N.R. Murphy announces new owners after 75 years in business

The Cambridge, Ont.-based company – which manufactures dust collectors, fans, and similar equipment for workplaces in many sectors – is pleased to announce that former sales manager Helder Armas has taken over the reins as the new president. Helder Armas is also now a co-owner with his wife, Lori Armas, who is the daughter of Norman R. Murphy, the company’s previous owner and its namesake.

“It is an honour to take over a business that has a highly esteemed reputation for dedicated customer service and uncompromising quality,” Helder Armas said. “This is a legacy that I plan to carry on.”

N.R. Murphy has always been a family-owned company. It all began in 1943 when William Murphy managed Preston Price Air Conditioning.

“I couldn’t be happier keeping my 75-year-old business in the family,” said Norman Murphy.

The company expects a smooth transition into the new ownership, as it continues to use the same management team, systems, and facility.

A long history of uncompromised quality
This transition comes as N.R. Murphy observes a special anniversary – marking 75 years of building some of the top dust collectors in the North American market. The company has installed well over 14,000 dust-collection systems throughout the country. Technology may change, but the Murphy family has always remained consistent in its strong dedication to one goal: quality.

This quality story goes all the way back to 1943, when William Murphy managed, then later purchased Preston Price Air Conditioning, a company who also shared Murphy’s high-quality standards. In 1948, he renamed the company Murphy Sheet Metal and switched the focus to supplying and installing dust-collection equipment.

This has been the case right from the beginning, when William Murphy got Price Air Conditioning off the ground. In 1948, he renamed the company Murphy Sheet Metal and switched the focus to supplying and installing dust-collection equipment. As the firm continued to grow and expand its customer base, Robert Murphy took it over in 1956, and his son, Norman R. Murphy, became vice president when the company moved to its present location at 430 Franklin Boulevard six years later.

In 1966, Norm Murphy bought the company from his father, and it became N.R. Murphy Limited. This transition began a successful 52-year era during which the company focused primarily on producing dust collectors.

In 1972, N. R. Murphy Limited partnered with Rodgers Machinery, an American company, and formed Murphy-Rodgers Inc. in Los Angeles, CA. Murphy-Rodgers Inc. manufactured products based on N.R. Murphy’s designs and concepts for the U.S. Market, and N.R. Murphy Ltd. manufactured dust-collection products for the Canadian and export markets. The partnership lasted until the closure of Murphy-Rodgers Inc. in 2010, yet N.R. Murphy has kept its American customer base.

With Helder and Lori Armas succeeding Norman Murphy, the company has entered the latest of many transitions over its 75-year history. But N.R. Murphy’s equipment has continued to stand the test of time. The firm’s long-time commitment to top quality is evident in the fact that its biggest competitor is its own used equipment.

“Everyone says they build quality into their products,” Norman Murphy has said. “But when your name goes on every single unit you build, you make sure quality is never compromised. It’s my reputation that’s at stake.” With Helder and Lori Armas in charge, N.R. Murphy expects its solid reputation to continue for another 75 years.