to handling large, complete systems such as
coring machines.
Over in Alberta, Ian Miller's shop first
opened for business in the mid-1970s,
initially to provide hydraulics and lubrication
services to industries in the nearby Spar-
wood, B.C., region. "I joined in 2006, and
my background in automation influenced
the product lines we have today," he says.
In addition to hydraulics, lubrication and
gearbox repair, crews at the Calgary facility
frequently preside over the development of
capital projects. "We recently were involved
in – from design to commissioning – a
closed-loop hydraulic system to drive an
animal feed loadout system for a client in
Saskatchewan," says Miller. "Also, currently
we're developing a servomotor-driven auto-
mated cheese-cutting machine for Saputo –
the point being that our client base has
grown from just the resource sector to
include food and beverage, different realms
of the manufacturing sector, and of course
agriculture. We're not confined to any one
type of client."
Miller adds, "It should be noted that our
work in this regard is CSA certified, which
distinguishes (us) from most shops."
Preventive maintenance is another value-
added component that Miller and his 12-per-
son crew offer clients. "Our two-person ser-
vice specialists are on the road constantly,
supported of course by Motion's internal
staff," he says.
In Saguenay, Quebec, Carl Simard refers
to his QC10 facility as "the 'last of the Mohi-
cans,' because we're just about the last
Motion facility with a sales force. Our biggest
skill is fabricating cylinders and gearboxes,
and my 17-member crew supports our sister
branches in Sept-Îles and Quebec City."
Simard is proud of his shop's ability to
build components that are no longer com-
mercially available for clients, as well as its
skill in mechanical and pneumatic repair.
Typically, Motion's shops have begun small and grown due to the
ambitious nature of their entrepreneurial general managers
