148 Park Street North Reading MA 01864
Phone: (978)664-0044 Fax: (978)664-6516
about us

John Gardner and Donald Donohue founded Northland Steel Corporation in March of 1979. John and Don had met in the 1960’s while working together at Canam Steel. Don left Canam to work for a large steel deck manufacturer (Roll Form Products) while John remained at Canam Steel where he developed a loyal customer following. In 1979 John and Don combined their talents and Northland Steel was born.

John and Don display their first purchase order in 1979
These two entrepreneurs had a vision that the steel construction industry was ripe for change. They pioneered the notion that there was value-added for the customer by being able to partner closely with a broker/agent rather than trying to navigate the corporate maze of a large manufacturer. In the ensuing years, many have tried to copy their innovation and success but few have come close.

In May of 1991 Mike Cronan was hired as a Sales Engineer and in November that same year, John was stricken with brain cancer.  In addition, Don was contemplating retirement. The company was at a crossroads.  John and Don set in motion a plan to recruit a top-notch, seasoned construction executive in the person of Dick Barisano who was then a Vice President for Stabile Construction in Nashua, NH.  Dick was hired as Vice President in 1994 thus paving the way for Don Donohue’s retirement that same year. Sadly, John passed away in 1997 though his aura remains.

Dick was instrumental in bringing the company into the computer age through the introduction of computers on every desktop and AutoCAD drafting.  Through Dick’s leadership and organizational expertise and Mike’s marketing/sales efforts the company expanded rapidly during the 1995 to 2001 period.

In December 2001, Dick retired from Northland Steel and Mike was promoted to Vice President. Dick joined Don Donohue as a member of Northland Steel’s Board of Directors along with members of the Gardner family. This past July 2006, the Board of Directors named Mike Cronan to the position of Senior Vice President.