N.R. Murphy Ltd. announces new owners after 75 years in business

November 27, 2018 – Industrial air-quality solutions provider N.R. Murphy Limited has announced new ownership after three-quarters of a century in business.

The Cambridge, Ontario–based manufacturer of dust collectors, fans and similar equipment says that former sales manager Helder Armas has taken over the reins as the new president. Armas is also now a co-owner with his wife, Lori, who is the daughter of Norman R. Murphy, the company’s previous owner and its namesake.

“It is an honour to take over a business that has a highly esteemed reputation for dedicated customer service and uncompromising quality,” Helder Armas says. “This is a legacy that I plan to carry on.”

“I couldn’t be happier keeping my 75-year-old business in the family,” says Murphy.

The company expects a smooth transition into the new ownership, as it continues to use the same management team, systems and facility.

The transition comes as N.R. Murphy observes a special anniversary, marking 75 years of building dust collectors in the North American market. The company has installed well over 14,000 dust-collection systems throughout the country. 

The company’s history dates to 1943, when William Murphy managed, then later purchased Preston Price Air Conditioning. In 1948, he renamed the company Murphy Sheet Metal and switched the focus to supplying and installing dust-collection equipment.

As the firm continued to grow and expand its customer base, Robert Murphy took it over in 1956, and his son, Norman R. Murphy, became vice-president when the company moved to its present location at 430 Franklin Boulevard six years later.

In 1966, Norman R. Murphy bought the company from his father, and it became N.R. Murphy Limited. This transition began a 52-year era during which the company focused primarily on producing dust collectors.

In 1972, N. R. Murphy Limited partnered with Rodgers Machinery, an American company, and formed Murphy-Rodgers Inc. in Los Angeles. Murphy-Rodgers Inc. manufactured products based on N.R. Murphy’s designs and concepts for the U.S. market, while N.R. Murphy Ltd. manufactured dust-collection products for the Canadian and export markets. The partnership lasted until the closure of Murphy-Rodgers Inc. in 2010. Despite the closure, N.R. Murphy has kept its American customer base.

“Everyone says they build quality into their products,” Norman Murphy has said. “But when your name goes on every single unit you build, you make sure quality is never compromised. It’s my reputation that’s at stake.”