Page 28 Supply Post · supplypost.com October 2019 A Legacy Of Excellence: The Wheeler Equipment Story

FRONT PAGE STORY: B.C.-based Wheeler Equipment continues the legacy of Washington Iron Works machines and in the Pacific Northwest. By Ronald Mullins

Loaded up and ready to roll. A Wheeler/Washington Super 88 Swing ready for delivery to Karl Boomer’s Gordon River Contracting.

RONALD MULLINS RONALD

leg·a·cy /'leg s¯e:e something of value that is handed down or conveyed from one person to another.

e ex·cel·lence /'eks( )le ns: the quality of being outstanding or extremely good.

istorians detail the tim- internet and artificial in- demands of industry in the changes of the era, and the Hing and impact of the telligence. Historians will region, coupled with the equipment they designed four industrial revolutions refer to this as revolution excellence of product pro- and built became the ‘gold that have impacted and number four. duced, the Washington standard’ demanded by transformed the world as It is often debated as to Iron Works quickly grow. In companies and contrac- we know it today. The first which one of these revo- 1883 with fifty employees… tors around the world. The was characterized by the lutionary periods was the W.I.W. melted over 1,000 business flourished, build- emergence of mechaniza- most dramatic and life al- tons of iron in the foundry ing steam engines or don- tion… the transition from tering. Many would agree and the machine shop fin- keys, ship engines, railroad hand production methods that a combination of era ished three mill engines, cars, yarders and to that of machines. This one and two may hold the one logging locomotive, whirly cranes for the mari- Not only was Stuart Wheeler a era was dominated by the most impact on what we, eight steamboat engines and time industry. They were a respected heavy-duty mechanic invention and use of the in the so-called industrial- a large amount of custom manufacturing force to be and logger, he had been bitten . ized world, have achieved work. reckoned with. by the entrepreneur bug, and Towards the end of the and are accomplishing. Frink was the man large- Additionally, their steam- in 1991 Wheeler Equipment Ltd. 19th century, the second ly responsible for perfect- , cranes and high- was formed. CONTRIBUTED of these revolutions was Capitalizing on Change ing the logging engine or lead and skyline cable sys- championed by the emer- Getting in on the trailing . The “Wash- tems were used in forest As a result of a down- his me- gence of new energy sourc- edge of revolution number ington” logging engine and and logging operations up turn in the economy and chanics apprenticeship es, that being electricity one and the leading edge winch system was the rec- and down the west coast an evolving industrial land- with Howe Sound Timber. and gasoline and the devel- of number two was Seattle, ognized industry standard, of the U.S. and Canada and scape, the company began This Squamish, British opment of the combustion Washington-based, Wash- and it was used not only in around the world. As well, selling off its assets in the Columbia- based, premier- engine. This heralded an ington Iron Works, a com- Washington, Oregon and their cranes and cable sys- 1980’s and extinguished forestry company, owned era of mass production. pany under the guidance of but also tems, some of the largest all fire in its furnaces and and operated three of the Nearly a century later, president J.W. George and in Alaska, the Philippines, ever built, were instrumen- closed the doors for good industry standard Wash- the third industrial revo- general manager J.M. Frink. Burma (Myanmar), India tal in the construction of in 1986. ington TL-6 Trakloaders. lution appeared with the As a result of the region’s and, in fact wherever there the Hoover Dam and, a bit “That was my introduction emergence of nuclear en- railway, steamship and mill- were logs to harvest and closer to home and years Closer to Home to Washington Iron Works ergy and the rise of elec- ing interests, Seattle was move. later, the Revelstoke, Brit- Meanwhile, in 1976, a and their machines,” stated tronics. Today we are wit- fast becoming known as the Washington Iron Works ish Columbia hydro electric young man by the name Wheeler in a recent inter- ness to the impact of the Pittsburgh of the west. The capitalized on the industrial project. of Stuart Wheeler started Continued on page 29 October 2019 Supply Post · Our Readers Are Your Buyers Page 29

Obtaining used Washington Iron Works equipment for rebuilding is getting more difficult as the years pass.

Washington Iron Works logging steam donkey and winch. Copyright Wikipedia. Used with permission.

Continued from page 28 reclamation yards…all of view. “I worked for Howe which needed parts and re- Sound for a few years, then pair. Although the first few was recruited by Washing- years were slow, as with al- ton Iron Works and worked most any business startup, for them until the company Stuart Wheeler was off to a closed.” good solid start. Upon dissolution, Today, Wheeler Equip- Washington Iron Works ment Ltd. is flourishing Canadian operations were with up to 20 employees purchased by British Co- and its own 20,000 plus lumbia-based TriCan Ma- square foot manufacturing chinery, and Stuart Wheel- facility on River Road in er returned home and was Delta, British Columbia. MULLINS RONALD hired on by them. Regretta- bly the market turned again A Family Affair and TriCan was forced But Stuart Wheeler to close its doors, but not has not built up Wheeler before they had acquired Equipment to its current all the plans and drawings successful position alone. for everything that Wash- He has the daily support of MULLINS RONALD ington Iron Works had de- his wife Josie… reportedly, signed and/or built. the glue that keeps it all to- Not only was Stuart gether, and his son Stuart Wheeler a respected heavy- Wheeler Jr., who manages duty mechanic and logger, the startup, maintenance he had been bitten by the and repair side of the busi- entrepreneur bug, and in ness. 1991 Wheeler Equipment Josie Wheeler has used Ltd. was formed. First up, her financial training and he purchased all of the background to get the Washington Iron Works fledgling business off the Intellectual Property and ground and to keep it on Plans from the now de- the financial straight and funct TriCan Machinery, narrow for the past three that is all 460,000 plans and and one-half decades. “It drawings…all on micro- has not always been easy,” film. There was so much she stated, “with an em- material to go through that phasis on logging equip- Wheeler had to hire some- ment the ups and downs one whose only job was of that business affected to digitize and catalogue ours. But fortunately we Stuart Wheeler Jr. works with the everything just so anyone had the maintenance of crew to put the finishing touches could find it. “I even have the cranes used in the re- on another Wheeler logging yarder. plans and drawings for cycling yards and shipping steam engines and steam barges to sustain us.” Both pable of maintaining and/ units that are still strong ‘Stuey’ as he is known to Extended Family locomotives, so I’ll be okay the recycling yards and the or rebuilding their Wash- enough for refurbishing his customers and friends, But ‘business family’ should their popularity shipping and logging barge ington 208 Skyline Cable- has become increasingly spends most of his time on can be more than just a bi- ever return,” Wheeler said industries relied heavily on System aggregate drag- difficult, so currently Stuart various job sites with the ological relationship. Such with a big smile. Washington Iron Works lines. Their need was so and his team at Wheeler company’s vast list of cus- is the case with the ‘fam- But owning the plans manufactured cranes in the great that they hired a pri- have gone back into their tomers. “I’m rarely in the of- ily’ at Wheeler Equipment. and drawings does not a past, and there was no one vate investigative company huge cache of Washing- fice and shop. I spend most For example, Robbie Dove, business make. Stuart had around who knew more to do the search, and there ton Iron Works plans and of my time on various job the company’s parts man- to go out and find the busi- about these units than Stu- was only one name that drawings and are building sites. We keep the cranes at ager, and Ross Dowling, ness. Fortunately, he was art Wheeler Sr. After all, he kept coming to the fore- a new Wheeler/Washing- a number of recycling yards shop manager, both have well known and highly re- owned all the W.I.W. plans front time and time again… ton 208 Dragline from the in top operating condition. a long and varied relation- spected in the forest indus- and drawings. that name… Stuart Wheel- ground up. This unit will The company has had a ship with Stuart Sr. and his try, and there was a goodly Another key advance- er Sr. A business relation- have all of the strengths team of mechanics working family, and the common number of Washington for- ment for the company ship was started, and since and robustness of the origi- on the cranes for Seaspan cord that ties them all to- estry machines and yarders came in 2005 when Win- that time Wheeler and his nal Washington 208 but almost from our first days in gether… Washington Iron either working or parked nipeg, Manitoba-based company have refurbished will also be incorporating business. And then there is Works. in the Pacific Northwest as Nelson River Construction and/or rebuilt 12 skyline all of today’s modern con- the startup of the new and In Robbie’s case, he well as Washington cranes was in desperate need of draglines for Nelson River veniences, electronics and refurbished machines… it and Stuart worked to- on coastal log barges and someone who was knowl- Construction. digital efficiencies. keeps me really busy… but gether at Washington Iron in the local recycling or edgable about and was ca- Finding used dragline Stuart Wheeler Jr., or I love it.” Continued on page 30 Page 30 Supply Post · supplypost.com October 2019

Stuey Wheeler Jr. and Karl Boomer discuss the plans for another Wheeler logging yarder. RONALD MULLINS RONALD

Parts Manager Robbie Dove studies the plans. RONALD MULLINS RONALD Robbie Dove and Shop Manager Ross Dowling are interregnal parts of the

RONALD MULLINS RONALD extended Wheeler Equipment family.

Continued from page 29 day out of the blue, Stuart Yes in the grand scheme extremely pleased when he Works as well as at Van- called and said he need- of things they are a small picked up the keys and had couver Equipment. Then ed a shop manager and player…but they are the machine delivered to CONTRIBUTED Dove became part owner asked if I was interested. I constantly evolving and his Qualicum, B.C., opera- of TriCan Machinery and said yes… and that was a moving forward using tion. “Stuart and I worked Today, Wheeler Equipment Ltd. is flourishing with up to 20 employees and he hired Stuart Sr. as a number of years ago. Stu- excellence in design and very closely to achieve this its own 20,000 plus square foot manufacturing facility on River Road in key heavy duty mechanic. art is a great guy to work manufacture as well as ex- result,” he stated. “This Delta, British Columbia. As time passed, Stuart Sr. for either as a supplier or emplary customer service machine will be instrumen- left TriCan to form his as an employer.” be their guide. They are tal in keeping my family’s own company but when adding new equipment, business in the forefront of Wheeler Equipment shop Wheeler Jr. will see that TriCan closed he was Changes And The Future most recently a plasma logging in British Colum- on River Road in Delta, this Legacy of Excellence quick to contact Robbie In business everything cutter allowing them to bia. Stuart and his team British Columbia, but along is carried through well into and insist that he come is always changing… al- fabricate many of the parts have done a terrific job.” with that excitement comes the future. and work for him. Robbie most on a daily basis. needed to maintain, re- Also currently going many challenges. For further information Dove had a big smile on It has often been said furbish or build-from-the- through the ‘build’ process The key element that on Wheeler Equipment his face when asked about that if a business if it is ground-up a wide variety at Wheeler’s Delta, Brit- made Washington Iron Ltd. or to find out what that experience, “It’s been not changing and mov- of heavy-duty cranes, cable ish Columbia, shop is a Works the giant success they can build or main- great. Kind of a wild ride, ing forward, it is slip- systems and logging equip- brand new, built-from-the- that they became was ex- tain for you visit www. but great. Stuart has built ping backward…there is ment. ground-up drag-line exca- cellence. Excellence in wheelerequipment.com or a solid company and it’s no standing still. If you Recently, Stuart Sr. vator for Manitoba-based planning, design, manufac- call either Stuart Wheeler wonderful to be a small could ask all those asso- and the Wheeler Equip- Nelson River Construction. turing, maintenance and Sr. or Stuart Wheeler Jr. at part of it.” ciated with Washington ment family-team finished There are Wheeler re- customer service. These 1-604-882-9995. b Dowling’s story is much Iron Works and TriCan and delivered a Wheeler/ furbished machines work- same principals of excel- the same. He worked for Machinery in the past, Washington Super 88 ing up and down the west lence have brought suc- Ronald Mullins is a Stuart in the 1990’s, left they would likely agree to Karl coast of North America, cess to Stuart Wheeler Sr. Kelowna, B.C. based to form his own company, whole heartedly. That is Boomer and his Vancouver in Alaska, Manitoba, Que- and the Wheeler Equip- writer/photographer and did some contract work not the case with Wheel- Island-based Gordon River bec and New Zealand. ment Ltd. team for almost is a regular contributor to for Wheeler, and, “One er Equipment Ltd. Contracting. Boomer was It’s an exciting time at the four decades, and Stuart Supply Post.