Équipements Cardinal

Company history by Karie Bernèche


Distribution Cardinal Inc.

Cardinal is a manufacturing company for sawmill equipment and exploration and mining.

Founded in 1980 by passionate people in the field of sawing and wood processing, Cardinal is a company that specializes in the design, manufacture and distribution of equipment for sawmills, forestry, recycling and biomass recovery.

The current owners are: Mr. Pascal Labranche and his son Dannik Labranche. Karie Bernèche sold her shares in 2023 and is now a consultant for the company.

Through its continued efforts, the company has earned an enviable reputation for product quality and service excellence.


Cardinal’s logo and photo

This is the company’s corporate identity.


The Bernèche brothers

The Bernèche brothers are making the final adjustments to the first portable modular mill Cardinal.

In the 1970s and 1980s this type of mini-sawmill was very popular. In the background, you see ''the original plant'.

Like many companies, Cardinal started out in a small garage!

Text of the audio

Hello!  This is Karie, the daughter of Jean-Claude, the second of the 3 Bernèche brothers.  Let me tell you about Cardinal a little, after all I have spent more than half of my life here!  A lady does not reveal her age, but I leave you with a clue. When I started in the company, the village was celebrating its 75th anniversary, do the math!

1984

The adventure began in 1984 when Gaétan, Jean-Claude and Raynald Bernèche joined the company, which was founded in 1980 and had its head office in Kemptville, Ontario, then in Quebec City, before moving to Angliers in 2015.   The company, which was until then a distributor of equipment, wanted to start manufacturing sawmill equipment.

It was at this time that the Bernèche brothers were asked to join the company as they had the expertise to launch the project and design the The manufacture and installation of equipment, all of which are custom built for specific customer needs.

Like many large companies, it was in a small garage that everything began in 1984.  A garage owned by the company 'Bernèche et frères' for their trucking activities and which has been transformed into a factory.  

Transformation

The building has undergone 3 major changes over time. The first expansion took place in 1989, then a few years later there was the addition of the independent building of the painting workshop and in 1998 the 2nd expansion that gives the current area.

At the beginning, the company employed about ten people, whereas today it employs more than fifty. The majority of employees are based in Angliers but also in the company’s various branches in Port Perry, Dieppe and Québec.

The main markets covered are hardwood, pine and cedar processing and biomass upgrading. Customers are mainly in Eastern Canada but also in the US and Europe.

Actual owners

The current owners are Pascal Labranche (my husband the lucky one!) and his son Dannik.  I sold my shares in 2023 and am now a consultant for the company.

Thanks to its continued efforts, the company enjoys an enviable reputation and is recognized for the quality of its products and the excellence of its service. An important link in the economic chain of Témiscamingue!

Extract of
Angliers, a Landscape for History - Patrimonial Tour

Angliers, a Landscape for History - Patrimonial Tour image circuit

Presented by : Le site historique T.E. Draper
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