Christine Wilson, B.A.Sc., P.Eng

President

With a committed focus to providing outstanding service and innovative products, Christine joins TIW with more than 30 years of global experience within the power generation, industrial manufacturing, and oil & gas industries. Christine has held various senior roles and was the General Manager at Babcock & Wilcox Canada and INNOVA Global. Christine’s proven success in developing teams, leading global sales efforts, and enhancing productive and efficient manufacturing will be integral to continued success at TIW.

Christine is an optimistic senior leader with consistent success delivering exceptional operational results for her clients.

Christine Wilson, B.A.Sc., P.Eng

President

Christine Wilson is President of TIW Steel Platework Inc.  TIW is a fully integrated unit of design, manufacture, and construction of field erected steel platework structures. Originally known as The Toronto Iron Works Company, TIW was established in 1907 as a supplier of tankage, process vessels and related equipment to the petroleum industry.  The Company’s expertise in steel platework has since established it as a leading supplier to the pulp and paper, chemical, mining, and numerous other industries.

For more than 30 years, Christine has held various senior roles.  Prior to joining TIW, she was General Manager at INNOVA Global, leading the Environmental Solutions division.  In this role, she had full profit and loss responsibility for the division which designed and supplied customized noise and emissions control systems for gas turbines.

Prior to joining INNOVA, she was General Manager, Nuclear Equipment at Babcock & Wilcox Canada.  In this role she had full profit and loss responsibility for the global heavy equipment business specializing in nuclear steam generators, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, atmospheric tanks, concrete-lined tanks, and piping.

Christine holds a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto.  She is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO).  Christine previously sat on the TSSA Boiler and Pressure Vessel Advisory Council for several years.

Randy Lauder

Director, Contracting Services

Nearly 40 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, in planning, management and other roles have equipped Randy with impeccable skills and insights on the creation and fulfillment of contracts for a variety of scopes and complexities. Staying within budget and on deadline for his many contracts, he continues to thrive on the thrill of new projects and changes.

Randy is known for his commitment and ability to deliver under pressure.

Randy Lauder

Director, Contracting Services

Randy began his nearly 40-year-long production services career at Foster Wheeler Limited, where he was responsible for the planning, scheduling and coordination of manufacturing in both the shop and in construction. It was here that he developed his skills mastering complex estimating processes from the execution to the budget to the contract.

He harnessed this deepening understanding of the complexities of contracts in his subsequent project manager position at Babcock and Wilcox, where he worked on a variety of contracts, including negotiating a 10 year contract with one of the nations top midstream oil refineries.

In the 2000’s, Randy joined MBB Power Services. His superior track record of keeping projects on deadline and under budget is a result of his many years getting to know the scope of multiple departments as well as the contingency required to prepare for unexpected events and evolving needs. For a period of 20 years he served in various roles working his way up from project management, contracts administration and sales to leading the company as General Manager.

As part of MBB’s transition into becoming a division of TIW Steel Platework Inc. Randy joined the TIW team in 2019 and now serves as the Director of Contracting Services. His educational background in Business Administration from Niagara College complements his first-hand insight in his work. A pro under pressure, he gets priorities down to a fine art, stays on top of the work while in process and keeps all workers and staff on the same page, reallocating resources where and when necessary.

Known for his honesty and integrity, he always acquaints himself with the needs expressed by his clients and he stays true to that in building and fulfilling the contract.

Darrell Spratt

Director, Operations

Darrell has been with TIW for close to 30 years. He has the critical role of ensuring that work flow is maintained from engineering, drafting, purchasing and manufacturing and into our field. His main goal is to positively influence the direction of every project.

Darrell Spratt

Director, Operations

Darrell has worked his entire career in the tank fabrication industry.

He joined TIW’s Drafting department in 1991 as a draftsman, and in 2002 was assigned the position of Chief Draftsman. In 2014 was promoted to Engineering Services Manager and again to Director of Engineering Services in Aug 2019.  In March 2021 Darrell took on additional responsibility with manufacturing under the new title of Director of Operations.

Darrell coordinates with engineering, drafting, purchasing, manufacturing and field on a regular basis to ensure that all departments are working together to maintain our shop and field commitments. Once the job is underway in the field Darrell will address any concerns that may arise from our customer and or field supervisor. Confirming all procedures have been followed in order to uphold TIW’s stringent standards is a large part of his job. At this position Darrell can positively influence the direction of every project the company takes on. He values management’s receptiveness to employees’ ideas and the fact that every employee can have a significant impact on TIW’s future.

Mark Baxter

Construction Manager

Mark is a seasoned professional with 31 years of building construction experience as a Red Seal Boilermaker/ Journeyman Welder. As an experienced Tank Erector Superintendent and Level 1 Welding Inspector, he’s known for developing effective schedules and execution plans that meet all client requirements. His background includes working in various industrial settings such as refineries, mills, power boilers, potash and nickel mines. In his role as Construction Manager, Mark works productively with the team to meet tight deadlines and to see projects through to completion.

Mark is known for developing effective schedules and execution plans that meet all client requirements.

Mark Baxter

Construction Manager

Mark is a seasoned professional with 31 years of building construction experience as a Red Seal Boilermaker/ Journeyman Welder. As an experienced Tank Erector Superintendent and Level 1 Welding Inspector, he’s known for developing effective schedules and execution plans that meet all client requirements. His background includes working in various industrial settings such as refineries, mills, power boilers, potash and nickel mines. In his role as Construction Manager, Mark works productively with the team to meet tight deadlines and to see projects through to completion.

Tim Lee

Quality Manager

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Tim is well-versed in all aspects of quality control and has played a critical role in ensuring every product TIW ships is up to the high standard our clients have come to expect. As someone who closely monitors quality on the shop floor on a daily basis, Tim is a passionate believer in building quality into the production process from the start.

Tim Lee

Quality Manager

With  over 30  years of experience in the industry, Tim is well-versed in all aspects of quality control, and plays a critical role in ensuring every product TIW ships is up to the high standard our clients have come to expect.

Tim earned his Manufacturing Engineering Technician diploma at Niagara College of Applied Arts & Technology. He went on to work throughout the industry as a Machinist’s Apprentice, Scheduling Expeditor, Quality Control Inspector and Production General Foreman before joining TIW in 1999. He was promoted to Manager of the Quality department in 2014 and since then has been responsible for production and construction.

In the past 18 years, Tim has been an important part of TIW’s evolution as a company and one of the many drivers of its success in a competitive market. As someone who closely monitors quality on the shop floor on a daily basis, Tim is a passionate believer in building quality into the production process from the start. He appreciates the dedication his staff and all TIW employees show to the company’s core value of quality, as well as how loyal the company is to its employees.

Larry Opaski, CPA, CMA

Controller

Larry Opaski joined the senior management team of TIW as Controller. With an extensive background in the manufacturing industry, Larry has held various Controller and managerial positions within several offices across North America. Larry holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce Accounting degree from Lakehead University and CPA designation.

Larry Opaski, CPA, CMA

Controller

Larry has always been fascinated with numbers and business, so accounting was the perfect fit for a career.  Larry graduated from Lakehead University in 2007 with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce Co-Op degree specializing in Accounting.  During his co-op terms, he started working at the Resolute Forest Products accounting department in 2005 until graduation in 2007.  Upon graduation in 2007, Larry was hired on full-time with Resolute Forest Products and from there worked about 11 years for the company (2007-2012 and 2015-2020).  Larry held many different managerial/controller positions within the company at various mills in Ontario, Canada and also Florida and Tennessee in the United States.

From 2013-2014, Larry worked as a Manager in the Accounting department at the CAA South Central Ontario corporate head office in Toronto.  Larry was able to gain some valuable experience in corporate accounting.

Larry encompasses a wealth of accounting knowledge in the manufacturing industry along with experience in the corporate accounting environment.  In July of 2021, this diversity of experience led Larry to the senior role of Controller at TIW Steel Platework Inc.  Larry is responsible for helping to streamline TIW’s financial operations, continually working to improve the efficiency of the Accounting department and maintain exceptional working relationships with critical stakeholders, including suppliers, banks, multiple levels of government and corporate office.

Jeramie Whalen, CSP

HS&E Manager

Jeramie has 25-years experience in environmental and occupational health and safety. Drawing on various safety roles within the manufacturing and construction industry, Jeramie brings an exceptional track record of reducing accidents, incidents, liability insurance, and workers compensation costs using effective and efficient audits, inspections, assessments, and root cause analysis. With an unwavering dedication to the protection of all staff and skilled workers, he plays the critical role in developing customized safety plans for each project along with managing safety personnel for all field locations.

Jeramie is passionate in influencing people to inspire positive attitudes, healthy behaviors, improve company culture, quality, and performance.

Jeramie Whalen, CSP

HS&E Manager

Jeramie Whalen is an accomplished environmental and occupational health and safety professional with experience in commercial construction, general industry, hazardous waste, Hydro, Capitol  EPC manufacturing, mining, production, transportation, and other ventures from small to large size organizations. Passionate in influencing people to inspire positive attitudes, healthy behaviors, improve company culture, quality, and performance with exceptional compliance, leadership, management, staffing, and training.

He provides innovative solutions to complex issues in working with diverse people at all levels by clearly communicating individual and organizational goals for continual improvement. Notable achievements include reducing accidents, incidents, liability insurance, and workers compensation costs using effective and efficient audits, evaluations, good catch programs, inspections, leading indicators, program reviews, reports, risk assessments, and root cause analysis.

Jeramie is also a qualified trainer in confined space, excavation and trenching, forklifts, lockout-tag-out, machine guarding, material handling, silica, and traffic control.  An enthusiastic contributor with leadership, excellent public speaking, presentation, and team-building skills.

Maintaining a good life-work balance is a priority, In my spare time I actively participate in community service endeavors, I enjoy working out other activities like golf, hockey, baseball traveling, and especially family events. confident, energetic, fun, outgoing person with a sense of humor that loves to engage with people and make a progressive difference in the world.

Janet Coles

Purchasing Manager

With nearly 30 years’ experience in purchasing, Janet is known as “the steel buying queen of southern Ontario”, negotiating with vendors to get the best possible price on materials. A tough negotiator who works well under tight deadlines, she maintains an important open dialogue with everyone on staff, most often the Sales and Production departments.

Janet Coles

Purchasing Manager

With nearly 30 years experience in purchasing Janet is a highly esteemed member of the TIW team. Known as “the steel buying queen of southern Ontario”, she negotiates with vendors to get the best possible price on the materials used to construct TIW’s tanks. She is also in charge of the company’s facilities and maintenance contracts, does most of the purchasing for Niagara Structural Steel, and maintains an important open dialogue with everyone on staff, most often the Sales and Production departments.

She joined TIW in 1990 as a clerk in the Accounting department, but eventually discovered her skills as a tough negotiator who worked well under tight time deadlines was immensely valuable in Purchasing. Today, she is closely involved in many important capacities, from the budgetary pricing stages of an inquiry through to the steel purchasing process and material timeline management. Her continual progress updates and diligent management of the purchasing and procurement process for building supplies and services help keep our warehouses stocked with materials, our projects on schedule and production organized.

Janet takes great satisfaction in her role, and her proudest moment is watching materials come through the door on time and on budget.

Dan Damaia

Production Manager

With more than 30 years experience in the machining and steel industries, Dan brings diverse experience in supervisory duties to his role as production manager. Instrumental to the team for his critical thinking, problem solving and leadership abilities, he brings an uncompromising work ethic to his position in production and fabrication services.

Dan is known for his critical thinking, problem solving and leadership abilities!

Dan Damaia

Production Manager

Dan had worked in the mining and steel industries for 30 years before joining TIW as a fabrication supervisor. Often praised for his ability to think critically, plan ahead and take swift action when required, he’s moved up the ranks to become production manager.

He began his career at just 16 years old with an after school part-time position at a machine shop, then apprenticed full-time under a strict Eastern European tool and die maker to earn his Red Seal Machinist qualification. It was at this early stage that Dan learned the importance of attention to detail and quality.

Years later, he would seize the opportunity to head to Central America on a three-year contract to supervise a maintenance team at a mega-project for a gold mining company. He counts the project among his greatest accomplishments, as the position offered him the opportunity to work with staff from across Canada, the United States, Peru, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and train and mentor local tradesmen.

Dan attributes his work ethic to his father, who instilled the belief that having the courage to care about both people’s safety and the workplace is critical to the success of any team.

Jerry Desjardins

Regional Field Superintendent (Western)

Jerry brings more than 30 years of experience in the boiler industry to TIW, where he moved up the ranks and held positions including Foreman, General Foreman, Site Superintendent and Project Coordinator. Today, he works in our Edmonton office and is responsible for coordinating construction contracts for Western Canada.

Jerry Desjardins

Regional Field Superintendent (Western)

After graduating from Sault College (formerly Cambrian College) with a diploma for Industrial Chemistry in 1969, he worked in the nuclear power industry before changing career paths to become a Construction Boilermaker for 30 years.

In 1982 he joined Combo Tank, a division of Canadian Erectors, which was one year later, dissolved by the large acquisition of TIW. With TIW Jerry continued as a welder, then progressed through the ranks as Lead Journeyman before taking on positions as Foreman, General Foreman, Project Coordinator and Regional Site Superintendent. He has worked primarily in Northwestern Ontario and Western Canada on various types of steel plate structures and fondly remembers the excellent mentorship he received from Mario Lisella and others, which had a positive impact on his career.

Jerry holds certification as a CWB Welding Inspector Level II, API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspector and API 653 Tank Inspector.  He is also an NCSO Safety Professional and ACSA Safety Auditor.  Today, Jerry is located in our Nisku, Alberta office and is responsible for coordinating construction contracts for all of Western Canada.

Affiliation & Strength

TIW is an Independent Operating Division of Canerector Inc.

In 1983 TIW Steel Platework Inc. was purchased by privately owned corporation, Canerector Inc.  TIW was the first major acquisition of now more than 50+ independently operating divisions under the corporate umbrella of Canerector Inc.  The sister divisions complement each other by focusing on different facets of the steel sector with product design, fabrication and erection on numerous projects in various industries across the world. They often work together providing a “single source” of procurement on large projects.

For more information on Canerector Inc. visit: www.canerector.com

Canerector Inc.