This year got off to a great start for Bay-Lynx Manufacturing. One of North America’s premier manufacturers of volumetric concrete mixers, stone spreaders, and structural beam “cold” cambering machines, Bay-Lynx’s dedication to innovation and customer service is paying off.
“We are on the cusp of our biggest growth year in history,” says Trevor Koppelaar, Director of Operations. “New people, product line strengthening, and optimizing new equipment. It’s a very exciting first few months of the year.”
Trevor represents the fourth generation of this family-owned business, and is understandably proud of the company’s heritage, which goes back to his great-grandfather, Walter Koppelaar, Sr. Immigrating with his family to Canada from Holland after the Second World War, Walter, a basket weaver by trade, started a welding shop in Hamilton, Ontario. This led to the creation of The Walters Group Inc. in 1956. Over time, Walter’s sons joined the business, followed by their sons, including Trevor’s father, Greg.
More than manufacturing
For decades, The Walters Group performed steel manufacturing, like fire escapes and railings, with projects growing steadily larger.
Around 1990, a local business approached the company to build aggregate boxes, essentially hoppers atop a chassis with a conveyor used to spread dirt or mulch. This resulted in the Agri-Lynx line and the creation of Bay-Lynx in 1992. “Ironically, we had products before we had a company,” explains Trevor Koppelaar, “and that’s where the Bay-Lynx name originated. ‘Bay’ comes from Hamilton Bay, and the Lynx is a symbol of strength.”
Today, continuing to innovate, Bay-Lynx is committed to helping customers become more successful and efficient. “We always say we are a solutions-based business,” says Koppelaar. “If you have a challenge or hurdle to overcome, we’ll work with you and take a custom approach to a piece of equipment or to a product line.”
Many product lines from 1992 no longer exist, because markets change and technology evolves. Building systems and procedures also differ from those of 20 or 30 years ago, and some improvements come about through valuable customer experiences and requests. Bay-Lynx staff visit clients on site, see the challenges they face firsthand, and frequently benefit from suggestions to improve their products.
Bay-Lynx supports many local customers from the ground up, both on the equipment side and by helping their businesses succeed. This includes help with basic marketing, such as a graphics package for their trucks, and more. “We’re not just trying to sell a piece of equipment and move on to the next customer,” says Koppelaar. “If we can set the customer up for success, he’s going to come back next year to buy a second, third, and fourth piece of equipment as his business grows,” he explains.
“We have a slogan: ‘We build machines that build your business.’” Instilling this message in his people, Koppelaar knows they will help clients who, in turn, will expand their companies and hire more locals, benefitting entire communities. “We are open to our customers’ requests, humble enough to make changes, and creative in how we overcome challenges.”
Volumetric mixers change the game
About 80 percent of the company’s business is in manufacturing volumetric concrete mixers. Traditional barrel drum mixers can be problematic—wasteful when someone orders too much concrete and a hassle if they order too little, requiring back-and-forth trips to fetch more concrete mix.
Not so with volumetric concrete mixers. All concrete ingredients are separated, with a water tank at the front and sections for sand, stone, and cement powder. All that’s needed is to input the desired strength and quantity, which is mixed on site via an auger, resulting in fresh, perfectly mixed concrete. “With volumetric concrete mixers, you’re not overpaying or over-ordering,” says Koppelaar.
Many Bay-Lynx customers are independent concrete suppliers, providing concrete to construction companies, wall-forming and concrete-forming landscapers, pool contractors, municipal contractors doing road work, and hydro-electric businesses installing lines through roads and filling in trenches with concrete. Selling directly to its customers is a strong suit for Bay-Lynx; instead of dealing with a middleman, customers work with factory experts who can advise on the right model, provide technical support, and offer parts and service.
About 90 percent of the company’s volumetric concrete mixers and other products are made-to-order. Although Bay-Lynx has tried to build up some inventory, demand is so great that the company hasn’t been able to hold onto stock units. Bay-Lynx also sells used equipment, even products made by competitors, often from trade-ins, which are repaired as needed and resold.
A best-seller
The company is especially proud of its Bay-Lynx Titan, the product line that has catapulted the company into the volumetric concrete world in recent years. Made using abrasion-resistant Hardox® 450—the world’s toughest steel—the Titan is lighter and stronger than ever. And with the BatchPro 3.0 Operators Panel, users can “enjoy a completely automated mixer set-up process and communicate with dispatch via the BatchPro Connect software solution,” according to Bay-Lynx.
The Titan remains the company’s #1 seller in the United Kingdom and internationally. Between Canada and the United States, it accounts for the majority of Bay-Lynx’s equipment sales. “A ton of passion went into the Titan’s design and engineering, and we continue to make staggering improvements,” says Koppelaar. “It’s been a really exciting road to see that product come from concept and design.”
Designed in 2019 and launched in 2020, the Titan has been so well-received that it is hard to keep up with demand, and Koppelaar is quick to praise his team for their efforts. “It’s a great result of pure dedication and hard work.”
The Titan represents Bay-Lynx’s ongoing commitment to improvement. Every Tuesday morning, the entire company of about 70 gets together on the shop floor. Standing around a screen, each department provides updates on everything from production to assembly and installation, and the ownership team discusses sales.
Bay-Lynx’s UK team recently exhibited its product at The UK Concrete Show, and attendees commented on how much better the company’s build quality was compared to its competitors. “Again, that’s back to our Titan line that we’re extremely proud of,” says Koppelaar.
A growing presence around the globe
As well as its headquarters in Ancaster, Ontario, Bay-Lynx has two UK locations, and at the recent World of Concrete Show, announced a new location in Portland, Tennessee, near Nashville. Says the company: “This marks a major step in our continued growth and commitment to customers across the United States. This new location will strengthen Bay-Lynx’s ability to support contractors with local parts availability, dedicated service support, and faster response times—all designed to keep equipment running and jobs moving.”
An official grand opening is in the works for the new location, which was created to combat the current tariff situation. “You’ll get the same core values and the same customer treatment that you would get here in Canada,” Koppelaar says.
Along with World of Concrete, Bay-Lynx showcases its products at other European shows, including the UK Concrete Show and the Hillhead Show, held every June in a quarry. Closer to home, the company also participated in CONEXPO-CON/AGG (North America’s largest construction trade show) and the Canadian Concrete Expo, Canada’s only national trade show dedicated to the concrete, construction, and aggregates industries.
Recently, Bay-Lynx hosted a Concrete Academy. Attended by current and prospective customers, the event featured demos, a shop tour, and guest speakers discussing concrete, volumetric concrete mixers, and even how to build and run a concrete business.
“That’s always been a really good sales avenue for us,” says Koppelaar. “We have an 80 percent batting average: we bring 10 customers through our shop, and we’ll have eight units sold. That’s how proud we are of our team, our facility, and our products.” If a customer is on the fence, Bay-Lynx will pay for them to come to their facility, which more often than not results in a signed order.
Building a legacy
Recently celebrating the 70th anniversary of The Walters Group, the Koppelaar family remains committed to its core values, especially when it comes to treating employees well. “That seems very normal to say—treat others the way you want to be treated—but that is the truth here because of family ownership,” says Koppelaar. “There’s me and my brothers in the business, and we treat our employees as family. We are a tight group of people working together for a common goal.”
For customers, family ownership means less red tape and the proven ability of Bay-Lynx to pivot quickly. All the decision-makers are just down the hall, and clients receive answers and advice quickly. Care and professionalism continue to build trust and earn Bay-Lynx word-of-mouth business.
“A family-run company looks from one generation to the next. A non-family corporate business looks at quarterly profits for the next quarter,” says Koppelaar. “We have strategic plans in place for the next five, 10, 15, and 20 years, not just to make profits this quarter. And yes, we have to be profitable, and are looking at those things as well, but there’s a bigger goal in mind than just short-term wins,” he tells us. “We’re building a legacy.”
