His current role is in shipping and receiving, but Grant has done it all.
“I started off on the big dishing press,” he says, “which forms heads from 60 inches up to 144. Then from there I went to the smaller press and I did the smaller heads, about 10 inches to 25 inches, for the smaller flanger, then I went into the old style press, which is punch and dye where you make the head start to finish without a flanger.”
After that, Grant moved on to maintenance as well as cutting plates to size for heads.
Grant is a second generation ConrEXPERT. His father worked here in the 1960s and he’s known a lot of the team since he was a kid.
“Back when I was doing welding in high school, I’d come down here to talk to the welder because he had tips on what to do,” he says with a smile.
One of the things he loves about his job is the teamwork. Everyone is part of quality control and everyone is proud of the work they produce.
Grant lives with his wife about 45 minutes away on the beautiful Rideau canal, and they enjoy camping in Ontario’s beautiful provincial parks.
Thank you Grant for more than 3 decades of dedicated service.
The Government of Canada recently launched a renewed commitment to supporting the nuclear energy sector. This new strategy will build on decades of made-in-Canada innovation, according to a recent press release.
The advantages of nuclear energy are clear. It is a clean energy source. Nuclear power plants do not emit greenhouse gases, and unlike windfarms for example which depend on weather conditions, can operate 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
While there have been some high profile incidents nuclear energy is a much safer resource compared to the production of fossil fuels.
A good resource to understand the relative positives and negatives around nuclear energy can be found here. In the article they site France’s success in cutting down emissions, and clarify that “Contrary to what many believe, cooling towers in nuclear plants only emit water vapour and are thus not releasing any pollutant or radioactive substance into the atmosphere”
As new members of The Canadian Nuclear Association and soon to be members of The American Nuclear Society, we continue in our commitment to providing the nuclear industry in North America with the precisely engineered products they demand.
If your business is in the nuclear industry and you need heads for pressure vessels, formed elbows, or any other custom formed metal material please give us a call.
Larry Harrison, President of The Conrex Group of Companies was raised just north of Toronto, in Thornhill. He has had an illustrious career as a corporate leader, bringing a positive culture and exponential growth to the companies he has led.
We sat down together to dig a little deeper into his approach to leadership, his insights on managing growth, and how continuously evolving technologies can be used to support successful businesses.
Q: How long have you been with Conrex Steel and what do you do when you’re not working?
LH: I’ve been with Conrex now for 8 years and it’s an interesting question, because I don’t think I actually stop working. That’s my biggest challenge.
My mind always wants to think of the business puzzle, you know, how to help your people be better, growing capabilities, grow your customers and resources. There are only two things that take my mind off work because I actually have to focus on them. One is sailing, because you’re looking after people on your boat and you’re always thinking about what is the next thing; the storm, the boats coming toward you, and you always try to be five or six steps ahead, which when you think about it, is a lot like business. The other one is riding a motorcycle because you can’t think of anything but riding a motorcycle or you’re not going to be able to ride ever again.
Q: What other companies have you led?
LH: I have worked in radio and television in Oshawa, Peterborough, and Kingston where I ran CHEX TV and CKWS TV. Following those positions I led Kinedyne Canada in the role of President and VP of Global Sales and Marketing, and Kinedyne Corporation in the role of Vice President.
Q: You have worked in a number of varied sectors. How have you managed to adapt to each industry that you’ve tackled along the way?
LH: That’s a question I get asked a lot, and the thing about it is, regardless of the industry, it’s business. It’s revenues, expenses, and people. “People” being the people on your team, your suppliers, and your customers. If you’re focused on those as the foundation, you can then gain a good grasp of any business within a certain time, it’s just a bit of a learning curve. For me that’s typically 3 to 6 months to be very capable of understanding the business and speaking to the industry.
Q: How has this industry changed since you started at Conrex?
LH: The machines that we purchase today are much more sophisticated. They have AI capabilities, so they do more than they were able to do before. Reinvesting in the company’s capabilities and processes is now more important than it’s ever been and we are constantly on the lookout to find ways to improve our capabilities.
Q: How would you sum up your management style?
LH: I think it’s changed over the years. At this point in my career I’m looking to give back more than I ever have. Now my management style is focused on creating great leaders and if you create great leaders, then you have a great team. In the past I think I was trying to work with my leaders to create great plans and then help execute the plan while being involved in the strategy. Now I believe that if I create strong leaders, they’re going to create their own strategies as a team and own them and get the rest of the team to buy in and be involved in the success. That’s been a big change for me and it’s probably evolved over the last five years.
Q: Hiring a successful leadership team can be challenging. What’s your strategy?
LH: Every new hire is a chance to improve your team. You hate to see good people leave but at the same time if you have the opportunity to bring in somebody that has one more skill set that makes the team stronger. You end up farther ahead.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career or at Conrex or both?
LH: At Kinedyne, I doubled the business in five years. That was a huge accomplishment, but it was more from pushing a team versus getting the team to the right level, I say my biggest accomplishment right now is the culture that I’ve created at Conrex. Everybody supports each other. It’s like a family, but they work hard and smart, and they enjoy working and winning.
Q: Conrex provides your customers with peace of mind knowing that the job will be done right with quality and delivered on time. Can you talk a little bit about that philosophy?
LH: It’s what I want to receive when I’m a customer. I want to know that a business can produce something with an expected level of quality, and within the promised time. It’s especially important because of our role in the process.
We provide a component of many components that go into something bigger; a pressure vessel. It’s no different than a nut that goes on a car, or the front windshield or anything else that if they don’t have it, they can’t finish assembly so they need it on-time in the time they need it with the quality that they expect. If all of that happens and it’s a good exchange, then they come back and use our company again.
Q: What’s next for Conrex and what’s next for you?
LH: At this point, I’m really just enjoying life and giving back and producing leaders and strong teams. Obviously acquisitions are a challenge because you’re trying to merge two cultures and two leadership styles but then again that’s a little bit of a skill set that only comes with time. But that challenge itself is fun and rewarding, but it’s not easy.
In the end, you’d like to create a customer experience that puts your company at the forefront in the industry.
Another thing I’m also enjoying now is developing the next generation of leaders. We hire co-op engineering students for a paid internship every year. We provide them with real life skills in their chosen career. David Puddy was part of this program and now he is a member of our mechanical engineering team full time. He’s been with us full time for several years and is an important member of our team.
I’m really driven to be a mentor in the industry at this stage of my career and I’m enjoying it immensely. Helping people grow professionally which in turn helps the business grow is what it’s all about. It’s very gratifying.
Meet Kimberley Greene, our conrEXPERT Senior Customer Service / Estimator.
She’s been a valued member of our amazing team since the summer of 2021.
What does she like best about her day-to-day?
“That’s easy,” she says, “The fantastic people I work with and our commitment to delivering an exceptional experience to our customers, from quoting right through to the finished job.”
Most customers get to deal with Kimberley on a regular basis and if you’re one of them, you know how positive an experience it is to work with her. It’s a personal mission of hers.
She loves being part of the team here at Conrex and appreciates the opportunities we provide for learning and career growth.
Away form the office her focus is on family and friends. And one of her favourite chants is “GO, LEAFS, GO!”.
He joined us last November and says, “I’ve already noticed the company’s consistent drive toward optimizing production processes and maintaining strong communication across departments. This alignment helps to deliver quality products to our customers and enhances operational efficiency.”
Manan has a Masters of Engineering degree from the University of Windsor and applies that learning to advanced engineering principles and methods to solve complex problems.
He is part of the next wave of young talented professionals we mentor and develop to help sustain an innovative thriving industry.
His role strengthens our commitment to reliability, enhances customer satisfaction, and fosters long term trust.
Manan loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking and kayaking as well as playing soccer and cricket.
Vimal’s ConrEXPERT area of expertise is all about stress relieving.
Educated as an engineer, he’s been part of our team for 13 years and as Stress Relieving Manager Vimal handles the entire stress relieving and blasting department at Conrex Steel. This includes quoting, pricing, job scheduling, coordination, and shipping.
As a member of the leadership team, he weighs in on many aspects of our business including some IT support and social marketing.
“One of the reasons I like working at Conrex” he says, “is because of our ‘customer first’ philosophy. And we’re continuously refining and improving operations to exceed quality standards, while delivering jobs on time.”
Always active, Vimal enjoys daily walks with his wife as well as early morning yoga routines. He likes to listen to podcasts and audiobooks on self development. Occasionally, he likes to make vegetarian meals for the family.
Meet our new Quality Control Manager, Narendra Parmar.
Narendra oversees the entire quality control process, ensuring that all products meet or exceed the highest industry standards and the specifications of our customers.
“I was drawn to Conrex,” he says, “because of their reputation for excellence and innovations in our industry. I feel aligned with Conrex’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement.”
Why is quality so important? Here’s Narendra’s philosophy: Quality control is essential to maintaining the integrity and reliability of our products. By ensuring that every piece meets rigorous standards, we help our customers trust that they are getting the best possible product, which is crucial for their projects’ safety and success.
He brings tons of experience to the team. More than 2 decades in the metal fabrication industry, supported by a robust industry-related education. He is a Certified Engineering Technologist (C.E.T.), a Project Management Professional (PMP) through PMI, and a CWB-qualified Welding Supervisor for both Steel and Aluminum.
A DIY guy at heart, he also loves to spend his spare time with his family, exploring the outdoors.
Welcome, Narendra. We’re lucky to have you on our team.
As our new Director of Operations, Fabio Nichilo sees his position as one of mentorship and leading by example.
“I’m here to be part of a strong leadership team that is dedicated to mentoring our staff so that they can grow in their careers, while we nurture a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and improvement,” he says.
Throughout the interview process, Fabio felt a connection to the team, and our goals and so the decision to join us was an easy one. He was impressed by the industry knowledge, dedication, and strength of the company.
His philosophy on serving our customers aligns with what has made us so successful. “Any time you’re supplying something to a customer, it’s important”, he says. “They depend on you to make sure their vision is successful.”
He adds, “It’s not the mistakes you make, but the response and quick actions you take to resolve them that matters to most customers.”
When he’s away from work, Fabio enjoys sports and outdoor activities with his family.
Welcome Fabio. We’re lucky to have you on our team.
Meet Antoinette Boyne-Stevens a new Conrexpert who joined our team in February.
She’s our new Contracts Specialist, a pivotal role as we continue to grow our company to serve you better.
We sat down for a short Q and A with Antoinette to get to know her a little better and get her first impressions of the company and our talent team.
CONREX: What attracted you to our company?
ANTOINETTE: The values and commitment to excellence, The culture! Conrex is an industry leader and the products that we make are amazing. It’s a solid company with a strong history.
C: What are some early observations?
A: We do some incredible things in the products and service we provide, and we are making a great impact nationally and globally.
C: Can you describe what the best part of your job is?
A: Easy! The people. From before I stepped through the door for my Interview, I was blown away; the genuine warmth, comity, and a true feeling of belonging; from the President and the entire team. BRAVO to an amazing group of people! – A+
C: How does your experience and expertise help our customers?
A: I have a wealth of Knowledge and expertise in building great and sustainably relationships with customers, and suppliers.
I am a strong advocate of mutual respect and collaborative partnerships and that is how I approach my job.
With more than 20 years’ experience I apply the same vigor, passion, and commitment to quality and excellence every day, ensure our customers get the Conrex quality assurance of excellent products and services.
C: We saw that strong work ethic and great approach from the very first interview. Tell us a bit about what you like to do when you’re not working.
A: I love gardening, interior decorating, painting (making my own art), cooking and I always listen to music when I am cooking. Reggae is my favourite music. Sushi, and wine is my Friday night comfort along with action movies.
Thank you, Antoinette, and thank you for being part of the team. We’re lucky to have you.
The Conrex Group of Companies is a world leader. Conrex Steel, Prescor and Formweld Fitting provide high quality formed heads for tanks and vessels. To learn more, click on the company logo.
His current role is in shipping and receiving, but Grant has done it all.
