In a steel market shaped by shifting supply chains, tariffs and constant uncertainty, Steve Marques, president of Platinum Grover Inc., is not interested in simply following the crowd.
For Marques, success comes from anticipating where the market is headed, identifying opportunities others may overlook and having the conviction to take a different path. Since acquiring Platinum Grover in 2023, Marques has drawn on nearly two decades of experience in the steel industry to expand the Calgary-based structural pipe and piling supplier.
His approach is grounded in what he calls “contrarian” thinking – challenging conventional wisdom, looking at the market from a different angle and finding new ways to create opportunities. That philosophy has shaped his leadership of Platinum Grover as the company expands its product offerings, strengthens domestic supply relationships and looks for ways to provide greater value to contractors.
From steel to construction
Platinum Grover was founded by Ben Docktor in Calgary, Alta., in 1986. The company’s headquarters and 40-acre yard remain in the city today, providing a strategic base for distributing steel pipe across Canada by rail or truck. By the time Marques began considering the acquisition, he had already spent nearly two decades working in the steel industry. His experience included oil country tubular goods (OCTG), line pipe and other steel categories, as well as work on both the distribution and producer sides of the industry.
“Most distributors sell pipe; we go further to try to bring value back by managing between the global steel markets and the current economic situation.”
Steve Marques, Platinum Grover Inc.
“Primarily, I’d been operating in the capacity of prime material: OCTG, line pipe and other steel categories. I’ve worked on the distribution side from coatings to composites to in-house steel management of producers,” he said. “I became interested in the complexity of the steel industry and the dynamic from the supply chain perspective and eventually moved into the construction world when I acquired Platinum Grover in 2023. The founder and owner, Ben Docktor, before he passed, provided me the opportunity to look at the business and understand it holistically from the ground up – for which I’m very grateful.”
For Marques, acquiring Platinum Grover marked a move from the steel supply side into construction while allowing him to apply les sons from his previous career to a new market.
Three short, long years
In what Marques describes as “three short, long years,” he has been building on Platinum Grover’s established foundation while applying his experience in steel piping to the construction market. Those years have coincided with challenging conditions across the industry, including a flood of imports and changing government priorities. Rather than simply working within those constraints, Marques looked for opportunities to expand the company’s established inventory and reach new markets.
“We’ve diversified our steel offerings, building on the structural steel industry, adding more categories into the mix to provide more value back to ourselves and the operators and strengthen relationships with those we serve,” said Marques.
Platinum Grover now supplies a broader range of steel products while continuing to serve its traditional markets. “Platinum Grover is now supplying process piping, fittings, flanges and line pipe – mill direct – along side the OCTG, piling and structural [steel] we’ve carried since day one. Most distributors sell pipe; we go further to try to bring value back by managing between the global steel markets and the current economic situation that people are facing,” said Marques. “This is behind a lot of the changes we’ve presented – trying to develop closer relationships with our customers and offer more services and the commodities that perhaps are getting more difficult to procure.”
The expanded offering reflects Marques’ broader view of Platinum Grover’s role in the market. Rather than simply supplying a product, he wants the company to help contractors navigate procurement and supply-chain challenges.
Supporting the contractor
For Marques, understanding the contractor’s priorities is central to Platinum Grover’s approach. “The contractor’s job is to install steel as quickly as possible with accuracy and efficiency and then move on to the next project. Our job is to support them, essentially to mitigate what they’re putting out,” he said. “The challenge that lies between ourselves, contractors and the operator is forecasting the visibility of each project, supply-chain planning and collaboration. The more information and communication we share amongst ourselves, the greater the value that comes back to all parties.”
That emphasis on communication and collaboration is particularly important in an industry where project schedules, material requirements and market conditions can change quickly. By improving visibility across the supply chain, Marques believes suppliers and contractors can work together more effectively to manage risk and keep projects moving.
Going against the current
The company also took a proactive approach to navigating uncertainty in the steel market, strengthening its focus on domestic supply before tariffs came into effect.
“About a year ago, we saw that the steel market was moving heavily one way and so took Platinum Grover in the other direction. Prior to the tariffs coming into place, we made a distinctive trend to support domestic steel and align further with domestic supply lines, a strategy that has worked out very well over the past year. We’ve been able to secure onboard domestic projects and made-in-Canada projects, and we continue to build out and expand upon our domestic supply line. [I don’t] know where the future will go, no one does, but we are definitely watching.”
“The challenge that lies between ourselves, contractors and the operator is forecasting the visibility of each project, supply-chain planning and collaboration. The more information and communication we share amongst ourselves, the greater the value that comes back to all parties.”
Steve Marques, Platinum Grover Inc.
Marques saw an opportunity to strengthen the company’s position by building closer connections with domestic suppliers and supporting projects that prioritize Canadian made materials.
Carrying the vision forward
Marques’ approach to leadership has also been shaped by his relationship with Platinum Grover’s founder. “I was fortunate to come into the business when Ben Docktor was still alive. Our time together was short and fast, but he gave me the chance to explore something different at Platinum Grover even though they’d been doing it the same way for 40 years. I know he saw something in me, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to take the company further. I’ve tried to instill that contrarian thinking into our team. There’s always another way to solve the problem; you just have to supply effort. It’s not just thinking against things, though – it’s the action, doing something about it,” he said.
At Platinum Grover, that philosophy has translated into a willingness to explore new products, services, sourcing strategies and ways of supporting customers.
More than a pipe supplier
As Platinum Grover continues to expand, Marques sees the company’s role as extending well beyond the sale of steel. “At Platinum, we don’t just sell pipe. What we’re really focused on is the entirety of the project, the entirety of the steel category,” Marques said.
“There’s always another way to solve the problem; you just have to supply effort. It’s not just thinking against things, though – it’s the action, doing something about it.”
Steve Marques, Platinum Grover Inc.
“We believe we can differentiate ourselves and de-risk a lot of projects. We’re always looking at new approaches, substitutions, design changes, whatever will return more value. One of the things I’ve learned from my past 20 years of experience managing multiple steel categories – whether it be from the superintendent, the accountant to the president, finding a way to make someone else’s job more effective and bring value to them will in turn bring value back to us.”
That philosophy puts the emphasis on the entire project rather than a single material order. By considering alternatives and looking for opportunities to reduce risk, Platinum Grover aims to become a more integrated part of the supply chain. It is an approach Marques developed through his years working across different areas of the steel industry and one he now wants to bring to the construction sector.
Making an impact
For Marques, the company’s future is ultimately tied to the value it creates for the people and businesses it serves. “And so how we see ourselves here at Platinum Grover is based on the impact that we bring to the market, our staff, our customers, the community and our family. A lot of decisions that we make, or that I make, impact quite a few of the people we employ and serve. We’re looking to be impactful, bringing value back to the market. We are focused on being contrarians and changing as the market and the economy and projects change,” he said.
That philosophy is shaping Platinum Grover’s next chapter. The company is building on its long standing presence in structural pipe and piling while expanding its capabilities and strengthening its domestic supply network. For Marques, the path forward is not about predicting exactly what comes next. It is about staying alert to change, questioning the conventional approach and being ready to act when an opportunity emerges.
In a market where supply chains, project demands and economic conditions can shift quickly, that willingness to take a different route may be one of Platinum Grover’s greatest strengths.