Manufacturer’s Spotlight Chris Mc Loone
The COVID-19 pandemic affected us all, but as we emerged from the pandemic, the unthinkable occurred at C.E.T. Fire Pumps: A fire took out not only the building of origin but other buildings on the company’s complex, rendering the organization out of business for 30 days. Editor in Chief Chris Mc Loone sat down with C.E.T. Fire Pumps Vice President of Sales Gerald Halpin to catch up on C.E.T. as it enters the second quarter of 2024.
CM: Please provide a brief history of C.E.T.
GH: What is C.E.T. Fire Pumps today is an offshoot of a family business founded in 1908 by Pierre Thibault called Pierre Thibault Fire Trucks. When Pierre Thibault passed away, he left his nine sons portions of the business, which broke up over time. Charles E. Thibault took the pumps and ladders part of the business and renamed it C.E.T. Fire Pumps. Thirty-two years ago, Stephan Thibault took the business over, and 18 years ago, I joined the company. Today, Stephan is the president, and I am vice president of sales.
CM: Describe C.E.T.’s product lines.
GH: First and foremost, we are a fire pump builder—both portable and stationary. We are one of North America’s largest firefighting skid unit builders. We build pump systems, compressed-air foam systems, and foam trailers. We also build mini pumpers and tanks.
CM: How has C.E.T. responded to the various industry challenges that have emerged since the pandemic?
GH: Probably our greatest challenge since the pandemic was a fire in March 2022. The fire occurred at our Pierreville, Quebec, facility during manufacturing hours. There were no injuries, but the fire was in the roof part of the building. The building collapsed during the fire and damaged other buildings on the campus that had to be taken down as well. We were out of business for 30 days. We rented and modified a building and moved in 45 days later and started manufacturing again.
In July 2023, we moved into our new campus that features a new building. It was designed and built from scratch, and everything in it is new. It is more efficient than the previous facility. It encompasses 44,000 square feet, with 4,000 square feet dedicated to office space.
But, during the transition, it impacted the customers and distributors incredibly. Everyone stood by us. Everyone was suffering the supply chain issues from the pandemic, and then we had the fire. When the supply chain improved, we had nowhere to store materials, which created logistical issues. But, now deliveries are as good as or better than two years ago. Pump delivery times are two to four weeks; firefighting skid unit delivery times are eight to 10 weeks; and truck delivery times are six months to 1.5 years. We built a brand new business from a manufacturing point of view. We got it done in 15 months, but I would never wish this kind of disaster on anyone.
CM: What is unique about C.E.T.?
GH: We’re a throwback. We design, engineer, and manufacture everything we sell, except chassis. The customer gets a warranty from one person. People respond to that.
CM: What keeps you awake at night?
GH: The cost of apparatus and equipment to the local community. How can communities sustain these costs? Also, volunteer firefighter recruitment.
