Kelson & Kelson Ltd. Industrial Group is a longstanding and industry-leading provider of commercial and industrial coatings based in Saint John, New Brunswick. Since forming over 60 years ago, they have consistently grown and evolved in terms of size, renown, and service offering – all while remaining family-owned and operated, and all while upholding the company’s founding belief in providing high-quality work at a reasonable price. That mission began with Rupert Kelson, who founded Kelson & Kelson with that belief back in 1964. The company initially started as a small house-painting company, but quickly grew to working in the commercial and industrial fields. Terry Kelson, Rupert’s son, grew up around the company and started working there as a teenager. He moved through hands-on roles like sandblasting and spraying, and eventually acquired the business at the age of 27. That was back in 1991, when their workforce ebbed and flowed between 10 and 25 people. Mackenzie Kelson, Terry’s son, followed a similar path into the business as his father. He started working summers at the company when she was in junior high and high school. He wasn’t initially sure he intended to join full-time so he went to university and took finance and accounting as a background. After graduating, he returned to Kelson & Kelson to work a couple shutdowns, “and then I just stuck with it and decided that was the route I wanted to go.” He now serves as the company’s vice president, helping to lead a team that can comprise over 150 people during peak activity. These days, that expansive team provides a vast portfolio of industrial services, including MARCH 2026
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