Joe Welch is one proud Canadian. That’s why you won’t find anything but Canadian-made materials in the products manufactured at Dr. Tarp in New Liskeard.
As the owner, Welch even looked for Canadianmade promotional items the company hands out.
“When I took over this company, the first thing I wanted was hats, but they had to be made in Canada,” he said. “Try to find a Canadian-made hat. I searched a long time and found a place in Mount Forest (Ont.). It might be the only one in Canada. It cost me more, but hey, I am Canadian.”
The business, on Highway 65 East, was started in 1989 by his brother Jack and operations manager Gary Bakhuis. Welch came out of retirement in 2009 to take over the business when his brother stepped down.
“Gary is Dr. Tarp, but I sign the cheques. He and my brother built this up from nothing,” Welch said. The original pair started repairing tarps for the trucking industry but then began to manufacture their own. When the forest industry was booming, a lot of lumber was being hauled from the North, and it had to be tarped.
Welch said the business survived the decline of the forest industry and the downturn in the economy by coming up with new customers from different industries.
It is making inroads into the mining and construction industries, which requires a lot of custom work. Trucking, however, still remains a great part of its customer base.
“We added this 3,000-square-foot expansion with two full drive-through service bays and electric overhead cranes,” he said. “We did that to accommodate open-top trailers. There are no roofs but sides. Tarps can run on cables or tie down the side. We were more than capable of making these tarps, back in 1989, because we had the equipment and materials, but we lacked the facility to bring the trailers inside.”
Dr. Tarp uses Igloo Vinyl, which is made in Canada exclusively for the company.
“If I can say anything about our tarps, they work better, last longer and cost more. With this Canadian-made Igloo vinyl that we use, it has a cold crack rating of 67 degrees below Fahrenheit. Off-shore vinyl runs about 40 below. Our vinyl will roll in this severe, cold weather, while off-shore vinyl is like cardboard in cold weather since it isn’t made for our climate,” Welch said.
The thread, brass grommets and seat-belt webbing used to hem the edges are all made in Canada.
Its tarps are used by truckers travelling on the ice roads in the country’s far north. Dr. Tarp also manufactures insulated tarps that are used by air cargo companies bringing in fresh produce to the Arctic. In winter, they can prevent the produce from freezing and in summer, they can be kept cool. One side of the tarp is black, and the other is white.
“Hangar storage space costs them a fortune so we made the insulated tarps, like a big quilt, and they are tough and durable,” he said. “It has nothing to do with trucking but that is what we are founded on. With Gary’s innovative ideas, and his know-how, we come up with these new uses.”
In late February, workers were finishing the biggest tarp the company had ever made. At just under 10,000 square feet, it will weigh about 1,300 pounds when completed.
It will be used for a construction project and provide temporary walls to keep the elements out.
“It will be hoisted up with cranes so it has to be durable,” Welch said. The company also came up with a parachute tarp, which consists of vinyl on the top and nylon on the sides to cut down on weight and make it easier for truckers to handle. After trial and error, a way to fuse and stitch the materials together was developed.
The company will do custom work for individuals, and they have made a variety of projects ranging from ice huts to barbecue covers. It also makes a fitted tarp to go over a certain brand of aluminum- framed garages.
Customer service has always been a priority and customers have been met at local truck stops any time of day and night to pick up tarps that need to be repaired.
It also offers a pickup and delivery service once a week to Pembroke, Orillia and Sudbury.
“We understand the trucking business and we try to accommodate our customers as much as we can,” he said.
The company employes eight people, with the newest member of the staff joining eight years ago. “Business is good. We had some tough times, no doubt about it, but it has come around. I can’t say enough about our team, and Gary, who is a very large part of this company,” Welch said.
