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Fred E. Prior
bought his first team of black horses on Good Friday in the year 1914.
They were purchased at a farm sale for Mr. Elsgood near Ebinezer Church below
Eden Mills. He was fifteen years old and began his business that day,
hauling sand and gravel and digging basements.
Later that year
his brother Bert joined the operation and together they purchased a second team of
horses and the business doubled. Four years later, Fred took over full operation
and bought his first motor truck - a used Godfredson Motor Truck. The truck was
used to haul brick from Milton Brick to Guelph.
In 1937 he retired 2 of his 3
teams of horses and his first motor truck. He then purchased a 1937 GMC and 2
used trucks increasing his fleet to 1 team and 6 motor
trucks.
In
1947 the last team of horses were retired and the truck fleet had grown to 10.
As the company entered the '50's the demand for coal, coke, pig iron and brick
had decreased. Fred focused on the demand of excavation in
the area and purchased a track loader, backhoe, bulldozers and a used gravel
crusher.
In 1958 Fred E. Prior passed on leaving the company to
his two sons John & Arnold. In 1968 upon John’s death, his wife Lucy carried
on. Lucy retired in 1993 leaving Arnold the sole owner. In 2003 Arnold’s son Rick Tufford and
three nephews, John Atkinson Sr., John Atkinson Jr. and Ken Hunt inherited the
company upon Arnold’s passing
Now 96 years later, Fred E. Prior & Sons continues to be a family business built on a tradition of customer service. Fred E Prior & Sons specializes in excavating, grading, landscape supplies, trucking, equipment hauling, demolition, float service and much more.