HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-07-08, Page 20Page A20 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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Goderich graders were the best in the world
In 1941, the company ceased making
graders to assist with the war effort. During
that period it purchased a building on Victoria
Street to make its own castings and in 1943
the Artcraft building on Maitland Road was
purchased for $5,000. Originally built for
$50,000 it cost the company an additional
$10,000 to refurbish the structure and set up
its manufacturing concern.
After the company had been operating for
two years on Maitland Road, it was pur-
chased by Air Vice Marshall J.A. Sully in
May 1945. When he took control of the
company, it was a small manufacturing con-
cern with less than 60 employees and sales
of $234,000.
A.V.M. Sully had purchased a farm in
London on Fanshawe Park Road when he
heard about a facility that was for sale in
Goderich. He purchased the struggling man-
ufacturer for his sons, John and Bruce to
run.
An inspirational leader and a man of
vision, Sully saw his company as a major
manufacturer of road graders and an innova-
tive company that stressed the power of
employees.
The Dominion Road Machinery Company
began expanding through the late 1950s and
early 1 9 6 0 s and changes in the product posi-
tioned the company for success. In 1958, the
company decided it would concentrate on
the production of motor graders, a gamble
that would pay dividends as the company
expanded its export business.
The D581 Grader introduced in 1959
made use of hydraulics to turn the circle and
blade and it increased the Canadian content
of the machine by producing the final gear
drive in Canada in 1964.
The company was flourishing in the 1960s
and A.V.M. Sully became chairman of the
board was succeeded as president by his son,
John Sully, who pushed DRMCO to manu-
facture many of its own parts and expand the
international market. In 1965, the first
Champion grader was sold in the United
States.
In 1968, there were changes within the
family-owned company as Bruce Sully, who
had headed up the sales division, became
president in 1968 and changed the company
name to Champion Road Machinery Ltd. to
reflect the product.
In 1975, the company introduced the 700
Series of graders offering over 100 different
Jim Mohring