Armour Valve recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and its long-standing success as a company. Since 1971, Armour Valve has provided the highest-quality speciality valves and process solutions for critical and severe service. As we’ve grown over the decades, we have built a diverse team of experienced professionals that are the essence of our company. Our team incorporates our core values; respect, integrity, teamwork, and excellence into everything we do, contributing greatly to our ability to succeed.
As part of our anniversary celebrations, our marketing team sat down with CEO, Ian Braff, and President, Liz McBeth to discuss past success and plans for continued growth.
Armour Valve’s Evolution
Our company was established in 1971 as a Montreal-based venture that Ian joined as a partner. Initially doing business as Bro-Teck Inc., it became Armour Valve when Ian and his wife Sally took over. Our focus in the early years was promoting a German valve for the pulp and paper and power industries in Quebec.
In the late 1970s, the Braffs moved from Montreal to Toronto, running the company out of their basement until they found a suitable location in Scarborough. A satellite office was established in Calgary, Alberta, in the early 1980s, in order to expand into the oil, gas, and power industries in Western Canada. Throughout the decade, our sales and central operations teams expanded, and our product portfolio grew, making it possible for Armour Valve to enter new markets. At the time and still, to this day, it is rare to find a Canadian distributor and manufacturer’s representative that is both national in scope and covers as many industries as Armour Valve does.
Armour Valve’s founder and CEO, Ian Braff, and his daughter, Liz McBeth, Armour Valve’s President.
As the company grew into the 1990s, we identified a need for more efficient and streamlined processes. Armour sought and earned ISO certification in 1997, further solidifying our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Over the years, we have developed enduring relationships with clients and introduced additional products to fit their needs. Armour Valve focuses on solutions that have longevity and can be repaired rather than replaced, as a disruption to the plant can be expensive.
We are proud to have represented some of our principal lines for more than 40 years. Our partners are respected for the exceptional quality and performance of their products.
Today, Armour Valve remains a family-owned and operated business with Ian’s daughter, Liz, taking the reins as President in 2019. Liz is committed to building on the strong foundation established by her parents by strengthening the team and the company’s commitment to sustainability, environmental and social responsibility, and human development.
To What Do You Attribute Armour Valve’s Success?
Armour Valve’s team and core values are essential to our success. Without the dedication and support of our team, we would not have grown into the company we are today.
We maintain a people-first outlook when working with our suppliers and customers. Our customers come back to us because they know that our products perform and they rely on our consistently high quality of service. We maintain professional, trusted relationships with both suppliers and customers and translate our core values to each aspect of our business.
What Were Your Initial Goals and Values and How Have These Changed Over the Years?
Armour Valve started as a family business and has maintained a ‘family-friendly’ mindset as the company has grown. We strive to offer a flexible environment where team members can grow and do what they do best while developing their skills and advancing in their positions. Armour Valve is dedicated to maintaining a diverse and inclusive team. We are proud that our average tenure is 16 years.
The key values that Armour Valve was founded on are respect, integrity, teamwork, and excellence. These values build upon each other, starting with respect and integrity which create trust. Once these foundational values are established, there is an understanding of how to best collaborate as a team to achieve excellence. These core values are represented and shared throughout the company by our team members.
We are also dedicated to becoming a more socially and environmentally responsible business. Armour Valve is planning for the next generation with a focus on sustainable practices. Liz is leading the initiative of realigning the company’s vision, mission, and internal processes with this sustainability focus which will positively affect how we support our customers and select our suppliers in the future.
Thank You to The Armour Valve Team!
We would like to thank everyone at Armour Valve for their dedication and hard work. Our team upholds our values each and every day while providing an uncompromising commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. We are improving our processes continuously, updating our technology, digitalizing, and expanding to better serve our customers. Armour Valve is proud to provide resilient infrastructure solutions for critical and severe service that ensure the health and safety of workers and communities across Canada.
