Our company was established in 1908. Back then we were primarily a blacksmith shop specializing in springs and suspensions on Carriages and Coaches. We worked on any transport vehicle, motorized or horse drawn. Our founder, Mr. George Arcand, Sr. and on the right in the above picture, had worked for some time with a Mr. Fisher in Amesbury, Massachusetts. This was prior to going out on his own and starting Arcand Spring Company. Mr. Fisher designed and manufactured carriage, automobile and truck frames. Mr. Fisher relocated to Detroit and his frames became the Chassis?s that General Motors built their vehicles around. You may recall seeing "Body by Fisher" on a General Motors product door sill plate.
Mr. Arcand died in 1918 along with over 40 million victims of the worldwide flu pandemic. His wife, Rosabla, was left with seven children. She and her oldest son Ed kept the business running at its original location near where the Prudential Tower is today. In 1920, the two decided to move out west to Allston. They purchased the site at 229 Brighton Avenue and built the original building which is in use today. That didn't stop the Mother / Son Team. They opened four more locations in the 1920's and 1930's. They were in Charlestown, South Boston, Providence, R.I. and at 50 North Beacon St. in Allston.
When World War II started and so many men were enlisting in the armed services, a few branches were forced to close do to a labor shortage. The Allston and Providence locations continued on. In the late 1950's the Providence Location was sold by the family.
Our current management team came on board in the 1970?s and 1980?s. Dan Arcand started in 1972, Bill Head started in 1975 and Bob Giampa started in 1985. Our business concentration has been in the Greater Boston Community. We repair individual, commercial and municipal vehicles.
When the automobile and truck rapidly took over as our way of transport, we expanded into all related area...