Cherubini Bridges and Structures on scale, skilled trades, and staying strong in Dartmouth
When Renato and Danilo Gasparetto immigrated to Nova Scotia from Italy, they fabricated and sold steel hand railings door to door. Almost 60 years later, Cherubini Bridges and Structures is the largest steel fabricator in Atlantic Canada, operating three Dartmouth facilities with more than 250,000 square feet of fabrication space.
While the scale of the business has changed since the Gasparetto brothers were knocking on doors, the mindset has not. “They were never afraid to grow, invest or go after the next opportunity,” says Darren Czech, CEO. “That stays with us today. We’re always looking around the corner for opportunities.”
Transitioning from a railing shop to complex international infrastructure work took decades of deliberate investment in people, facilities, automation, and more. “That didn’t happen overnight,” says Czech. “We’ve progressively built the business to take on larger and more complicated work.”
Gordie Howe International Bridge
Ask why the head office never left Dartmouth and Czech turns the question around. “Why move?” he says. “Being in Dartmouth doesn’t hold us back. It gives us an advantage.”
The Pleasant Street facility has deep-water access to Halifax Harbour, which means Cherubini can fabricate structures at a scale that would be difficult to move by road and ship them directly from the yard. “The Keating Channel Pedestrian Bridge being built for Toronto’s waterfront is a good example,” says Czech. “It’s a signature pedestrian bridge with a complex architectural design. We’re fabricating it here in Dartmouth using Canadian steel, and it will be fully assembled and trial fitted here before travelling hundreds of kilometres by barge as one completed structure.”
Cherubini also fabricated and supplied spans and components for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which recently opened between Windsor and Detroit. At 2.5 kilometres, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. “Our people helped fabricate one of the most significant pieces of infrastructure connecting Canada and the United States,” says Czech. “I think people are sometimes surprised by the scale and sophistication of what’s being done here.”
Keeping that expertise in the building starts with retention. “Cherubini has always been a company where people are treated as more than employees,” says Czech. “The owners know people by name. They know their families. They walk the floor. They know when someone is celebrating a milestone or when a family is going through a difficult time. Those things may sound small, but over a career they matter.”
Darren Czech is CEO of Cherubini Bridges and Structures.
As a proud Canadian company, Cherubini’s success has been built by people from many different backgrounds and countries. Cherubini’s team includes many employees who came to Canada from around the world, and the company has supported workers and their families as they establish themselves here. “The best recruitment strategy is creating a company where good people want to stay and where they will encourage others to join them,” says Czech.
That closeness, along with its leadership structure, is what Czech credits for Cherubini’s recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies by Deloitte.
Looking ahead, Czech sees opportunity in energy, defence, major infrastructure, and the renewed focus on Canadian supply chains. “Cherubini has never waited for a market to take off before investing in it,” says Czech. “You don’t build capacity for the project you have today. You have to be thinking about what customers are going to need tomorrow.”
His advice to other Nova Scotia manufacturers eyeing growth: find a mentor, join associations where members help each other, learn what funding and export programs exist, and then pick up the phone. “The opportunity is likely closer than you think,” says Czech. “Nova Scotia has world-class manufacturing and infrastructure expertise. Sometimes we need to think bigger about where it can take us.”
