Calhoun Super Structures of Tara, Ontario, set to celebrate its 30th anniversary of providing fabric structures for the North American ag sector.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Image courtesy of Calhoun Super Structure Ltd.
Hay—they’ve got you covered!
As local farmers aged, Leonard Calhoun noticed that these stewards of the land were having an increasingly difficult time pulling covers over their hay. So, in 1992, he came up with a solution by founding Calhoun Agri Services Ltd., located in Chesley, Ontario.
In 2000, Leonard’s sons, Jeremy and Sean Calhoun, officially relaunched their father’s company as Calhoun Super Structure Ltd.—offering larger fabric structures for the ag industry and more. From a single idea to now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Calhoun Super Structure now employs 50 people, and is a multi-million-dollar North American leader in the manufacture of fabric structures.
Headquartered in Tara, Ontario, Calhoun Super Structure recently expanded its production facility in nearby Goderich by 10,000 square feet. The business invested approximately $1 million in the expansion, which broke ground last July.
Jeremy Calhoun, Chief Executive Officer and co-owner with his brother Sean, told Farms.com that he began his career working on the foundation crew for his father’s business—Calhoun Agri Services. “From the foundation crew, I had to work my way up the ladder to the building crew, then sales and project management, to company management.
“My brother Sean and I later relaunched the company under its current Calhoun Super Structure moniker.”
He said that the company began by building small, year-round structures up to 32-feet wide by 70-feet long, and grew the business and the structure sizes from there.
“It was our customers who kept asking us for larger and larger structures, so we listened, and now we offer up to 250-foot-wide structures for ag industry applications and beyond,” Calhoun related.
The Calhoun brothers examined the needs within other markets, and expanded their product line to include larger structures for various industries including, such as commercial applications, sand, salt, fertilizer, sports and recreation, waste, oil and gas, mining, equestrian and more.
“We essentially became a manufacturing company that engineered custom fabric structures,” he said.
Calhoun noted that the company’s engineering experience covers a broad range of industries, including agricultural structures, commercial warehousing, sand and salt sheds, mining sites, fertilizer storage and others.
From its humble local-area beginnings selling 30’ x 70’ fabric structures for agricultural storage, Calhoun Super Structure has now installed over 10,000 diverse projects worldwide, via more than 36 dealers in North America.
“Much of our success can be attributed to the strong working relationships we have with our dealers who sell, install and provide post-sale maintenance services for Calhoun’s fabric structures,” Calhoun divulged. “We spend an extensive amount of time researching those who can potentially help the company grow and thrive.
“Once dealers are brought onboard, we work diligently to develop long-term partnerships and maintain the company’s strong dealer network,” he continued. “Calhoun also employs a local direct sales crew to sell, install and provide post-sale maintenance to local farmers and businesses.”
A Stich In Time
To protect assets and structural integrity, a fully engineered fabric building must be able to withstand the harshest environments, stated Calhoun.
Fabric structures’ steel elements must effectively defend against corrosion over time. The most durable fabric structures include hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) steel frameworks and stainless-steel cables to avoid the rust, pitting and damage traditional storage buildings often endure. For HDG, the fabricated steel trusses are fully submerged in a bath of molten zinc. Calhoun’s dipping process covers the steel down to the smallest crevice, inside and out, to maximize structural integrity and defend against deterioration.
To further safeguard the building against intense weather conditions, the structure must also have quality, durable fabric.
“Our company’s high-density polyethylene (HDPE) fabric is manufactured with an advanced film for corrosion-resistance, flexibility, seam strength, UV-resistance, and longevity,” he noted. “The fabric-covered structures can withstand 150+ miles-per-hour winds and 300+ pounds-per-square-foot snow load. As well, Calhoun’s structures provide great translucency for increased natural light and reduced energy costs.”
The company said that it performs years of testing before it puts any new product on the market, to ensure every customer will be 100 percent satisfied with the results.
To retain its status as an industry leader, Calhoun Super Structure is always looking at and testing any new fabric to hit the market. “We understand that quality fabrics—with a proven, positive track record in the field—come first and foremost,” offered Calhoun.
Oftentimes, fabric-covered structures need to accommodate customer conveyors, large vehicles, and even on-site personnel, which is why Calhoun said that its structures can be fully customized with the exact dimensions and structure style needed to meet consumers’ and businesses’ specific needs.
The company’s fabric structures may also be engineered with tailored heights.
With Success Comes Growth
Along with its dealer network, the business continues to grow.
Earlier this year, Calhoun Super Structure completed its 10,000-square-foot production plant expansion that broke ground in July of 2021. The investment in the $1-million expansion allows the company to stay ahead of rising demands.
To celebrate the completed plant expansion, Calhoun is hosting a public open house event on June 9, 2022, at 5PM for the local and surrounding Goderich community.
Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the new plant and enjoy live music from Owen Sound band, The Little Bigheads.
A food truck will also be on-site, and Calhoun will offer guests an exclusive customer discount for attending the event.
Additionally, to commemorate its 30th anniversary, Calhoun is implementing various activities throughout the year, including an ongoing 30:30 Cancer Fundraiser—with the goal of raising $30,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society.
This effort honors Eloise Calhoun, a key contributor to the company’s founding, who passed away in March 2004 due to breast cancer.
To learn more about Calhoun Super Structure and how it has you covered, visit https://calhounsuperstructure.com/.