bird established a commission sales agency in Fredericton. The boom years of the sixties resulted in progressive change from sales to distribution and led to a business which had construction inventories located in cities throughout Atlantic Canada.”
In 1969, with the purchase of the Fredericton-based firm, James S. Neill and Son Limited, a new business venture was formed. Named Bird-Neill Ltd., the company moved full tilt into the distribution of building materials, hardware, plumbing, heating and electrical supplies. Six years later, the company took another giant step by acquiring one of the oldest businesses in Atlantic Canada – Wm. Stairs, Son and Morrow Ltd., founded in Halifax in 1758. This renowned company was a distributor of house wares, architectural hardware, paint and industrial supplies.
According to Mr. Munn, the merger that resulted in the creation of Bird-Stairs made excellent business sense because it streamlined the operations of two highly respected companies, both of whom had a broad customer base.
In 1990, founder J.W. Bird sold the company to a group of employees. The employees who purchased the company and have held management positions from 1990 until 2008 are: Ernie Lean, Bill Johnston, Eric Pineault, Brian Moore and Geoff Munn.
During the period from 1990 until 2008, the Atlantic economy was strong and the company benefited by increased sales and profits due to the growth in the construction industry. The management continued to increase the staffing levels and moved into newer and larger premises.
In 1993, the company purchased an office and warehouse building in Dartmouth, and in 2002 purchased an office and warehouse building in Fredericton to accommodate the sales growth for the Construction and Plumbing & Electrical Divisions. This building in Fredericton is also home to the company’s Head Office employees.
During 2005 the company opened a Plumbing & Electrical Division in Halifax, and during 2006 a move to a larger office and warehouse space was made in both Moncton, and St. John’s.
In 2007 a new office and warehouse building was constructed in Dartmouth to accommodate the sales growth in both the Construction and Plumbing & Electrical business. “With this new building,” Mr. Munn states, “we were able to open a Plumbing & Lighting Showroom in Dartmouth similar to the showroom we presently have in Fredericton.”
Mr. Munn points out these facts to show how the company has grown not only due to a strong economy, but also through the dedication and sales efforts of all the employees in the various branches.
During the spring of 2008, the company completed a succession plan and a third generation of ownership was finalized. The new owners - Matt Brunt, Brent Burtt, Derek Hamm, Greg Johannesen, Dennis Seaward and Geoff Munn, all hold key management positions.
Geoff Munn indicates, “While many changes have taken place over the years, Bird-Stairs remains focused on our major role as a distributor representing many key manufacturers’ of construction industry products.”
Architects, engineers, building owners and government representatives, as well as various contractors who work in the construction business, know they can depend on Bird-Stairs to supply them with top quality products at competitive prices.
The companies’ strength has always been our people and this is evident by the excellent blend of youth and experience in the company. Employees with 25 or more years of service were acknowledged during this special evening. Margaret Hardy and Paul Eldridge joined this group and were presented with company watches for their 25 years of loyal and dedicated service.
Bill Johnston and Eric Pineault, two long time employees and former owners retired at the end of December. Brent Burtt and Matt Brunt - two of the new owners have moved into their positions, thanked both men for their many years of dedicated service. Mr. Munn thanked both of his former partners for their many contributions to the success of our company from 1990 until 2008, along with Ernie Lean and Brian Moore, who are remaining with the company. Greg Johannesen - one of the new owners, thanked the previous management for their many contributions to the success of the company. He stated “the new owners are up to the challenges of growing the business in the future years.”
 Bird-Stairs Employees November 22 2008 |
