Rhodes Pelley says there’s nothing better than driving around and being able to point out buildings, bridges and railings he’s had a hand in creating.

“There aren’t too many communities on the island that we haven’t supplied something for. I like taking my kids on road trips and saying ‘We made that,’” says Rhodes. “That was one thing my dad was always proud of — that a small community in Newfoundland could do so much, and compete with the bigger companies in St. John’s.”

Rhodes’ father, Gerald, started the steel fabrication business back in 1978 in the small town of Springdale — about an hour north-west of Grand Falls-Windsor — after purchasing bolt-making equipment to get into the marine hardware supply.

Rhodes was just 13 years old at the time, so threading bolts became his summer job. His brother, Lance, was five years older and started working full-time for the family business of G. Pelley Ltd.

Just two years in, they purchased a galvanizing kettle that allowed them to submerge steel or iron in a bath of molten hot zinc — giving it a protective coating to prevent rusting. G. Pelley Ltd. was the first galvanizing facility in Central Newfoundland, and it remains the only one today.

In fact, they even do galvanizing work for their competition! Rhodes says many fabricators need their steel galvanized for corrosion control, so G. Pelley Ltd. is happy to take care of that for them.

As they grew up, Rhodes and Lance began taking on more and more responsibilities within the business. They branched out into metal fabrication so they could supply utility companies with galvanized brackets, and organized another crew to work on structural projects.

“If it can be made out of steel, we’ll try to make it,” says Rhodes. “It’s a way of life.”

Steel is the main material used in delivering renewable energy — like solar, hydro and wind power — so two of their clients are Newfoundland & Labrador Hydro and Newfoundland Power Inc.

Rhodes says the utilities often rely on G. Pelley Ltd. to fabricate parts quickly, especially if they’re in the middle of a job and realize they need something specific — like pole line hardware or substation hardware.

“When they’re stuck, they call us!” adds Rhodes.

The business has what he calls “a nice, big block of land” in Springdale, with a 90 x 196 sq. ft. fabrication shop and a 50 x 100 sq. ft. warehouse next to it.

Rhodes runs the office while Lance oversees the shop floor. They have a staff of eight employees, many of whom have decades of experience, and he says they tackle everything from little one-off orders — like a custom fire pit for somebody’s yard — to large-scale projects “as big as we can handle.”

CHANGE ON THE HORIZON

But after 40+ years working on the family business, Rhodes and Lance (now 55 years old and 60 years old, respectively) say it’s time to retire and sell the business to someone who can take it another four decades into the future.

“We’re getting to the point where we’d like to pass the torch onto someone new — someone very creative,” says Rhodes. “There are many forms you can express yourself in, and steel is one of them.”

Steel is used in nearly every industry — automotive, transportation, housing, construction, machinery and more — and the steel industry employs more than two million people worldwide.

Rhodes says the company’s new owner won’t necessarily need to know anything about steel fabrication or galvanization, because they’d have a full team ready to show them the ropes.

G. Pelley Ltd. currently exports marine hardware across Atlantic Canada, and Rhodes believes there could certainly be new markets to explore, as well. The possibilities, he says, are as endless as the products steel can create.

“It’s been profitable for over 40 years, and the business continues to be successful,” says Rhodes. “Now it’s time to see where someone else can take it.”