45 Years of Innovation:
The Cardinal Journey

Cardinal was originally founded in 1980. In 1984, the Berneche brothers—Jean-Claude, Raynald, and Gaetan—joined the company. With a strong background in sawmill and manufacturing, including experience at Canadian Morbark in North Bay, they grew Cardinal by developing and manufacturing their own sawmill lines while also distributing Morbark equipment. What started in a small garage eventually expanded into a 20,000 sq. ft. facility. Over time, Cardinal added new product lines through its partnership with Morbark, including chippers, screens, debarkers & grinders.

Today, the company is owned by Pascal Labranche, who joined in 2014. Pascal brings extensive experience in the wood transformation industry, having owned a sawmill, a chipping plant, a transport company, and multiple grinders. Cardinal remains a family business: Pascal’s son, Dannik, joined in 2022, and Pascal's wife Karie Berneche—daughter of original founder Jean-Claude—continues to play an active role with over 25 years of experience.

Cardinal’s footprint has grown significantly, expanding outside Quebec and Northern Ontario. Dieppe branch was opened to serve Atlantic Canada, and in 2016, a new location in Port Perry was established to better serve Ontario.

Cardinal continues its manufacturing activities in Angliers, Quebec across multiple sectors, including sawmills, chipping plants, biomass, and mining. After distributing Morbark products for over 35 years, Cardinal is now a proud partner of Astec (Peterson) and Dyna (Vortex) throughout Eastern Canada, carrying tree care, environmental & forestry lines.