Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 7

18 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 7 F orbes Bros. Group of Companies is a proudly Canadian family-run business, originally started by three hard- working and innovative brothers. Setting up operations on a farm in Arborfield, Saskatchewan, the Forbes siblings adopted two industries – agriculture and the powerline sector – switching between the two for seasonal reasons. Eventually, the trio all become journeymen linemen. It wasn’t long before they realized that the powerline side was outgrowing the farm side, and they made the decision to go full time into the powerline business. As opportunities were presented, the company grew organically. “In the early days, the family continued to chase work and looked to expand outside the province,” recounts Matthew (Matt) Forbes, CEO of Forbes Bros. Group. “In the late 1990s, we decided to take the jump and acquired our first company, which has been a steady strategy ever since.” This was the start of the company making active inroads into the market and taking the lion’s share of the industry in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and throughout Western Canada. At the time, the Canadian Government passed legislation that required new, large-scale infrastructure projects be completed. The Forbes Bros. Group seized the opportunity and expedited plans to invest in establishing a large transmission division, as well as cementing relations with the local utilities. This resulted in the company rapidly expanding, a trend that carries on to this day. GROUP of Companies Delivering Powerful Solutions