History

Our story begins well before 1959 with Mr. Thomas Bellemare, assisted by his wife Florence, managing his father Nérée’s business. Nérée was a farmer, but he also had a sideline business moving houses. So it was a logical progression for Thomas to step in to provide continuity and contribute his dynamism to this speciality business. Thomas became well-known and respected in the field, both through his work and through his affiliation with social and sporting organizations.

Legend has it that Thomas acquired his first truck following a 1935 house move that netted him a gain of $400. You could say that this is the moment that the Bellemare corporate business really begins.

• 1959

  The Thomas Bellemare company is incorporated at the dawn of Quebec’s “Quiet Revolution”. The family-values character of the company is established by the presence of Thomas’ four sons: Gilles, Luc, Raymond and Maurice. At this time, they move buildings, build houses and mix their own concrete in a small mixer. Yes that’s right, in a small mixer! They do snow removal in the winter and a variety of jobs for their municipality, the government and clients in agriculture.

  That same year, a public-access gas station is built under the B/A banner.

• The Sixties

  1963

  The Bellemare brothers decide to sell and service John Deere farm machinery. The company acquires its first heavy-load machinery: bulldozers for agricultural ditching.

  1966

  Their main client Ciments Maski ltée of Louiseville Québec, is a concrete manufacture without a truck fleet. They take the plunge and buy the company. As concrete work begins to occupy most of their time and effort, they see no option but to change their initial vocation. The agricultural machinery, house moving and construction business are dropped. But due to the seasonal nature of concrete pouring, the company decides to continue with snow clearing.

• The Seventies

  The early 1970s marks an important milestone for the company. Following the death of its founder in 1971, new life is breathed into the Company by its move to Trois-Rivières-Ouest in Québec.

  1970

  Purchase of the first new Poclain LC80 excavator. Actually Maurice Bellemare operated it himself for over 6 months in Baie Trinité (Sept-Îles), Québec.

  1972

  Construction of the concrete plant in the industrial park, Trois-Rivières-Ouest.

  1975

  Construction of the concrete plant at Louiseville.

  1976

  Purchase of the third and fourth concrete plants in Trois-Rivières-Ouest and Shawinigan.

  1977

  Major expansion of the garage in Yamachiche.

  1979

  Acquisition of Sables des Forges Inc. as a source of good quality sand for the concrete plants.

• The Eighties

  1981

  Acquisition of Béton Rive Nord in St. Basile.

  1982

  Beginning of freight and dimensional-load transportation.

  The concrete plant on Sidbec street in Trois-Rivières-Ouest is closed, because there is already another plant on Ste-Marguerite street.

  During that same year, the Bellemare brothers are also involved in mega projects such as Silicium Bécancour, nuclear power plant construction in Gentilly, the aluminum foundry and port facilities at Bécancour. Also, a sandblasting plant is implemented in the Forges district. There was no shortage of big projects!

  1983

  Les Entreprises Thomas Bellemare et Fils and Les Ciments Maski ltée are merged to create Thomas Bellemare ltée.

  1984

  Residential construction and agricultural development are booming and small and medium-sized businesses are sprouting up everywhere. They take advantage of these opportunities to add several trucks to their fleet. Through their expertise, determination and hard work, the Company becomes a very important service provider and leader in the Mauricie region.

  The Trois-Rivières Grand Prix, a variety of cultural festivals and a range of organizations benefit from their participation.

  1986

  With the help and expertise of Mr. Renaud Côté who had acquired extensive expertise as an employee at Québec Grue, the Bellemare brothers Raymond and Gilles create a crane division. They see it as an opportunity to increase their presence in the construction sector. After thoroughly studying the market, they decide to form Bellemare Crane Division with Renaud Côté as head of the company. Major investments are made, and the results are positive.

  1987

  The Company decides to explore a new niche: dry-waste container rental. Around twenty containers are made available for rent.

• The Nineties

  The winds of change are blowing: it’s the beginning of large wind-power projects. Groupe Bellemare’s Transportation sector is well positioned to take advantage of the boom. Economic activity in northern Québec such as mining and hydroelectric development represent an important market for the company.

  1992

  After numerous applications, the company obtains a dry-materials landfill license for the Des Forges sandpit from the Department of the Environment. The site provides a double return since, before landfilling dry materials, raw materials are extracted and sold.

  1993

  A third-generation of family owners comes to the fore. Jean-Luc Bellemare is the first and starts his career in the field of transportation. Serge Bellemare opts for the Landfills, Abrasives and Minerals Division which has become a valuable asset through its success.

  1997

  The family is saddened by the untimely death of Raymond Bellemare at the age of 58. His passing brings management changes to the company. Two shareholders, Jean-Luc and Serge are able to build on a very solid foundation and work their way up the organization. Transport, concrete, heavy machinery, engineering and cranes are some of the activities that became part of everyday operations. Under the leadership of Jean-Luc (Luc’s son), and Tom and Serge (Gilles’ sons), a third generation of Bellemares officially takes over.

  Beside acquiring Transport Lou-Gra of St. Eustache, the Transportation division invests heavily in the development of specialized transport.

  1997-1998

  Thomas Bellemare ltée is awarded the prestigious “Construire” (Building) award by L’Association de la Construction du Québec, in the Mauricie Bois-Francs Lanaudière region.

  1999

  Tom Bellemare who took charge of the concrete division, adds cranes, engineering and excavation to his responsibilities.

• The new millennium

  2001 – 2004

  The Abrasives and Minerals division, noting a high market demand, adds recycled glass to its service offering, a revolution in the field since this product presents no health risks to users.

  2005

  Acquisition of Béton Prémont

  Projects: Imprimerie Transcontinental, expansion of Maxi supermarket in Louiseville, numerous culverts for the Quebec Department of Transportation and Caisse Populaire Laviolette’s office space.

  The Company custom-orders a 3-axle stone slinger, a unique piece of equipment in Canada.

  The Environment division acquires ten 12-cubic-yard containers and 25 and 40 cubic-yard containers. With this last addition, the sector can now operate three container trucks daily.

  Tom Bellemare has a foam concrete patented. The product is used for special culvert grout, and is ordered by the Quebec Department of Transportation.

  2006

  The contribution of Thomas Bellemare ltée to the region is recognized by changing the name of Des Récollets industrial park in Trois-Rivières to Thomas Bellemare industrial park.

  Purchase of Béton Maskimo assets in Trois-Rivières and Bécancour.

  Groupe Bellemare is nominated at the Radisson Gala in the Business services company category bestowed by the Trois-Rivières Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

  2007 – 2008

  Company expansion continues with the acquisition of Transport SRS and Transport Maltais, thus enabling service throughout the entire province of Québec.

  2008

  The concrete plant at Louiseville is ravaged by flames, a sad event that the company’s people face with courage and determination.

  2009

  Death of Gilles Bellemare, at 73 years of age, one of the founders to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude.

  The concrete plant in Louiseville is rebuilt and renamed Béton Bellemare. A major step that demonstrate the perseverance of its leaders.

  During the soirée des sommets Desjardins, Groupe Bellemare wins awards for Continuity, Company of the year and Civic builder.  A success story.

• The 2010^s

  The Company provides a very innovative workplace for its employees by grouping activities at a single service centre. And to remain a leader within its scope of activities, Groupe Bellemare also develops HR attraction, retention and loyalty programs which are essential elements for continued Company growth and success.

  2011

  Consolidation and strengthening of regional activities by bringing together the various administrative, operational and fleet-maintenance activities in one location through the purchase of the Manac plant and facilities at Trois-Rivières.

  2012

  Investment of $10 million through the building of the new headquarters. Relocation of different divisions on the Boulevard industriel in Trois-Rivières, Québec. With more or less 500 employees, Groupe Bellemare continues to grow in this new building.

  2013

  A new sand-cement plant is built. An investment of $1.5 million. This new plant allows packaging of more than 4 million bags annually.

  The company also acquires two PUGMILL rapidmix 400 mobile plants as well as a suitable paver, to manufacture ultra-resistant and economical roller-compacted concrete pavement.

  2017

  Noting a higher demand for recycled glass, Groupe Bellemare proceeds with the building of a new recycled-glass transformation plant.

  A 10,800 sq. ft. mega-dome is constructed at the headquarters on boulevard Industriel to store abrasives and mineral products. This addition to existing facilities reflects the success of the division.

  2018

  Jean-Luc Bellemare, Co-president of Groupe Bellemare, is nominated male Person of the Year at the 33rd Radisson Gala of the Trois-Rivières Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

  2019

  The Environment sector has doubled its truck fleet and has nearly 400 containers available for rental.

  A 30,000 sq. Ft. Mega dome is erected on the Plan 1 lands. This building is dedicated to the storage of bulk materials.

  6 trucks from Transport Bellemare International’s fleet are transferred and registered in the United States. This is the start of operations for Bellemare Transport Inc.

• The 2020^s

  2020

  In order to perpetuate the Bellemare name and to perpetuate the jobs for the years to come, Jean-Luc, Serge and Tom Bellemare have chosen to offer certain people within the organization to become partners by making the acquisition of a percentage of the company’s shares.

  It is the official opening of our US headquarters.

  Groupe Bellemare acquires a branch of Trinet in Houston, USA A new transport logistics company is created under the name of Bellemare Specialized Logistics.

  2021

  Bellemare Environnement receives Recyc-Québec silver certification as part of the CRD sorting center recognition program.

  Beginning of the construction of the new 90′ x 300′ warehouse.

  Two new containers for the recovery of glass are installed so that the population can deposit bottles and containers of clear and colored glass that are not returnable.

  2022

  Groupe Bellemare acquires its computer services provider “Solution Informatique Trois-Rivières“. This transaction allows us to ensure the continuity of our material and human resources.

  In collaboration with Enercycle, we announced the official launch of the Route du verre . For the occasion, we have set up more than 30 voluntary drop-off points for glass containers. Groupe Bellemare wants to become the largest glass processor in Quebec.

  We have acquired 3 lots in the Bécancour industrial park to install a portable concrete plant. After Louiseville and Trois-Rivières, this new location is a logical continuation for the development of a new concrete plant, especially since major work is planned on the Laviolette Bridge and in the Bécancour industrial park.

  Two products in our sandblasting line now have new identity and packaging. The recycled glass is now called Bellemare Eco-Grit and the famous Maxiblast (iron silicate) is called Bellemare Pro-Grit. This decision allows our Bellemare Abrasives & Minerals sector to fully assume its position as a leader in the field of abrasives for sandblasting and to offer products with a unique character.

  In October, we inaugurated a new building at Plan 1. The idea of modernizing our infrastructure was submitted by the employees in order to improve their working conditions. They now have a cafeteria, a brand new locker room with lockers, bathrooms and showers. The building also serves as a warehouse and a mechanical workshop.. 

  We welcomed our first two internationally recruited colleagues: Mohamed Iliasse and Soufiane Torchoune. The process was greatly slowed down because of COVID, but they finally arrived among us. Two more colleagues are expected to join us in 2023: Mohamed Chakib and Nabil Ounissi.

  2023

  The Heavy Haul & Rigging team transported 6 blades measuring 107 meters (351 feet) long. These are the longest blades ever built and transported in North America. Each of them was moved over a little over 7 kilometers with slopes approaching 10% incline.

  In partnership with Camions Excellence Peterbilt, we announced our participation in the electric vehicle sector by testing one of their electric trucks. It was used on a specific route to collect valuable data that allowed us to assess the medium and long-term impacts of such a change in our operations.

  Gestion Bellemare and Bellemare Abrasives & Minerals have received their “Ici on recycle + Performance” certification, the 2nd level out of 4 possible. This is awarded to companies that demonstrate their efforts to maximize the residual materials management (RMM).

  We have started the closure works of our landfill facilities in Trois-Rivières. At the end of the works, the site was completely covered with a layer of clay insulation, making it waterproof. These actions mark the complete and definitive end of landfill activities at our Boulevard des Forges site.

  We have been partners of the “Noël du Pauvre” telethon for a long time. Year after year, we solicit the generosity of our employees. In 2023, we set a record by donating $22,813 to the organization. We are really proud of this achievement. In addition to recurring activities such as employee donations, the elves’ race, and spaghetti dinners, we organized new activities such as the annual Washer Bellemare Classic and a virtual auction. These initiatives allowed us to reach this new record amount.

  After several months of work, the construction of the concrete plant in Bécancour is completed. This plant represents a crucial element for our concrete operations as it is strategically located for the coming years. We are ready to serve our future clients for the 2024 season.