History

Carpenter François Normand began handcrafting wooden wheels for farm wagons. He also built wheelbarrows and threshing machines. His workshop was located behind his home on the 3rd Rang in Saint-Pascal.

The founder secured a contract that helped propel the company forward. During the construction of the railway linking Lévis to Rivière-du-Loup, François Normand committed to building one wheelbarrow per day, seven days a week. For more than a century, Normand wheelbarrows evolved with market demands and changing technologies from wooden wheels with iron rims to rubber-coated wheels, and eventually pneumatic tires.

The founder moved to the village of Saint-Pascal, on the same site still occupied by the company today. He began with the construction of a first factory — a three-story building where he lived on the top floor.

Jos-William, the founder’s son, returned to Saint-Pascal to take over the business created by his father. Prior to that, he had spent several years in Maine, where he learned English and worked for a carriage maker.

A third generation ensured the continuity of the business with the arrival of brothers Lucien and Paul.

The Normand brothers developed a wooden wagon fitted with steel-rimmed wheels, which sold for approximately $100 per unit. Then came the economic crisis of 1929. No one could afford to buy the famous wagons anymore. Nevertheless, Normand Company continued its production.

When the Great Depression came to an end, Normand Company sold within a single year all the wagons produced during the five years of recession. Using the revenue from those sales, the Normand brothers built a second factory. Their goal was to produce around one hundred wagons per year. Horse-drawn wagons gradually evolved into tractor-pulled wagons. The company successfully adapted to changing market demands, transitioning from wooden wagons to hybrid wood-and-steel models, and eventually to fully steel wagons.

The company experienced significant growth following the construction of this third factory. Normand successfully met the challenge of transitioning from woodworking machinery to steelworking equipment. During this period, the company manufactured a variety of products that were later discontinued, including ammunition carts for the military, wooden sleds for expeditions in the Far North, as well as carts and transport wagons for Canada Post, train station platforms, and airports across Canada and the United States.

Normand Company built its head office during this period. The company’s offices still occupy the same building today, whose doors, woodwork, and 24-inch (61 cm) thick concrete walls reflect the post-war need for security.

The fourth generation arrived with Victor Normand and, a few years later, his cousin Philippe Normand.

New products were introduced, including the company’s first snowblower. Available in various models, the snowblower has since become Normand Company’s flagship product.

Normand Company became the property of the fifth generation as Victor’s three sons: Alain, Louis, and Marc took over the business.

After nearly completely renewing its machinery fleet a few years earlier, the company acquired its first automated welding cells.

A major turning point in the company’s history came with its acquisition by Jimmy Vigneault, also owner of Metal Pless, bringing together two major forces in the North American snow removal industry.