Back to Search
Tucked into the rural landscape of Cannington in north Durham, Nordstrong Equipment Limited is quietly shaping industries across North America.
You may not spot their name on store shelves or city billboards, but if you’ve ever eaten packaged food, walked on concrete, or seen a train packed with industrial materials, chances are Nordstrong’s equipment helped move the ingredients and parts behind the scenes.
“If you need to move bulk material, we build the equipment that makes it happen,” says Justin Gagnon, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
And he means it. Nordstrong designs and builds industrial bulk material handling equipment such as bucket elevators, screw feeders, and drag and belt conveyors. Its Cannington plant makes the company’s patented idler line. To put it in plain terms: Nordstrong builds the systems that keep grit, grain, gravel — and just about everything else — moving efficiently.
A Century Long Origin Story
Nordstrong's CEMA idler parts
Nordstrong’s story spans more than 100 years, shaped by skilled tradespeople and smart mergers into the modern manufacturer it is today. The business now runs two main production facilities: Cannington, Ontario, which has become essential to the company’s identity, and Winnipeg, Manitoba.
While both plants manufacture most of the same equipment, Cannington has a unique speciality. It’s where the company produces their own line of CEMA conveyor idlers — a durable, reliable solution for bulk material handling systems. Developed through a tight collaboration between the engineering and product teams, Nordstrong’s newest idler line series is innovative enough to have earned a patent and strong enough to power some of the toughest industrial environments on the continent.
Inside a Typical Day in Cannington
Work in Cannington starts early. The shop floor punches in around 6 a.m. with crews finishing mid-afternoon — a schedule designed so they can spend more time with their families. It’s one of the quality‑of‑life advantages that comes naturally in north Durham.
“Most of what we build is custom to our customers,” says Gagnon. “It’s designed and engineered for a very specific application — bending and welding metal to order. Every day they’re building something different.” That variety keeps the job interesting and the team sharp. The office team transforms customer inquiries into build plans, sources steel and parts, and keeps the supply chain stocked so the shop never grinds to a halt.
Visitors expecting a static factory often leave impressed by how hands-on and precise the work is. There’s craftsmanship in every weld, quality checks at every stage, and a visible pride in producing equipment known for longevity, easy maintenance, and reliability. Nordstrong doesn’t chase the lowest price; they deliver the most value.
“We're known for very high quality, long lasting, easy maintenance,” Gagnon remarks. “We’re not the cheapest option, but customers get what they pay for.”
Nordstrong’s equipment turns up in more places than you might expect: food processing plants, aggregates and cement operations, salt handling, recycling facilities and rail transload sites. If heavy materials need to move, Nordstrong builds the path.
Why Cannington?
The origin story of why the plant was established in Cannington is charmingly Canadian: it was close to the cottage. The owner wanted a site close to Muskoka but not too far from the city. Cannington offered the perfect middle ground.
Decades later, that choice means a reliable close-knit community, a skilled workforce and a real sense of what it means to be a team. “It’s a team of good people with family kind of vibes. Everybody’s in it together,” Gagnon proudly shares. That team feeling extends from the shop floors right to the sales team. Nordstrong encourages its salespeople to spend time on the shop floor so they understand lead times, engineering challenges, and what it takes to get a custom build out the door. This creates empathy, speeds communication, and strengthens the bond between orders written and orders delivered.
Looking Ahead: Growth Fueled by Adaptability
One of Nordstrong’s greatest strengths is diversification. Because the company works with a wide range of industries, they can adapt when some sectors slow down and others pick up.
The Cannington plant has doubled in size over the years, and now builds larger and more capable equipment to meet demand across Canada and the U.S.
Looking to the future, the Cannington plant aims to add a second shift, welcoming the next generation of skilled trades. Gagnon offers a story that perfectly captures team culture: “I informed the shop team about a new order that came in from a recurring customer. They lit up and said, ‘We’ll do everything we can for them — they’ve been paying our bills for the past 15 years.’ That kind of positive attitude is rare, and it’s what makes this place special.”
It’s no secret that world-class manufacturing is happening in north Durham. Nordstrong is a reminder that heavy work really can look easy — with the right team, the right roots, and the right community behind it.
