J. D. Irving
Encyclopedia
J.D. Irving Limited is a privately owned conglomerate
company headquartered in Saint John
, New Brunswick
, Canada
. Its activities include many industries: forestry
, paper products
, agriculture
, food processing
, transport
ation, shipbuilding
. The company forms, with Irving Oil
and Brunswick News
, the bulk of the Irving Group of companies, which regroups the interests of the Irving family.
JDI traces its roots to a sawmill operated in Bouctouche, New Brunswick
by its namesake, James Dargavel Irving. J.D. Irving's operations were entrusted to his children, one of which, Kenneth Colin Irving, assumed majority ownership and used JDI as a springboard for expanding into pulp and paper
and other forestry-related businesses between the 1920s-1940s.
In the post-war years, JDI took control of pulp mills in Saint John and upstate New York
, as well as sawmills throughout New Brunswick. During the 1950s, JDI took control of a shipyard in Saint John and started several trucking
companies and heavy industry companies like Irving Equipment
to satisfy the growing needs of the company.
From the 1960s-2000s, JDI expanded to become the largest forestry concern in the Maritimes
and northern Maine
and the region's largest industrial player, with extensive land holdings, tree nurseries, pulp mills (plants producing kraft
pulp, supercalendered paper, tissue products, and corrugated medium), sawmills, a retail chain of home improvement stores (Kent Building Supplies
), modular home construction (Kent Homes), industrial construction, wallboard
manufacturing, marine towing and dredging (Atlantic Towing), prefabricated concrete (StresCon), steel fabrication (Ocean Steel), frozen food production (Cavendish Farms), fertilizer and agri-services (Cavendish Agri-Services), railways (New Brunswick Southern Railway
), and manufacturing of personal care products including tissue and paper towels (Majesta and Royale
) as well as diapers (Irving Personal Care).
In the 1970s and 1980s, JDI expanded into trucking with its Scot Truck subsidiary based in Debert, NS
. Now called Midland Transport and based in Dieppe, NB
, it is joined by sister companies Midland Courier (Dieppe), Sunbury Transport (Fredericton
) and RST Industries (Saint John).
JDI is also the largest shipbuilder in Canada with ownership of shipyards in Halifax, Pictou
, Liverpool
, Shelburne
, and Georgetown
.
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
company headquartered in Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Its activities include many industries: forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, paper products
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
, transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation, shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
. The company forms, with Irving Oil
Irving Oil
Irving Oil is a gasoline, oil, and natural gas producing and exporting company. It is also one of the few energy companies in Canada to publicly support the Kyoto Accord. Irving Oil operates one large oil refinery...
and Brunswick News
Brunswick News
Brunswick News Inc. is a Canadian newspaper publishing company based in Moncton, New Brunswick. It is privately owned by James K. Irving.-Newspapers:...
, the bulk of the Irving Group of companies, which regroups the interests of the Irving family.
JDI traces its roots to a sawmill operated in Bouctouche, New Brunswick
Bouctouche, New Brunswick
Bouctouche is a Canadian town in Kent County, New Brunswick and in 2006 Census the population was 2,383.The town is located at the mouth of the Bouctouche River on the coast of the Northumberland Strait, approximately 40 kilometres northeast of Moncton....
by its namesake, James Dargavel Irving. J.D. Irving's operations were entrusted to his children, one of which, Kenneth Colin Irving, assumed majority ownership and used JDI as a springboard for expanding into pulp and paper
Pulp and Paper
Pulp and Paper is the name of the largest United States-based trade magazine for the pulp and paper industry. See also: Paper engineering, Pulp and Paper Merit Badge...
and other forestry-related businesses between the 1920s-1940s.
In the post-war years, JDI took control of pulp mills in Saint John and upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, as well as sawmills throughout New Brunswick. During the 1950s, JDI took control of a shipyard in Saint John and started several trucking
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
companies and heavy industry companies like Irving Equipment
Irving Equipment
Irving Equipment, a division of J.D. Irving, Limited, can trace its roots back to 1958. The division was created to support various construction industries in the Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada area including shipbuilding, oil refining , and pulp and paper mill expansions.Irving Equipment is a...
to satisfy the growing needs of the company.
From the 1960s-2000s, JDI expanded to become the largest forestry concern in the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
and northern Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and the region's largest industrial player, with extensive land holdings, tree nurseries, pulp mills (plants producing kraft
Kraft process
The kraft process describes a technology for conversion of wood into wood pulp consisting of almost pure cellulose fibers...
pulp, supercalendered paper, tissue products, and corrugated medium), sawmills, a retail chain of home improvement stores (Kent Building Supplies
Kent Building Supplies
Kent Building Supplies is a chain of 33 retail home improvement stores in Atlantic Canada, owned by J.D. Irving Limited...
), modular home construction (Kent Homes), industrial construction, wallboard
Drywall
Drywall, also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board is a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper...
manufacturing, marine towing and dredging (Atlantic Towing), prefabricated concrete (StresCon), steel fabrication (Ocean Steel), frozen food production (Cavendish Farms), fertilizer and agri-services (Cavendish Agri-Services), railways (New Brunswick Southern Railway
New Brunswick Southern Railway
The New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
), and manufacturing of personal care products including tissue and paper towels (Majesta and Royale
Royale
- Transportation :* Bugatti Royale, a luxury automobile* Ford Royale, an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company* MS Royale, a cruise ship operated by several companies* Daewoo Royale, an automobile manufactured by Daewoo Motors...
) as well as diapers (Irving Personal Care).
In the 1970s and 1980s, JDI expanded into trucking with its Scot Truck subsidiary based in Debert, NS
Debert, Nova Scotia
Debert is an unincorporated farming community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is located approximately 20 km west of the town of Truro. The Village of Debert is home to two churches, Baptist and United, plus a Fellowship Center, as well as a gas station and two garages. There are...
. Now called Midland Transport and based in Dieppe, NB
Dieppe, New Brunswick
Dieppe is a Canadian city in Westmorland County, New Brunswick.-Geography:Dieppe is located on the Petitcodiac River east of the adjacent city of Moncton...
, it is joined by sister companies Midland Courier (Dieppe), Sunbury Transport (Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
) and RST Industries (Saint John).
JDI is also the largest shipbuilder in Canada with ownership of shipyards in Halifax, Pictou
Pictou, Nova Scotia
Pictou is a town in Pictou County, in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Located on the north shore of Pictou Harbour, the town is approximately 10 km north of the larger town of New Glasgow....
, Liverpool
Liverpool, Nova Scotia
Liverpool is a Canadian community and former town located along the Atlantic Ocean of the Province of Nova Scotia's South Shore. It is situated within the Region of Queens Municipality which is the local governmental unit that comprises all of Queens County, Nova Scotia...
, Shelburne
Shelburne, Nova Scotia
Shelburne is a town located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Shelburne County.-History:-Settlers:...
, and Georgetown
Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
Georgetown is a Canadian town and the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island. As of 2011, the population was 693.-Geography:Georgetown, Capital of Kings County, sits on an 8 kilometre long peninsula formed by the Cardigan and Brudenell Rivers, Along with Georgetown Harbour...
.
Incidents
As a large regional industrial conglomerate, J.D. Irving Ltd. subsidiaries have been the focus of several notable incidents:- In 1970 an oil barge named the Irving Whale sank in the Gulf of St. Lawrence causing periodic oil spills until it was raised by the federal government in 1996.
- In 2007 the Irving Pulp & Paper Ltd. mill at Reversing FallsReversing FallsThe Reversing Falls are a series of rapids on the Saint John River located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where the river runs through a narrow gorge before emptying into the Bay of Fundy....
accidentally released 680,000 litres of green liquor into the Saint John River; pleading guilty, the company received a fine of $50,000. In November 2008 Environment CanadaEnvironment CanadaEnvironment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
investigators exercised a search warrant at Irving Pulp & Paper's head office to seek more information on this accidental spill.
- In November 2008 JDI Logistics and Atlantic Towing made the news over an accident involving the transport of 2 new turbines from Saint John HarbourSaint John HarbourSaint John Harbour is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. It was represented from its creation for the 1995 election until October 13, 2005 by Elizabeth Weir, the leader of the New Democratic Party of New Brunswick from 1988 to September 25, 2005...
to the nearby Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating StationPoint Lepreau Nuclear Generating StationPoint Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian nuclear power station located 2 km northeast of Point Lepreau, New Brunswick. The facility was constructed between 1975-1983 by NB Power, the provincially-owned public utility....
. The JDI subsidiaries had been sub-contracted by Atomic Energy of Canada LimitedAtomic Energy of Canada LimitedAtomic Energy of Canada Limited or AECL is a Canadian federal Crown corporation and Canada's largest nuclear science and technology laboratory...
, prime sub-contractor for refitting the nuclear plant for the facility's owner NB PowerNB PowerNB Power , formerly known as New Brunswick Power Corporation and New Brunswick Electric Power Commission is the primary and former monopoly electrical utility in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
. The 2 turbines were manufactured by Siemens AGSiemens AGSiemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
in ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and were shipped to Saint John on a road transport vehicle aboard a cargo ship. The cargo was off-loaded under the supervision of JDI Logistics from the ship onto a barge owned by Atlantic Towing Ltd., however the cargo shifted and the barge tipped, sending the turbines and the road transport vehicle into Saint John Harbour, adding to the delays for the refit of the nuclear power plant.
- In late November 2008 the Atlantic Towing Ltd. dredging barge Shovel Master was being towed by the company's tugboat Atlantic Larch from Saint John to Halifax for a refit when it foundered in heavy seas 20 nmi (37 km) west of Yarmouth, NSYarmouth, Nova ScotiaYarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
. The barge crew of 3 was rescued by a CH-149 CormorantCH-149 CormorantThe AgustaWestland CH-149 Cormorant is the Canadian Forces designation for the AgustaWestland AW101 , a helicopter used for air-sea rescue in Canada...
search and rescue helicopter before the barge capsized. Several ATL tugboats and commercial divers responded and a tow line was secured to the capsized, yet floating, barge by the tugboat Atlantic Oak. The barge was towed 45 nmi (83.3 km) south of Yarmouth however it sank in 150 m (492.1 ft), carrying 70000 l (18,492 US gal) of diesel fuel, as well as 1000 l (264.2 US gal) of hydraulic fluid and 5000 l (1,320.9 US gal) of waste oil.
J.D. Irving Ltd. subsidiaries
- Cavendish Farms
- Irving Personal Care
- Irving ShipbuildingIrving ShipbuildingIrving Shipbuilding Incorporated is the largest shipbuilder in Canada. Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canadian industrial conglomerate J.D. Irving Limited....
- Saint John ShipbuildingSaint John ShipbuildingSaint John Shipbuilding was a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Saint John, New Brunswick. It operated from 1923-2003.-History:Numerous shipyards were located on the shores of Courtney Bay in the east end of Saint John Harbour where extensive mud flats dried at low tide.In 1918 it was...
- Halifax ShipyardHalifax ShipyardThe Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc...
- East Isle Shipyard
- Shelburne Ship Repair
- Woodside Industries
- Fleetway Services
- Saint John Shipbuilding
- Irving TissueIrving TissueIrving Tissue is a tissue products producing company, owned by J.D. Irving Limited. It has manufacturing locations in both Canada and the United States....
- Kent Building SuppliesKent Building SuppliesKent Building Supplies is a chain of 33 retail home improvement stores in Atlantic Canada, owned by J.D. Irving Limited...
- Midland Transport
- Moncton WildcatsMoncton WildcatsThe Moncton Wildcats are a junior ice hockey team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They play at the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada....
- New Brunswick Southern RailwayNew Brunswick Southern RailwayThe New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
- Chandler
- Majesta Brand Paper Products
- Acadian Lines Ltd
- SMT (Eastern) Ltd. Bus Lines
- Midland Transport Ltd
- Midland Courier
- Universal Truck And trailer
- Protrans
- Universal sales
- Kent Hardware Stores
- Kent Building SuppliesKent Building SuppliesKent Building Supplies is a chain of 33 retail home improvement stores in Atlantic Canada, owned by J.D. Irving Limited...
- Harbour Development
- Acadia Drywall
- Custom Fabricators and Machinists
- Harth Homes
- Kent Homes
- Atlantic Towing Ltd
- Marque Construction Ltd
- Ocean Steel Ltd
- Commercial Equipment Stores
- Atlantic Speedy Propane
- Malpeque Fertilizer Ltd.
- West Isle Farm Supply Ltd
- Island Fertilizer Ltd.
- Indian River Farm Ltd
- Steel and Engine Products Ltd
- Riverdale Foods Ltd
- Indian River Farm Ltd
- Thorne's Hardware
- Strescon Ltd
- Hawk Communications