Company History

	The Old Man and the Rust

Spring 1975: That was when Mr. Ovide St-Onge, an experienced mechanic enjoying life in his retirement years, discovered that he had become one of the many victims of an unsightly scourge: rust. In an effort to save his vehicle from the destructive effects of this unfortunate affliction, Mr. St-Onge decided to use his wealth of automotive industry experience to develop a cure. Though somewhat rudimentary, his invention proved to be quite effective nonetheless: it stopped the progression of rust. The resulting product, made from a mineral oil base, was the ideal weapon in the war on corrosion.

Fall 1975: Good news travels fast. The summer had yet to fade into fall when Mr. St-Onge recognised the importance of his invention: rust was causing significant losses every year and these losses would continue to mount if the problem went unchecked. That fall, he received 75 requests from people who had grown weary of car rust eating away at their hard-earned money! These people quickly recognised the importance of the treatment: a small investment each year would pay huge dividends in the years to come. Inundated with requests for his innovative treatment, Mr. St-Onge realised that he would not be able to protect all the needy vehicles on his own and he decided to call on his sons for help.

	Two Men and an Idea

Spring 1976: The winds of change were blowing and car owners finally had access to a service aimed at eradicating the dreaded affliction known as RUST. Following several discussions with his sons, Mr. St-Onge decided that he really wanted to stay retired and, with that, passed the torch to the next generation. With an initial investment of $500 each, Bruno and Laurier St-Onge established Metropolitan Rust Proofing. Rust’s devastating reign of terror was about to come to an end.

Fall 1976: More than 1,300 satisfied customers passed through the small St-Onge family garage that fall. People from all over Québec were now entrusting these two ambitious young men with the future of their vehicles. Things were moving at a hectic pace!

	If I had wings, I would fly away to Québec City (Longueuil, Laval, Lévis, Anjou…)

Spring 1981: Because the empire of corrosion continued to expand throughout the world (except in St-Louis-de-France of course), a merry band of intrepid Québécois rust-fighters was dispatched on a crusade - and Québec City was the first stop for the Metropolitan Rust Proofing team. Right from the start, our homegrown innovators and their solution to the numerous problems caused by rust were welcomed with open arms by the people of this fair city.

Over the next few years, the incredible success of its expansion efforts in Québec accelerated the company’s development. In 1984, the company built a service centre in Longueuil and two years after that, one in Laval. Since then, Metropolitan Rust Proofing has established nine other locations, including one in Ontario, to become the leader in the motor vehicle rust proofing industry.

	Back to the Future...

The new millennium: If the past is any indication of things to come, the company’s future looks extremely bright. Significant investments, as well as a subsidy from the NRC, allowed us to conduct research in the field of metallurgy. This research, conducted in collaboration with Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, resulted in the development of a high-end product, which is now available to Metropolitan Rust Proofing customers. In a state of constant evolution, the company is pursuing its research initiatives in order to remain at the leading edge of the industry.

Since 2003, the company has extended its services to commercial customers as well, dedicating a lane for heavy vehicle. This service is available at the Anjou service centre, wich is specially designed for these vehicles.

Our Sherbrooke location, which opened its doors in 2006, allowed us to test a new service offering for our clients: a “self-service” car wash.

A “green” product, fact or fiction? Since 1999, we have been conducting research intended to improve the product and make it more eco-friendly. In 2005, Metropolitan Rust Proofing partnered with OLEOTEK, a collegiate level research centre, in the development of a truly “green” product. Research being conclusive, the new revolutionary product is marketed since spring 2008. Another step for our environment!