Our History

Western Archrib, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, was founded in 1951 by Cecil Fargey. His son Jim Fargey joined in 1952, Kent Fargey in 1987, and daughter Joan Fargey in 2003. The initial market for the company was mostly farm buildings, hockey rinks, curling rinks and storage facilities.

In 1987, the assets of a Manitoba Glulam manufacturer were purchased and a second manufacturing facility was opened. In the early days, Western Archrib served the Western Canadian market. Today, its products are shipped all over North America and Asia for a wide variety of construction projects.

Western Archrib played a key role in establishing a national manufacturing standard for Glulam in the 1960s. We continue to be industry leaders and contributors to organizations that include the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Canadian Wood Council, University of Alberta, FPInnovations, the American Plywood Association, and the Canadian Standards Association. 

With seasoned technical staff, many possessing 30 to 40 years of service, Western Archrib is built on a strong foundation of industry knowledge, hands-on experience and pride in the final product.  

In 2021 Western Archrib was purchased by Northland Forest Products also a family run wood processing company. For more than 50 years, Northland Forest Products has manufactured premium dimensional lumber with the most modern equipment optimized for efficiency and safety.