Ottawa's local business community has plenty of long-haul success stories, but few quite like Eric Lemire's 35-year run in the structural steel industry. For Lemire, a passion for the iron trade ignited early, and that early spark has carried him through more than three decades of work building up one of the capital region's steadier industrial trades.
A Bold Start in 1991
Lemire's path into the business world wasn't a straightforward one. When his previous employer made the decision to close its structural steel division back in 1991, it could have been a dead end. Instead, Eric and his partner, Sylvie Lemire, saw it as an opening. Rather than looking for another job in the trade, the pair decided to strike out on their own, turning what looked like a setback into the foundation of a new venture.
That kind of resourcefulness — spotting opportunity in a moment when others might have simply moved on — is a big part of why Lemire's story has stuck around in Ottawa Business Journal's coverage of the region's industrial players. Structural steel isn't a flashy sector, but it's a foundational one, quite literally holding up much of the built environment that Ottawa residents move through every day.
Why This Matters to Ottawa
Ottawa's skyline and infrastructure — from office towers downtown to warehouses and industrial buildings on the city's outskirts — rely on structural steel work that often goes unnoticed by the public. Businesses like the one Eric and Sylvie Lemire built are part of the backbone of the capital's construction and development sector, providing the kind of specialized industrial expertise that keeps local building projects moving forward.
For a city that's seen steady growth in commercial and residential construction over the years, having established, experienced players in the structural steel trade matters. It's the kind of behind-the-scenes industry that doesn't always make headlines, but plays a direct role in shaping how Ottawa gets built.
Three and a Half Decades and Counting
Reaching the 35-year mark in any industry is no small feat, but doing it after starting from scratch in the wake of a division closure adds another layer to the achievement. Lemire's longevity in the trade speaks to both the demand for structural steel expertise in the Ottawa region and the staying power of a business built on that early leap of faith back in 1991.
As Ottawa continues to grow, the kind of steady, specialized industrial businesses that Lemire has helped build remain an important part of the local economic fabric — even if they operate mostly out of the spotlight.
Source: Ottawa Business Journal
