Igloo began as a family business. Today, with offices and contracts spanning the globe, Igloo is still family. The family gets bigger, but the values don’t change.

Any order, anywhere, on time.

In the 1950s, Don Stewart was in the right place at the right time - Hay River, a small northern town on the shores of Canada’s Great Slave Lake. At Hay River, the Mackenzie Highway and the Canadian National Railroad end. Barges, boats, planes and snowmobiles carry supplies from the town to every northern community all the way to Tuktoyaktuk. The hub of the north, Hay River was the right place for a hardware and lumber store. Don Stewart, born and raised there, understood ice and cold and was an expert planner. His company, Igloo Building Supplies, became the company you could trust to deliver any order, anywhere, on time.

Expanding south

In 1984, Don's son Barry took a six-week trip to Edmonton, Alberta to investigate the possibility of opening a southern office. Six weeks turned to six months. In the end, Barry never went home to Hay River. Instead, he established an Edmonton operation. Today, the Igloo Building Supplies group, run by brothers Barry and Brian Stewart, is Edmonton’s largest supplier of building materials. Although the climate in Edmonton wasn't as harsh and unforgiving as Canada's North, Igloo quickly discovered there is always a demand for a company you can trust to deliver quality anywhere, on time.

Continued expansion

In 1994, Igloo purchased the building supply company, Northern Eauclaire. One year later, Igloo opened a truss-making plant in Edmonton. Today, annual sales range between $80 and $100 million, and Igloo has operations in Hay River, Yellowknife and Edmonton, along with a packaging facility in Montreal and an office in Warsaw, Poland. Around the world, Igloo is the company you can trust to deliver quality anywhere, on time.

Member in good standing

Being part of the lumber and construction industry is important to Igloo Building Supplies. We're committed to being an ethical and responsible part of our community. Igloo is the only western member of the Independent Lumber Dealers Co-operative – a valuable group dedicated to keeping prices down for the customer by facilitating volume purchases.

And we're also proud members of the Western Retail Lumber Association, an interest group dedicated to maintaining best practice within its membership.

 Dedication to quality

Barry Stewart's dedication to quality hasn't gone unnoticed. In 2004, Barry found himself the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes business leaders that demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success through innovation, financial performance and personal commitment. Congratulations, Barry, the dedication you show to your customers made all the difference.