Beginning in 1984 Byron Nelson, having a background in fastener distribution, opened Leland Industries inc. in a rented 1,500 sq. ft. facility in Markham, Ontario.
Distribution experience and a boyhood on a farm in Saskatchewan prepared him to recognize opportunities unseen by others.
With five employees and two cold heading machines, Leland began making unique agricultural bolts that would quickly become the industry standard for grain storage construction.
Today Leland produces domestic fasteners for OEM and Industry.
A privately held Canadian company using only domestic steel and labor, Leland has grown and expanded to include eight sales branches and warehousing facilities in Canada and the United States, with the recent opening of an office and warehouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The company’s headquarters recently underwent a 50,000 sq. ft. expansion, allowing all phases of production and management to be encompassed in one 205,000 sq, ft. facility, located on ten acres in suburban Toronto.
In company with Canadian Threadall Ltd. (CTL), Canada’s largest custom- job manufacturer, Leland offers roll threading, forgings, specials, thread cutting and bent bolts.
The 2012 acquisition of CTL increased Leland’s workforce to more than 200 employees. Today Leland’s offering includes domestic fasteners from small diameter tapping and wood screws up to A325 Structural Bolt assemblies in diameters to ¾”. Accreditations include A2LA (testing laboratory), and ISO/IEC-17025
Leland also services customers in Europe and parts of the Near East. As Byron Nelson says, "We are not the low-cost supplier; we don’t want to be.”
Byron Nelson (President), in company with his two sons Jason and Duane, have long believed that North American producers have a right and a duty to compete in their own markets.
The desire to succeed and to provide innovation and value drove Leland to grow into a leading manufacturer within a few short years, explain the Nelsons. Understanding the customers, responding to concerns -- all are necessary steps to success.
Companies native to North America innovate; others simply attempt to copy.
Coming from a farming background undoubtedly assisted the Nelsons in understanding the needs of the industry. “Our family’s experience in the grain storage industry did not guarantee success, but it certainly pointed us in the right direction,” Byron Nelson says.
