Our History
1928
1930’s-1940’s
1950’s
1955
1970’s
1976
1980’s
1990’s
1992
2000
2003
2004
2007
2010
2011
2012
2014 - 2015
2017
2018
2019
2022
2023
Johns Manville Co. asked Moses Sodomsky to form a company focused on the installation of insulation products (corrugated asbestos pipe covering and other mechanical insulation products). Western Asbestos was formed and Arthur Sodomsky became the first President of the company. One of the company’s first large projects was Winnipeg Hydro’s Amy Street steam plant, which provided 66 years of service.
​As the company expanded, it started using the different products that Johns Manville was manufacturing such as vinyl asbestos floor tile and different types of ceiling tile. The company was comprised of the following departments: mechanical insulation, flooring and acoustics.
Western Asbestos was the mechanical insulation contractor for the Seagram’s Distillery in Gimli, Manitoba.
Harry Saunders became President of the company.
Western Asbestos removed itself from the asbestos products market due to the controversy of the products being harmful to one’s health. The company grew its business to include movable wall systems in commercial buildings, forming the contemporary walls division. This system enabled offices to be erected overnight, and staff could be working the next day. This system is still being used today and continues to be an integral part of the company. Antex also expanded its service offering to include sprayed fireproofing for commercial buildings.
Arthur Sodomsky became President of the company.
The company started using many different types of flooring systems such as carpet, carpet tile and sheet vinyl flooring, which positioned them as a well-known flooring company in Winnipeg. Antex continued to experiment with new flooring solutions to accommodate the rapidly changing needs of its customers. One of the new solutions was the installation of an access floor, or “computer room flooring,” as it was known at the time. This flooring acted as a raised platform for the computer so that air conditioning could be pumped underneath to cool its components.
In the late 1990’s, the company became the largest floor-covering company in Winnipeg. This caught the attention of national construction companies which encouraged Antex to expand to different centres.
Western Asbestos became ANTEX WESTERN LTD.
Fort McMurray branch office opened.
Mike Kolas became President of the company.
Antex expands its services to include the Hardsurface Division.
Antex was chosen to do the flooring in the new Critical Services Redevelopment Project (CSRP) building at Health Sciences in Winnipeg, MB. This project was presented with the 2007 Starnet Design Award for the Category: Healthcare.
Antex replaced 130,000 sq. ft. of access flooring at the Winnipeg Taxation Data Centre. True to Antex’s quality workmanship, not one man-hour of time was lost by any employee during the project.
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Edmonton branch office opened. Antex creates its new environmentally friendly flooring product REAZZO™, diverting construction waste from the landfill.
Antex was contracted to fabricate the custom floorcovering in the Winnipeg Jets locker room at the MTS Centre. The Research and Innovation Division was created to develop alternative cementitious materials for flooring applications. Our work at the University of Alberta earned us the TTMAC 2011 Hardsurface Awards Project of the Year.
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We purchased a building for our Edmonton Branch, with staff moving in June 2011. Antex was a part of the project team for the renovations at the Edmonton International Airport. Both the Hard Surfaces and Floorcoverings Divisions were involved. Antex Western bought a building, demolished part of it, and reconstructed the space to become the new Winnipeg Head Office. The company moved into its new space in September 2011.
Antex Western received the 2012 Award for the Starnet Category Winner: Hospitality – Public Space and the TTMAC 2012 Hardsurface Award – Manufactured Tile, for the work with the Edmonton International Airport.
Bryan Demarcke Retires & Dan Demarcke assumes his role as SP. Manager & Director
Completed major renovation to the Jets Arena (MTS, now Canada Life) with homegrown Reazzo flooring
Completion of Grande Prairie Hospital 600,000 SFT Lead Silver spectacular project
Mike Kolas retires from the company. 90th year celebrated for Antex
Ken Klohn becomes president on January 1st 2019
Brian Fedorchik retires from the company & Amanda Stertz Karpyza takes command of the Soft Flooring Department
95th Anniversary of Antex