Business in Edmonton - April 2022

APRIL 2022 | $3.50 BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

A PREMIER’S REFLECTIONS

REFLECTIONS

PM42455512

JASON KENNEY LOOKS BACK ON THE PAST TWO YEARS AND TOWARDS THE FUTURE

TERMS EXPLAINED AND POINTS TO CONSIDER

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EDMONTON CHAMBER SECTION

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STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 10 | Number 4

REGULAR COLUMNS

9 10

It’s Time

By John Liston

Supply Chain Disruptions Aren’t Going Anywhere Soon

By David MacLean

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Building a City for All Means Everyone Building Together

By Elan MacDonald

CONTENTS

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Edmonton Chamber of Commerce

COVER FEATURE

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A Premier’s Reflections Jason Kenney looks back on the past two years and towards the future.

By Melanie Darbyshire

ON OUR COVER: ABOVE: JASON KENNEY PHOTO SOURCE: BOOKSTRUCKER

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STORY TITLE // SECTION

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time.

Volume 10 | Number 4

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CONTENTS THIS MONTH’S FEATURES

COMPANY PROFILES

47 55 63 67

24 18

L andrex

Celebrates 50 Years

J APA Machinery Group Celebrates 50 Years

G lobal Machine & Supply Inc.

Business lessons from COVID

By John Hardy

24

Celebrates 25 Years

39

P ierceCo.

Celebrates 25 Years

Risk Management’s Teachable Moment

Supplying a Pandemic A Closer Look at Edmonton’s Transportation and Distribution Network

By Bethany Neufeld

Terms Explained and Points to Consider

By Will Porter

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APRIL 2022 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

Technology, Agriculture and Research How Unique Collaborations are Changing the Landscape of Business in Alberta

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ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

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EDITOR

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REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS David MacLean John Liston Elan MacDonald

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Nerissa McNaughton Bethany Neufeld Will Porter Wendy Powell

PHOTOGRAPHY

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IT’S TIME // JOHN LISTON

It’s Time

BY JOHN LISTON, VICE PRESIDENT, ALBERTA ENTERPRISE GROUP

A

fter two years of incredible challenges, frustration and disruption it is time for this country to get back to a culture of integrity, accountability and stability.

As I’ve heard from so many businesspeople across the province, we’re sick and were tired and we are losing faith in our political leaders.

It’s time that we realize that this country is too important to be left in the hands of politicians. We’ve left it to them, and they’ve made a mess of it. There was a time in our history in which we would get great leadership from our politicians and we could expect them to hold themselves to a higher standard. That time is history.

It’s time that we get back to normal. The normal of taking off our masks, looking each other in the eye and caring for each other while putting the greater good first to get this country back on the rails.

It’s time that we remind each other that this province and this country are the greatest places on earth. We have been gifted with natural resources unmatched the world over. We have salt-of-the earth people who built this country, we have ingenuity and we have grit. These are the things we should be concentrating on and should be the character traits of the leaders that we’re looking for. Enough of the elites, the highly educated, and the professional politicians who have never gotten their hands dirty. If they haven’t had dirt under their fingernails, who are they to tell our salt-of-the earth people how they should live?

It’s time that our leaders start acting like adults. Enough of the leadership by opinion poll (which is likely populated

by Russian bots). How could this be the leader’s source of information and policy formation? It’s time leaders be what we all envision of the role to be: higher minded policy folks, with vision, looking beyond today and beyond the insatiable appetite for votes and asking what is in the best interests of our country.

It’s time that we learn to treat each other with more humanity. Enough of posturing for ego, self-interest and selfaggrandizing and put this country first like our forefathers did. As one AEG event attendee shared with me, they were watching The Crown and their 13-year-old son asked, “Is there anybody leading like Churchill did back in his day?”

Our kids are looking for leadership, for someone to step up and lead us through these tumultuous times.

It’s time that we look for leadership from our community leaders and stop thinking that there is someone else who’s going to do it. We have all gone about our busy lives, and hoped somebody else was going to lead, but it appears we have been looking in the wrong places.

It’s time for all of us to get back to basics. Say please and say thank you. Be grateful. Be accountable for your actions by making commitments and keeping them. It’s time we respect the money that Martha and Henry worked so hard to earn, and when they give some of it to the government in taxes, the public service should treat it as a sacred trust and spend as wisely as Martha and Henry would spend it themselves.

This country is too important to let it slip away into the grips of those who aren’t serving Canada. Our leadership must come from each and every one of us on an hourly and daily basis. No one else is going to do it. Let’s take this country back. It’s time.

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BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // APRIL 2022

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SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE SOON // DAVID MACLEAN

Supply Chain Disruptions Aren’t Going Anywhere Soon

BY DAVID MACLEAN

I

f we made a list of words we are most sick of hearing in 2022 it would likely be topped by “COVID” and “pandemic.”

However, rising quickly in the hated words power rankings is “supply chain.” Supply chain talk is so pervasive that guitar aficionado Jack White named his upcoming North American tour the “Supply Chain Issues Tour.”

There’s good reason for all the chatter as the outlook for Canada’s manufacturing sector continues to be clouded by ongoing supply chain, workforce and pricing pressures.

The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of the global supply chain, resulting in shortages and price hikes across a whole range of products. The most prominent example of this is the global semiconductor shortage, which has severely dented auto production. But there are countless other examples. Until these issues are sorted out, the economic recovery will remain bumpy.

Against this backdrop, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters surveyed members about the extent to which supply chain issues are affecting their operations, the strategies they are implementing or planning to implement to mitigate them, and recommendations on short and long-term solutions.

Unsurprisingly, we learned that nine out of 10 manufacturers are experiencing supply chain disruptions and 60 per cent of those rated those disruptions as “severe.”

For respondents, we were able to calculate estimates; they have suffered a combined $10.5 billion in lost sales and $1 billion in increased costs.

Respondents told us the top three supply bottlenecks facing manufacturers today are rising transportation costs, accessing critical components from foreign suppliers and

labour shortages and absenteeism disrupting production.

Eight out of 10 manufacturers facing supply chain challenges have been forced to increase prices and delay fulfilling customer orders, while 70 per cent have been forced to find alternative suppliers of key inputs.

On the positive side, less than one out of 10 say they have resorted to laying off workers to cope with such disruptions.

We wanted to know how manufacturers are adapting to these challenges. Would manufacturers be re-shoring their supply chains or bringing them closer to home? Only 18 per cent of respondents said they would, with many blaming this on the fact that there are no Canadian suppliers of their critical inputs, or at least they aren’t aware of any.

Only 28 per cent of respondents said they would scale up Canadian production or relocate production closer to home.

Availability and cost of labour is the biggest hurdle there, according to the survey results.

Manufacturers are taking meaningful steps to reduce the impact of supply chain disruptions, including increasing inventories of critical components (74 per cent), increasing communications with customers and suppliers (63 per cent) and increasing inventories all along the supply chain (51 per cent).

We don’t yet see the light at the end of the tunnel. Most manufacturers predict these disruptions won’t end until some time in 2023. Among other things, we’re going to continue to work with the federal government to address labour woes by increasing the number of economic class temporary foreign workers and push for new initiatives that help manufacturers adopt new technology.

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BUILDING A CITY FOR ALL MEANS EVERYONE BUILDING TOGETHER // ELAN MACDONALD

Building a City for All Means Everyone Building Together

BY ELAN MACDONALD, VP EXTERNAL RELATIONS, U OF A

I

n 1961, Jane Jacobs wrote, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

Jacobs was a city-building visionary and highly critical of post-war urban renewal projects that were guided only by a narrow set of interests.

Six decades after Jacobs wrote those words, and following a once-in-a-century pandemic, it’s worth asking ourselves if we’re doing all we can to ensure our cities are places where everyone thrives – regardless of income, age, ethnicity and physical ability.

COVID-19 has rapidly changed our lifestyles — with some of the changes likely to be permanent. A Statistics Canada study last year indicated that 80 per cent of people who switched to working from home wanted to keep doing so at least half-time after the pandemic. Cities like Edmonton also face unprecedented challenges and opportunities that Jacobs may never have imagined, like climate change and advanced technologies like 5G and autonomous vehicles.

In order to address these shifts, I believe that Jacobs’ words are truer now than they have ever been. We need coordinated, collaborative approaches to build cities that consider the interests of all.

One way to meet this goal is to create tools and forums for everyone involved in city-building – investors, developers, builders, lenders, realtors, policymakers, architects, planners and engineers – to identify challenges and create solutions.

That’s the approach taken by the U of A’s Centre for Healthy Communities in the School of Public Health. Thanks to a grant from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, the centre has launched a website — healthycommunitiesathome.ca —

you can use today to guide your professional decisions, all informed by the latest research.

As business owners and leaders, you want to know how your company can harness the opportunities and adapt to the challenges facing cities. You shouldn’t have to go it alone.

By partnering with academic experts, industry groups, funders and government, we can scale up solutions to assist hundreds of businesses.

Health restrictions shuttered storefronts by the thousands and shoppers flocked online. This was great news for large virtual retailers like Amazon, but bad news for many local companies that were unprepared for the digital shift.

Thanks to grants from the Government of Canada and City of Edmonton, 11 U of A business students, working through the Alberta School of Business’ Centre for Cities and Communities, helped 700 small businesses in the Edmonton area create an online presence in just under a year.

Thanks to a $960,000 grant from the Government of Alberta and other partnerships, the program has since expanded into the Digital Economy Program, or DEP, and will digitize another 3,400 businesses in the Edmonton area. The program is free and you can sign up at yourdep.ca.

The DEP is particularly exciting because it will be executed primarily by students – the next generation of business and organizational leaders who will help to drive city-building in the future. With deep roots in the province, the University of Alberta will continue to act as a connector for city-building in the Edmonton region, Alberta and beyond.

By working together, we can make our cities and communities work for everyone – and make Jane Jacobs proud.

ELAN MACDONALD IS PAST CHAIR OF THE EDMONTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND A FOUNDING DIRECTOR WITH EDMONTON GLOBAL. SHE ALSO SITS ON THE BOARDS OF COVENANT HEALTH, ATLAS BIOTECHNOLOGIES AND ALBERTA BALLET. SHE IS THE VICE-PRESIDENT (EXTERNAL RELATIONS) OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA. HER COLUMN APPEARS MONTHLY IN BUSINESS IN EDMONTON.

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NAIT is proud to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist Ashif Mawji, for his exceptional commitment to NAIT and significant impact on our community.

Learn more about how Ashif is giving back to the next generation of entrepreneurs at nait.ca/ashif

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Do you know an inspiring NAIT grad who’s doing amazing things for their community?

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Visit: businessinedmonton.com/leaders to nominate!

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City Invests in New Affordable Housing The City is investing in 565 units of affordable housing through six projects that will help people who have experienced homelessness, women and children fleeing violence, Indigenous peoples and low-income seniors.

City Council approved $16.77 million in grant funding as part of the third round of the Affordable Housing Investment Program. Developers and partner agencies will create 265 new and 300 rehabilitated affordable housing units, ranging from studio apartments to three-bedroom homes.

“This is exciting news, proof that strong and innovative partnerships can make a massive difference in our neighbourhoods,” says Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “Affordable housing is a city-wide need for thousands of Edmontonians, and we’re incentivizing a wide range of options. These projects will be life-changing for retirees, newcomers, single-income families and people who have experienced houselessness.”

Since AHIP’s 2018 launch, the City has invested $35.2 million for 915 units of affordable housing. Successful applicants receive funding for up to 25 per cent of capital costs. Wednesday’s grants represent the largest round of successful grants to date.

“Affordable housing fills a broad spectrum of needs, but it’s ultimately about making sure people have safety and stability,” says Christel Kjenner, director of Affordable Housing and Homelessness. “These projects will provide homes to hundreds of Edmontonians who would otherwise have to worry about having a roof over their heads.”

The projects represent a total investment of approximately $155 million and include a diversity of affordable housing options: • A new Mustard Seed permanent supportive housing development with 38 units for people who have experienced chronic homelessness or housing instability.

• Two collaborations with the YWCA to provide 77 units of affordable housing for women and children escaping domestic abuse, as well as individuals who have experienced homelessness.

• The rehabilitation of 411 units at Matheson Seniors’ Residence, which has been providing affordable options for low-income seniors for nearly 50 years.

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• Two other affordable rental projects, which would provide housing for members of Enoch Cree Nation, as well as tenants including single parents, seniors and new immigrants.

“The number of people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton has grown substantially over the last few years and there is a critical shortage of affordable housing options,” says Dean Kurpjuweit, chief regional officer at The Mustard Seed. “We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the solution, and to be able to offer a safe, supportive space for people to call home.”

“Construction on Matheson Seniors Highrise began more than 50 years ago, with a vision of quality affordable seniors housing,” says Rob Appleyard, executive director, Matheson Seniors Housing Corp. “The need for affordable housing continues to grow, and this grant will help us ensure these units are available and affordable for another 50 years.”

“Westrich is proud of this partnership, which will provide stable, affordable housing in the University of Alberta area, with great connections to employment, transit and education,” says David Sanche, co-CEO of Westrich Pacific.

“We’re proud of this development, and we’re even more excited about what these homes will mean for residents.”

Learn more at www.edmonton.ca.

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BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // APRIL 2022

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RISK MANAGEMENT’S TEACHABLE MOMENT // SUCCESSION PLANNING

RISK MANAGEMENT’S TEACHABLE MOMENT

BUSINESS LESSONS FROM COVID

BY JOHN HARDY

S

peedbumps are basic facts of life. Dealing with the usual speedbump issues has always been a business process, somewhere between effective planning and crisis management. Suddenly, there is caution and consensus that, particularly in Alberta and Edmonton, the past two years have been different from the other familiar speedbumps. Some say it has been business’ ultimate teachable moment.

Although business is moving forward and a momentum of positivity has begun, COVID tentacles have impacted many aspects of business and left their mark. Not only for business owners in Edmonton but throughout the province and the country, the two years of lockdowns and business disruptions were a wake-up call.

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Many were forced to drastically pivot about how they operate their business. They adjusted to the new virtual environment, the critical importance of technology, and workers working remotely. Work-life boundaries got blurred and business owners found themselves working harder and longer.

Some shut down temporarily and, unfortunately, others went out of business or changed their business model. With the COVID curse, owners and employees paid more attention to the importance of good health and life priorities.

Managing through the pandemic has proven to be a business kickstarter. In addition to priorities like cashflow, staff management, business projections and strategies and navigating the new normals of operations, there is suddenly a surge of interest in succession planning.

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RISK MANAGEMENT’S TEACHABLE MOMENT // SUCCESSION PLANNING

“THERE’S AN EXPRESSION THAT ‘ROUGH WATERS MAKE STRONG SAILORS,’ AND THAT MANTRA HAS CERTAINLY RUNG TRUE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS,” SAYS FISHER. succession plan, 41 per cent have an informal plan. Only eight per cent have a formal written plan.

Then COVID happened. Life changed. Business changed.

Employee work routines changed. Business owner perspectives changed. And strategizing about the future changed.

Even before the sudden and abrupt business broadside of COVID, succession planning was a vital business strategy, mostly to identify and ready the next generation of leaders of an organization. Succession planning has always been invaluable to provide a business with a roadmap to ensure continuity of operations when (predicted or unexpected) changes occur. It allowed time to develop the knowledge and skills of future leaders so they are prepared when the time comes to step into new leadership roles.

Until COVID hit, succession planning was resoundingly embraced by business leaders as an effective and wise strategy.

The embarrassing reality was that, while most business leaders talked the talk acknowledging succession planning as important, very few walked the walk. And even if they did, it was too often last-minute scrambling and crisis management.

Despite fancy C-suite machinations and strategy, countless business surveys have indicted procrastination as the most common cause for succession planning that fizzled or never happened. Stats show that about half (51 per cent) of business owners do not have a succession plan. Of the other half (49 per cent) of business owners that do have a

According to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) Succession and Retirement report, “Having a succession (or exit) plan in place will make the process of transitioning out of the business much easier. Without one, the future of the business could be at stake. Early planning will also help maximize the value of the business.”

That was three unexpected and pandemic years ago and assumed business would be normal, estimating that “over $1.5 trillion in business assets would be in play over the next decade and nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of small business owners intended to exit their business.”

Last year, as COVID had inflicted the business broadsides, CFIB pointed out that “most of these plans have been shelved.”

The most recent (2021) CFIB reports underscores that COVID made drastic changes when it comes to continuity and succession planning, and notes “45 per cent of business owners have had to work significantly longer hours as a result of the pandemic; 49 per cent have been impacted by psychological health issues as a result of the pandemic; 48 per cent mention overwhelming stress as one of their top worries; and that seven in 10 business owners agree that the pandemic has changed their thinking about continuity, succession planning and how they plan to retire or exit their business. The new, post-pandemic business reality is that

ABOVE: LYNNE FISHER, NATIONAL TEAM LEADER WITH MNP’S SMART SERVICES.

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RISK MANAGEMENT’S TEACHABLE MOMENT // SUCCESSION PLANNING

42 per cent of business owners are delaying their succession and retirement plans and will retire later due to the COVID fallout. Some 57 per cent estimate the value of their business has dropped because of COVID broadsides.”

The CFIB survey also cautions that this has major implications for the future of Canada’s entrepreneurs and their families.

There is absolutely nothing even remotely positive about the past two years of health crises and business disruptions, but some forward-thinking businesses track the value of the pandemic hits as teachable moments in risk management and the importance of continuity and succession planning, especially for Alberta and Edmonton businesses.

“There’s an expression that ‘rough waters make strong sailors,’ and that mantra has certainly rung true over the

last two years,” says Lynne Fisher, national team leader with MNP’s SMART Services. “Business leaders and owners needed to shift, learn, reach decisions and manage risk at a pace rarely seen before. Many have emerged stronger, now armed with new business models and resilience.”

Managing through the past two years of business upheaval, the need for continuity planning and the urgent need for operations processes, strategies and updated technonology for the unexpected new normals of business was underscored. “Many business owners needed to adopt new technology and processes to continue to get their products and services to their marketplace,” says Darrell Huber, Edmonton regional leader of MNP’s ExitSMART. “Many businesses were caught at the beginning of the pandemic with outdated procedures, insurance and processes. Having a fulsome documented emergency plan

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RISK MANAGEMENT’S TEACHABLE MOMENT // SUCCESSION PLANNING

“THE NEW TECHNOLOGY AND PROCESSES DEVELOPED HAVE OFTEN ALLOWED THE BUSINESS TO OPERATE WITHOUT THE OWNER BEING PRESENT IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS,” HUBER ADDS.

which documents procedures to be followed, location of critical current (business and personal) information and in the event of temporary or permanent loss of key individuals, who is in charge, is critical.

“The new technology and processes developed have often allowed the business to operate without the owner being present in the day-to-day operations,” Huber adds, “thus adding value since the business goes on despite the owner not being there on a day-to-day basis.”

In addition to the transformative disruptions of COVID and because business continuity and succession is ultimately about people, businesses suddenly faced a challenging global talent crunch. With the impending retirement of Baby Boomers in senior management positions, compounded by the predilection of millennials to frequently pursue new job opportunities, succession planning faced additional challenges.

“According to the Harvard Business Review,” Fisher notes, “the greatest churn in employee turnover is in the 30 to 45 year age group. For many business owners, this is precisely

the age group in which they are seeking their successors, as these individuals have the right amount of experience and the right skills paired with a 25 to 30 year runway. This combination puts them into the high-demand category in the labour market. Everyone wants them and is willing to sweeten the pot to attract them. For business owners, this means that they must consider new measures and approaches to attract and keep good talent at all levels, including ownership and profit sharing and an enhanced focus on creating strong culture and team.”

She emphasizes that the composition of the leadership team, and their individual retirement goals, can certainly have an impact on the succession of the business. If the majority of individuals in leadership roles of a company all expect to leave the workforce in 5 to 10 years, business owners may face difficulty in realizing their own succession objectives, if keeping the business ‘in the family’ is a priority.

Fisher also adds that business owners should consider the expected retirement timeline of their key employees, to ensure their retirement plan – and business succession – have strong employees remaining to lead the company when the owner and other key players exit.

As Edmonton businesses move forward, in many important ways the past COVID years have been lessons learned, emphasizing that continuity and succession planning is smart strategy for businesses of all sizes from Fortune 1000s to small, family-owned operations.

ABOVE: DARRELL HUBER, EDMONTON REGIONAL LEADER OF MNP’S EXITSMART.

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SUPPLYING A PANDEMIC // TRANSPORTATION & DISTRIBUTION

SUPPLYING A PANDEMIC: A CLOSER LOOK AT EDMONTON’S TRANSPORTATION AND DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

BY BETHANY NEUFELD

W

hen the global health pandemic reached Albertan borders, many industries were forced to adapt and alter their operations. For some, this meant a complete shutdown but for transportation and distribution, shutting down was never an option.

Trimac was fortunate enough to have invested in technological solutions pre-pandemic, allowing the company to communicate with customers without a paperwork exchange. By March 2020, the company had 97 per cent of their staff working from home.

Besnik Gasi, area manager for Trimac Edmonton, shares an inside look at what adjusting to a pandemic looks like for those responsible for transporting essentials.

“Once we had the essentials in place, we then transitioned to re-imagining how we continue our business in a pandemic.

This included innovative ideas such as holding virtual safety meetings with our drivers and customers.”

“The immediate questions we asked ourselves were how do we keep our professional drivers, mechanics and loaders safe and how do we keep office and other supporting staff safe to play our part in reducing the spread of COVID-19,” he says.

“The first step was to double down on communication and focus on the facts available to us at the time. Immediately, we set up a pandemic response committee in charge of daily communication updates and purchasing PPE for all our locations in North America.”

He continues, “We also started thinking about the mental health of employees and encouraged our drivers to use an app that we partnered with focusing on mindfulness. I would conclude the experience of going through an uncertain pandemic, with minimal face time, has made us grow closer.

We have been able to leverage technology to fill in the gaps and safely operate in the communities we serve.”

PHOTO SOURCE: TRIMAC EDMONTON

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While Trimac has found success in their adaptation plan, the pandemic has not come without its fair share of obstacles. Accurate forecasting on the goods hauled continues to be a notable challenge as the pandemic remains an uncertain factor in the local economy. Gasi notes this feature of the pandemic environment has caused a freeze or delay in capital spending, reducing overall shipments; however, while some commodities have taken a hit, others have seen growth.

MEMBERSHIP TAILORED FOR A LIFETIME

“We are glad we’re diversified in terms of the various commodities we haul, which allows us to redeploy assets quickly. There are other commodities or products that are increasing in shipments. An example of this is with online shopping. There are now more shipments than ever being ordered online, which means more resources required to deliver the products to consumers,” Gasi shares.

Online shopping habits are not constrained to luxury goods and household items. Every day, essential commodities rely on professional truck drivers to reach their destination.

“The pandemic has shone a light on how essential professional truck drivers are. The majority of goods and essential products required to reduce the impact of the pandemic are shipped by our drivers. This includes oxygen to hospitals, hand sanitizer, water treatment plant products to keep our water clean, cement products to build communities, propane to keep our homes warm, and the list goes on as online shopping has increased. All of these commodities impact us on a daily basis,” Gasi says.

“There’s a proud factor for me that at one point or another, it was shipped by a professional truck driver.”

Ensuring Edmonton’s transportation and distribution sector continues to flourish is pivotal for not only the local economy, but further for industries across the province and the country. Often referred to as the “gateway to the North,” Edmonton services northern communities and supports sectors vital to the Canadian economy.

“Edmonton serves many critical sectors including mining, forestry, chemical, oil and gas, construction, farming and retail as just some examples,” Gasi says. “Our region has the rail and road infrastructure required to distribute to

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SUPPLYING A PANDEMIC // TRANSPORTATION & DISTRIBUTION

AS KEEHN SHARES, EDMONTON SERVES AS A STRATEGIC LOCATION FOR INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION other geographies whether it’s the northern communities, prairies, west through the Rockies to the ports, or south to the USA.”

WITH CLOSER PROXIMITY TO BEIJING

In addition to servicing the northern regions of the country, Edmonton is also a key access point to major international markets. This characteristic has opened the city up to major development when it comes to establishing transportation and distribution centres servicing an international clientele.

Myron Keehn, vice president of business development and air service at the Edmonton International Airport, explains.

IN THE LOWER 48 AMERICAN STATES.

“Edmonton is one of the closest major cities in North America to many parts of Asia due to circumpolar air routes.

Edmonton has often been called Canada’s ‘gateway to the North,’ but Edmonton provides a geographical advantage for access to and from Asia, the Middle East, Europe and onward access into the rest of Canada and the United States.”

AND GUANGZHOU THAN ANY CITY THE ALBERTA CAPITAL FURTHER OUTCOMPETES MOST NORTH AMERICAN JURISDICTIONS IN PROXIMITY TO SEOUL, TOKYO AND MANILA. As Keehn shares, Edmonton serves as a strategic location for international distribution with closer proximity to Beijing and Guangzhou than any city in the lower 48 American states. The Alberta capital further out-competes most North American jurisdictions in proximity to Seoul, Tokyo and Manila.

“This little-known fact is a key part of a strategy that has been years in development for Edmonton International Airport to position our airport – and our entire region – as a key entry point into North America, both for cargo shipments from Asia and as a location for companies looking to expand.”

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Edmonton’s strategic position has established a robust local industry.

Logistics and transportation support approximately 73,000 jobs in the region. Keehn notes this industry has a major opportunity for development – operations at the EIA are slated for growth with the recent announcement of an expansion project for their cargo services valued at $36 million.

“The pandemic has significantly increased demand for e-commerce.

The Airport and its partner cargo

companies handled 46,000 metric tons of cargo, a 7.5 per cent increase from 2019. This included medical supplies and equipment as well as increases in e-commerce.

Those numbers may be small compared to major global hubs, but from 2014 to 2018, EIA recorded a 25-times increase in international overseas exports from its facilities.”

While the global health pandemic played a large role in accelerating the development of ecommerce and express cargo goods, Keehn notes these trends were already present and are expected to continue.

“Handling this growth and preparing for future growth is our ongoing focus. As our cargo operations look to the future, we plan to incorporate technology and innovation and our systems will be designed to maximize efficiencies,” he says. “Cargo flights from Asia to North America will carry predominantly ecommerce products.”

The global health pandemic has influenced changes to how industries in the province carry out their daily operations. While the future remains uncertain, the local transportation and distribution economy appears to be keeping pace. Whether transporting PPE to hospitals around the province or fulfilling overseas shipments, Edmonton professionals remain key players in both the local and international transportation and distribution market.

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // APRIL 2022

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A PREMIER’S REFLECTIONS // COVER

A PREMIER’S REFLECTIONS

REFLECTIONS

JASON KENNEY LOOKS BACK ON THE PAST TWO YEARS AND TOWARDS THE FUTURE

BY MELANIE DARBYSHIRE

W

hen Alberta went into lockdown in March of 2020, shortly after the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID-19 a global pandemic, the future was more uncertain than ever before for most Albertans. Nobody knew what would happen, for how long, or what the fallout – short or long term – would be. We were walking blind and frightened, the looming prospect of an overwhelmed healthcare system threatening catastrophe, with many more questions than answers.

All citizens were affected by that first and subsequent lockdown and decisions: young and old, single people and families, healthy and sick, employed and unemployed, essential workers and the work-from-home crowd. While some suffered more than others, to be sure, nobody was spared from the harsh realities that lockdown and the ensuing pandemic response would pose.

To be Premier during this difficult time, responsible for making those decisions, was exceptionally challenging.

Two years later, with the benefit of hindsight, Premier Jason Kenney sat down with us to reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic, his government’s response, the consequences of that response, and how Alberta can move forward, stronger, united and more resilient than ever.

How would he describe the last two years?

“It has been a roller coaster for everybody,” he says after pausing to find the right words. “A time of dislocation, uncertainty, hope and despair. For those of us in government, having to make these decisions has been impossibly difficult. There’s no textbook for how to do this, no place in the world has done it perfectly. There’s only bad choices and sometimes only catastrophically bad choices, so it’s been tough.”

The most difficult choices always involved imposing restrictions. “We knew that they were going to impact people’s lives, sometimes in profound ways,” he reflects.

“Every time we faced a wave that was putting huge pressure on the hospitals and we had to look at some of these restrictions, there were more than a few tears shed around the COVID cabinet committee table, as people thought through the consequences of the decisions we were making.”

Not every decision caused torment though, and there are some Kenney is in fact very proud of. One is the launch of Alberta’s Recovery Plan in June 2020. This was especially important given the economic downturn the province had experienced for the roughly five years leading up to the

RIGHT: JASON KENNEY PHOTO SOURCE: UNITED CONSERVATIVE PARTY

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A PREMIER’S REFLECTIONS // COVER

pandemic, followed by the global economic and energy price collapse which occurred in April 2020.

“We had multiple simultaneous crises realized early on, in the Spring of 2020, that we had to really focus on the economic side,” Kenney explains. “When you’re looking at WTI at zero, 25 per cent unemployment, and not knowing how long this could last. Was it going to be the 1930s all over again? We didn’t know. So we put together, in record speed, the Recovery Plan.”

Focused on building, diversifying and creating jobs through targeted programs, investments and financial relief for Albertans, the Recovery Plan also outlined an investment and growth strategy to increase Alberta’s competitive advantage, improve the investment attraction ecosystem and raise Alberta’s reputation as an investment destination.

“We were way ahead of any government in Canada at putting together an economic strategy to deal with the economic consequences of COVID,” Kenney says proudly. “And I think we were ahead of the game, right across the government. It was strong leadership.”

Of the many decisions to be Monday-morning quarterbacked, Kenney admits regret when it came to imposing restrictions on kids. “We now see the evidence of the youth mental health crisis emerging from the past two years,” he says. “The learning loss, the social dislocation. I wish early on we’d had clearer data on how mild COVID is for kids, because I think that would have informed a lighter touch on restrictions affecting children.”

Another early mistake was only allowing retail stores that sold essential products (pharmacy products and food) to stay open. This meant big box stores, like Walmart and Costco,

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A PREMIER’S REFLECTIONS // COVER

could remain open, while smaller retailers who sold the same stuff were shut down: “For several weeks or so there, we really treated those small mom and pop retail businesses very unfairly. That was a dumb mistake.”

A clearer understanding of the limits of the hospital system would have been very useful early on: “In March of 2020, Alberta Health Services told us that in an extreme scenario they could open up 1,080 ICU beds from a baseline of 173.

In wave two in the fall of 2020, they said it was only 425 beds. And then in wave four last fall, they said they could only do 230. So we had some real problems in terms of having a direct line of sight on healthcare capacity for one of the most expensive systems in the world. Not acceptable.”

It’s why Kenney’s government is now focused on healthcare capacity – or lack thereof – which was the reason for all the restrictions. “We should have options other than restrictions,” he argues, “by having more healthcare capacity.”

He notes that one of the reasons places like Florida and Texas avoided similar restrictions is because they have about three times more ICU beds than we do.

In Alberta, we have a baseline of 173 ICU beds in a nonCOVID year, a number which gets exceeded in a bad flu season. “Throw at it a sustained huge pandemic and the system is not fit for purpose,” he laments. “But why isn’t it? In Alberta we have a lot of questions to ask. In 2019, according to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, Alberta had the lowest per capita number of ICU beds in Canada, but with the second highest health expenditures per capita. These are the questions I am demanding answers to.”

He adds that more money is not the only solution because if it were, Alberta would have the best healthcare system in Canada. We do not, in terms of surgical wait times, diagnostic wait times, per capital beds or other key outcomes.

“We’re not getting the bang for our buck that we deserve,” he says. “So that’s one of the reasons we’re bringing in the Alberta Surgical Initiative, which is to contract out about 40,000 more surgical procedures to privately run surgical clinics. Let’s use the ‘get it done’ attitude of the private sector, as opposed to being stuck in a complete government

PHOTO SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA, PREMIER’S OFFICE

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A PREMIER’S REFLECTIONS // COVER

WHILE NOTHING IS CERTAIN, KENNEY IS OPTIMISTIC WE’VE REACHED A POINT OF ENDEMICITY WITH COVID, monopoly on delivery. As long as the government’s ensuring medically necessary service, that’s what people want. They don’t care where the procedure is performed.”

The February budget allocates approximately $900 million for the Surgical Initiative to contract more than double the number of surgical procedures currently performed. “We want a lot more of what we call Charter Surgical Facilities,” Kenney explains. “Because unlike the government hospitals, they’re run by private sector operators. They use their capital much more efficiently. They can run surgeries around the clock and aren’t constrained by very restrictive government collective bargaining agreements.”

In 2019, a review of AHS done by Ernst & Young identified about $2 billion in savings which could be reinvested in frontline care. While Kenney’s government began implementing that plan it was sideswiped by the pandemic.

“We are aiming to reduce by about 10 per cent, the number of senior managers at AHS, because it is, we believe, top heavy.”

While nothing is certain, Kenney is optimistic we’ve reached a point of endemicity with COVID, where we should be able to live with it. He hears those Albertans who worry that the blunt instruments of damaging restrictions are here to stay, and can be used in future emergencies at the whim of government.

“I understand the skepticism,” he says. “Last summer, I was so desperate to get out of this that I overpromised on it. I said ‘Open for Summer, Open for Good’ because I didn’t ever want to resort to damaging restrictions again. And then we got whacked by the Delta wave. We were within 10 days of having to pull life support on people in ICU and ship patients out of the province and rent freezer trucks for morgues. And I wasn’t going to preside over that. But I don’t see anything now that would lead us back to that situation. And I hope and believe that the population is more willing to live with COVID.” He adds that a media less focused on promoting a degree of hysteria and the use of harsh and constant lockdowns (like in Australia, Ontario and Quebec) would also be helpful. “We cannot continue to live under that psychological pressure,” he laments. “And even if you wanted to, you cannot maintain widespread population compliance with fundamental impairments of freedoms and damage to people’s lives.

Maybe you can bring things in like that for a short period

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WHERE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH IT. HE HEARS THOSE ALBERTANS WHO WORRY THAT THE BLUNT INSTRUMENTS OF DAMAGING RESTRICTIONS ARE HERE TO STAY, AND CAN BE USED IN FUTURE EMERGENCIES AT THE WHIM OF GOVERNMENT. of time to prevent a hospital catastrophe, but only when absolutely necessary.”

After two tough years, the ability to present a balanced budget in February was a high point for Kenney, who sees it as a reflection of both the province’s finances and recovery. It was achieved, he argues, through fiscal discipline and economic growth across all sectors of the economy. “While it would be easy to simply attribute it to high oil prices (which are certainly a huge part), under the NDP’s spending track, we would still have a $6 billion deficit on today’s oil prices,” he says.

During Rachel Notley’s NDP government, spending rose by four per cent, while Kenney’s government has kept program spending from rising by little more than two per cent annually, even with COVID-related spending.

“Revenues are growing across every aspect of the economy,” he says happily. “That’s a sign of diversification, corporate income tax revenues (not just oil and gas), personal income tax revenues, all revenues. And we would like to believe that has something to do with the government that has been obsessively focused on bringing investment, private sector growth, diversification, a one-third cut in corporate taxes, the 22 per cent cut in regulations, the Recovery Plan, incentives for petrochemicals, hydrogen, film and television, information technology, Agro food, forestry, you name it. The whole economy is expanding and the revenues are growing, so that’s why we got to balance.”

Alberta’s jobless rate now sits at the pre-pandemic rate of around seven per cent, but Kenney sees it dropping to below six per cent by the end of the year. “There were some major announcements last year – Amazon Web Services,

A PREMIER’S REFLECTIONS // COVER

Mphasis, Air Products, Dow Chemical Co. – that have shovels in the ground or are hiring this year and next. These announcements will have huge positive effect this year.”

He points out that some sectors have zero unemployment right now – Calgary’s tech sector, for example – which is why a major focus in the budget is the Alberta Work Initiative, which provides targeted training with employers for indemand occupations. “Right across the economy we need to skate to where the puck is going, and that is labour and skills shortages,” he says.

Alberta’s energy sector remains key for Kenney, who has been a strong advocate across Canada and the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and spike in the price of oil has brought Alberta’s ethical oil into sharp focus, and the Premier is keen to highlight it. “The durable global demand for hydrocarbon energy is real, and our position has been validated,” he says. “If there’s one thing the world does to put Putin in a box, it’s got to be getting more Canadian energy to global markets. Because if it’s not us, it’s going to be OPEC.” He notes with a minority parliament in Ottawa, anything is possible (even if it is wishful thinking): “I think that these new facts may help to bring some balance back to the national political discussion on Canada’s role as a responsible energy producer. I hope that your average suburban Ontario voter, maybe even your average suburban Quebec voter, will

say ‘we shouldn’t be importing OPEC oil.’ I hope this changes the electoral calculus here to be more realistic about energy.”

With the worst of COVID in his rearview mirror (we all hope), Kenney is looking forward to continuing to strengthen Alberta’s economy and gain back the trust of those he governs, many within his own party. He will face party members on April 9 at a leadership review.

“This is a party made up of freedom loving people who hate all of these restrictions,” he admits. “They’ve been critical of me for bringing them in, it’s not much more complicated than that.

But as we get past COVID, past these restrictions, we can get focused back on all we have done. We’ve delivered on 86 per cent of our platform commitments. We balanced the budget.

The economy is leading the country. We’re building pipelines.

We’re standing up to Justin Trudeau. We are doing what we said we would do. And I think that broadly our mainstream members appreciate that. I’m happy to be held accountable.”

Beyond the leadership review, Kenney will face Notley in a provincial election next year. Vital to staying in government will be the difficult task of uniting conservatives across Alberta, which remain fractured.

They say politics is not for the faint of heart; the past two years have proved this true. If Jason Kenney keeps his job, let’s hope his next two years are easier on everyone.

PHOTO SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA, PREMIER’S OFFICE

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2022 Board of Directors

Budget 2022, an Edmonton Perspective

Board Executive

Chair: Dennis R. Schmidt Principal, ALTURA Legal Advisory Vice-Chair: Haydar Al Dahhan President and CEO, Design Works Engineering Secretary-Treasurer: Jason Pincock CEO, DynaLIFE Medical Labs Past Chair: Elan MacDonald Vice President (External Relations), University of Alberta Jeffrey Sundquist President & CEO, Edmonton Chamber and World Trade Centre Edmonton

Board Directors Nicole Bird Owner, Rsvp Design Inc.

Aziz Bootwala Managing Principal, Edmonton, Vice President, Business Development, Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd. Nathan Carter Vice President, Projects and Construction, ATCO Energy Solutions Jonathan Gallo Managing Partner, Gallo LLP Chartered Professional Accountants Sandy Jacobson Vice President, Richardson Executive Search Sam Kemble Chief Operating Officer, Workforce Delivery Inc. Annemarie Petrov President and CEO, Francis Winspear Centre for Music Amir Shami President and CEO, Rotaflow Celia Wanderley Chief Customer Officer and Head of AltaML Invent, AltaML

Edmonton Chamber Executive Cadence Bergman Director, Policy

Scott Channon Director, Marketing and Communications Alexandra Hryciw Director, Strategy and External Relations Amin Samji Director, Member Services

Contact

Edmonton Chamber of Commerce #600 World Trade Centre 9990 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB T5J 1P7 T: 780.426.4620 | F: 780.424.7946 edmontonchamber.com

Readers, you are invited to share your thoughts on business issues with the Edmonton Chamber at policy@edmontonchamber.com

Jeffrey Sundquist, President & CEO

I

talk frequently about advocacy, so before moving on to the provincial budget, let me share what that looks like at the Edmonton Chamber. We do ongoing policy analysis, and our member-led policy committees are on top of the latest issues and priorities. We advocate to governments on behalf of our members to create a favourable environment for businesses to compete in and thrive.

Alberta’s Budget 2022 arrived amid some early signs of economic recovery and renewed hope as more pandemic restrictions were lifting. However, businesses and communities are still grappling with pandemic effects that are expected to linger in the economy for years. Moreover, serious risks remain such as changes to global market forces and possible future waves of COVID-19.

After eight years, our province finally has a balanced budget and that is positive news. We remain cautiously optimistic about economic recovery and stability.

Yes, there has been an energy windfall, but make no mistake. Alberta is a strong, secure, and responsible producer of energy and can play a leading role in global energy security as we transition to a lower carbon economy.

This budget placed a strong emphasis on diversification and commitment to workforce development. Yet, labour attraction and retention are significant issues, and the Edmonton Chamber will continue to advocate with all orders of government to address this rising concern.

While we were pleased to see $5 million dollars allocated for downtown Edmonton revitalization, it is a complex issue that also calls for substantial investments to support our most vulnerable citizens. Both our city and businesses need clarification around the allocation of related funding as addressing these issues are critical for economic stability.

The Chamber also recommended that the government publish a rolling, annual report with a 20-year outlook to track economic and demographic trends. A longterm framework would promote stability, planning, and investment attraction, especially in these next years of recovery. This would allow us to move away from the cyclical prosperity our province is all too familiar with.

There are several details in Budget 2022 that we are eager to see activated.

Investments in broadband will greatly benefit rural connectivity, economic prosperity, and business enablement. Funding for healthcare is critical as we transition from the urgency of the pandemic. And lastly, our tourism sector has suffered great losses that will not be recovered for several years. Of particular interest to Edmonton is potential funding for the 2026 FIFA World Cup – an event that would activate not only our city, but Alberta on a global scale.

The first balanced budget in nearly a decade gives Alberta solid footing for a launch toward economic recovery. As economic opportunities build, Edmonton Region business must keep working collaboratively with our provincial partners and position for growth. The Edmonton Chamber continues to be a steady partner in raising the voice of the business community to policy makers.

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // APRIL 2022

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World Trade Centre Edmonton, Alberta

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Business pitches, annual conferences, client meetings, and everything in between, we’ve got something for you.

Discover the World Trade Centre Edmonton at edmontonchamber.com

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Allwest Furnishings Ltd. Member Profile Allwest Furnishings Ltd. www.allwestfurnishings.com What’s your story?

Allwest furnishings is a local, Alberta, grass-roots company driven to change the way people work. We believe that every organization is unique and faces different challenges; meaning there isn’t a one size fits all workplace. Your workplace should represent your company’s culture and include insightful details that support your daily business activities. We are proud to represent many award-winning Canadian-owned manufacturers that design products for a wide variety of working environments.

We remain committed to creating modern workplaces that are inspiring, productive, and healthy. Allwest furnishings goes beyond helping you choose the right furniture products – our skilled team is with you every step of the way: Design and specification, project management, and final installation. We are dedicated to taking the stress out of the experience so you can enjoy the process.

Servicing commercial, institutional and educational sectors with furnishings, demountable walls, acoustics, and window coverings, we strive to provide an experience that meets and exceeds expectations. Over the years we have created countless successful project outcomes, developed invaluable client relationships, and have humbly contributed to the improvement of communities we serve through our work.

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Putting health and safety first, collaborating with stakeholders, being innovative, and always focusing on problem-solving we are determined to be the undisputed leader in the markets and products we represent, by putting the customer at the heart of everything we do!

With over 45 years of experience in providing commercial furniture services, you can trust that your project is in good hands!

What do you enjoy most about being a member of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce?

We recognize the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is designed to promote our local business community and advance the goals and interests of the businesses involved.

Networking, business growth, educational experiences, and economic development opportunities are advantageous for the business climate in Edmonton; we are grateful to be a part of this community.

What is one thing people are surprised to learn about your business?

Our full-service capabilities! You may be surprised to know that we have a window covering division. Humans have an evolutionary need for natural sunlight. The presence of natural light can have a positive impact on employees’ health, productivity, and wellness. Whether your goal is to optimize natural sunlight, reduce solar heat gain, limit UV rays, or glare we are happy to provide solutions that allow you to filter sunlight without sacrificing the view. With a variety of window shade solutions, such as horizontal shades, vertical shades, roller shades, and motorized shades we are sure to give you control over your environment.

TERMS EXPLAINED AND POINTS TO CONSIDER // SENIOR LIVING

TERMS EXPLAINED AND POINTS TO CONSIDER

BY WILL PORTER

W

ith more knowledge regarding industry terms, seniors can find the services and facilities they need, without risking their livelihood through improper care.

To better understand the various terms within the industry, Dawn Harsch, president and CEO of Exquisicare, gives us a breakdown of the categories of senior living in Canada, beginning with long-term care.

“Long-term care, nursing homes, and congregate care are interchangeable terms that are typically used to refer to government funded nursing homes,” says Harsch. “Longterm care and nursing homes are often used interchangeably.

In Alberta, some long-term care homes are legislated by the Nursing Home Act. These facilities tend to look and feel like a hospital, not a home, although in recent years there have been attempts to make these long-term care homes look and feel

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TERMS EXPLAINED AND POINTS TO CONSIDER // SENIOR LIVING

more residential in nature. While typically government funded, there are several different ownership structures: government owned and operated, not-for-profit (NFP) owned and operated, for-profit owned and operated, and a combination of any of the above, maybe privately owned but NFP operated.”

Harsch continues, “Regardless of who owns and operates traditional long-term care, they all get funding for the care from the government. At least that’s how it used to be. What we are now seeing is completely private long-term care, like ExquisiCare. Individuals who have multiple medical comorbidities and need frequent unscheduled care are choosing to access their long-term care in private environments. The benefit to completely private care is that the innovative models are resulting in much better care, outcomes and quality of life.”

Next, Harsch informs us about assisted living. “Assisted living, supportive living, congregate care and licensed supportive living are all used interchangeably, but often refer to the same scenario whereby the senior lives in their own suite and has meals and other ADL’s (activities of daily living) provided by care staff. All assisted/supportive living sites must be licensed by the Alberta Seniors and Community Housing Association.”

Harsch also explains designated support living. “This is a type of assisted living, which is also licensed (all senior congregate living sites where care is provided and there are more than three seniors living at that site must be licensed) but in addition to meeting all the requirements for being an assisted living site, the care provided is being funded by Alberta Health Services, so it is a designated site. The seniors residing at a designated site versus a non-designated site are essentially the same. They both have care needs and are making a choice not to live at home.”

To explain services that can be offered in some senior living facilities, Serina Boffey, executive director for McConachie Gardens Retirement Residence, part of Revera Inc. says, “Our retirement residences across Canada offer a variety

“STARTING WITH YOUR FIRST VISIT TO MCCONACHIE GARDENS, PROSPECTIVE RESIDENTS CAN MEET OUR KNOWLEDGEABLE AND COMPASSIONATE TEAM TO GAIN VALUABLE INSIGHTS AND PEACE OF MIND AS THEY EXPLORE RETIREMENT LIVING.” of independent living, supportive living, assisted living and memory care suites. The residences offer best-in-class amenities, tailored recreation programs and fitness facilities, social activities, a variety of daily menu choices and dining options and care designed to support you where you need it, all informed by Revera’s Dimensions of Wellness program, a holistic approach to seniors’ health and wellness. At McConachie Gardens, residents can enjoy our fully licensed pub, full-service café and formal dining room, as well as an outdoor putting green, gazebo and off-leash dog park, among other amenities. Our goal is to support every resident in living a life of choice and purpose.”

ABOVE: SERINA BOFFEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MCCONACHIE GARDENS RETIREMENT RESIDENCE, PART OF REVERA INC.

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APRIL 2022 // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM

TERMS EXPLAINED AND POINTS TO CONSIDER // SENIOR LIVING

Boffey describes the initial insight process. “Starting with your first visit to McConachie Gardens, prospective residents can meet our knowledgeable and compassionate team to gain valuable insights and peace of mind as they explore retirement living. Our role is to provide information and answers to help prospective residents and their families confidently decide what’s right for them now and in the future.

“Often, there are many questions that arise while trying to navigate our health care system, which can be overwhelming to navigate alone. We can provide insights and answers to many of these questions about living options, current and future care options and just how retirement living fits within the healthcare system. No question is too big or too small.

We strive to provide clarity so prospective residents and family members can make the best, informed decision for themselves and their loved ones. We encourage everyone to look around and gather lots of information prior to choosing their new home. We want every resident to receive personalized care that lets them live a life of purpose.”

Boffey also explains their innovation programs, saying, “Revera launched the Innovators in Aging program, a $20 million capital fund that invests in innovations and startup companies that are improving the aging experience. The program helps entrepreneurs to build and market products, services and technology geared toward improving the lives of seniors.

Innovators work closely with our frontline staff and residents on pilot projects and Revera supports the entrepreneurs with business advice and investments in products.”

Affordability is a large concern for those planning for their retirement futures. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is one of the insurers that offers long-term care insurance. Vineet Kochhar, senior vice president, Insurance Solutions at Sun Life gives us a general overview of long-term care insurance.

“In Canada, long-term care insurance provides a benefit if you become unable to care for yourself due to aging or severe

illness. This type of insurance can help provide more control and choice while helping to protect your savings and income in your elder years.”

Kochhar explains how insurance helps with the affordability of long-term care. “Staying in a long-term care facility can cost thousands of dollars a month. Government healthcare programs may not cover all of the support services you need.

The money from long-term care insurance can pay for care at your home, at an adult day-care program or in an assisted living or long-term care facility.”

Kochhar gives a rundown of long-term care plans, noting, “Generally speaking, there are two types of long-term care insurance: plans that reimburse specific expenses such as homemaking or private nursing services, or plans that provide an income-style benefit. This means you would receive money on a regular basis to use it any way you choose. Once you become dependent as defined in the policy and meet the required waiting period, you can make a claim to receive benefits. Long-term care plans can provide coverage immediately or after a specified age.”

Kochhar ends with, “At Sun Life, we suggest people aged 45 to 70 consider making long-term care insurance a part of their retirement planning conversations with their advisors. By this age, you are actively saving and planning for retirement or just about to enter retirement, and understand the health risks that come with aging. An advisor can guide you as you develop your financial plan and offer valuable advice. They can help you decide when is the right time to purchase long-term care insurance to ensure financial security later in life.”

Senior care can be daunting to think about, but with proper knowledge of industry terms and assistance from knowledgeable advisors, you can find the exact care you or a family member needs to live a long, happy and healthy retirement.

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // APRIL 2022

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MORE THAN JUST GOLF

A

t the Glendale Golf & Country Club, we are more than just a championship course. Long known as the “Player’s Club” in the Edmonton golf community due to the toughness of the course and its large percentage of low handicap golfers who made up the membership, that stigma is being reshaped to show the full scope of what is truly offered. It’s our family-friendly facilities and programs that are leading the charge. Will the course continue to be manicured to exceptional standards and in championship condition?

Absolutely, but our primary focus is on what we offer to all golfers, whatever their skill level.

But even more than golf, our unique amenities allow us to attract other individuals and groups that enjoy the Club for other reasons. We have full banquet and meeting facilities that can accommodate groups of two all the way up to 225. As well, our outdoor pool is an asset that allows us to stand out in the Edmonton private club scene.

Whether it is a wedding, family reunion or a business meeting, our team of club professionals will ensure every aspect of your event meets the Glendale’s standards for high-quality products and services. We strive to deliver exceptional experiences that will leave lasting impressions. Located on Horseshoe Lake in northwest Edmonton, the clubhouse offers stunning views of the lake and our award-winning course.

Floor-to-ceiling windows in all clubhouse event spaces provide the perfect background for your celebration.

Our prime location off both Anthony Henday Drive and Yellowhead Highway offers 30-minute access from anywhere within Edmonton’s city limits.

Probably the most significant draw for families continues to be the outdoor pool that is unique compared to the other private golf clubs in the city. This amenity allows the ability for families to enjoy Edmonton summers poolside, complete with licensed food and beverage service. We offer swimming lessons and golf/swim camps throughout the season as well.

Social memberships are available for the 2022 season and beyond. The social membership is available for purchase by any individual wishing to use the social facilities of the Club, which include the Clubhouse amenities and the pool area. You do not need a share in the Club to sign up for this option. For those looking at long-term investment in the Club, shareholder memberships provide an ownership stake with golfing and social privileges.

The future is bright at the Glendale Golf & Country Club. When considering your private club options, keep us top of mind. For more information or any questions, please feel free to contact our communications and memberships manager, Alix Evans, at aevans@theglendale.com. We would love to show you what sets the Glendale apart!

Glendale Golf & Country Club A treasured place that fosters community and enriches lives

Contact our Communications and Memberships Manager, Alix Evans at aevans@theglendale.com

www.theglendale.com

CORPORATE GOLF // GOLF

SOCIAL MEMBERSHIPS & EVENT HOSTING

Glendale Golf & Country Club

A Treasured Place that fosters community and enriches lives.

Join us poolside this season! Contact our Communications and Memberships Manager - Alix Evans at aevans@theglendale.com for more details!

www.theglendale.com

Join our free loyalty membership and generate points while you play!

Earning points is easy!

We offer different ways to earn points through our program.

Below are just a few of the ways.

Rounds of golf Food and Beverage purchases Merchandise Tournaments and more!

Every user gets a unique QR code that our staff can quickly scan with our custom software, making it easy to earn points while you play.

• Corporate Advertising & Golf Programs • Memberships • Group Outings and Events • Weddings • Gift Certificates • Golf Merchandise or Golf Passes Prime time rate $99.00 (Twilight $79) includes 18 holes of golf, shared use of power golf cart, use of driving range before your round. Pricing excludes GST. Follow us on

Book your tournament or tee time today!

Call (780) 470-4700 or visit www.theranchgolf.com

@Coloniale_GC

Contact us for more information at 780-929-4653 or visit www.coloniale.ca BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // APRIL 2022

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TECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURE AND RESEARCH // AGRICULTURE

TECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURE AND RESEARCH HOW UNIQUE COLLABORATIONS ARE CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF BUSINESS IN ALBERTA

BY WENDY POWELL

A

lberta’s thriving agriculture and technology industries are often seen as separate, but in reality, they are quite entwined. Local technology companies along with innovative farmers are teaming up with Albertan post-secondary institutions in order to harness the incredible potential that lies in the abundant natural and human resources found in Edmonton and the surrounding areas.

One area in which technology and agriculture meet is in the burgeoning plant protein sector. While most people think of Beyond Meat burgers and protein shakes when they think of plant proteins, the possibilities go far beyond these. Plantbased proteins are an economical protein source that can be used in nutritional animal feed and as healthy ingredients in any number of processed foods.

Brad Shapka, president of GrainFrac, knows all about the intersection of agriculture, technology and research.

His company utilizes novel technology, originating from

research at the University of Alberta, to enhance dry fractionation processing of plant proteins, specifically betaglucan from barley.

To Shapka, Edmonton is in the perfect position to play a key role in the future of plant proteins on the world stage.

“We’ve got this abundance of land, we’ve got fresh water and we are very well positioned to produce the protein the world needs. Rather than exporting commodities, which is not very efficient, it makes far more sense for us to commercialize that capacity here in Alberta,” he says.

In Edmonton in particular,” explains Shapka, “we’ve got a rich history in terms of really developing the manufacturing sector. We have a very strong academic community, a very strong farming community and we also have a lot of government support to innovate and diversify the economy.

When you bring those three factors together, it gives rise to a lot of great developments. Right now there is a real eagerness to do bold work.”

ABOVE: DOT SEEDING AT THE OLDS COLLEGE SMART FARM. PHOTO SOURCE: SERGEI BELSKI

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TECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURE AND RESEARCH // AGRICULTURE

“ROBOTS IN THE FIELD IS ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT AUTOMATION, BUT THE OTHER IS AUTOMATED DATA FLOWS, AUTOMATED REPORTING AND AUTOMATED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS,” SAYS AGNEW. Dr. Joy Agnew, associate VP of Applied Research at Olds College, sees first-hand the innovative agricultural technologies that are being developed right here in Alberta.

Olds College’s Smart Farm is a learning and research environment that provides hands-on training in this field.

Students and researchers utilize cutting-edge technologies including robotics, artificial intelligence, connectivity, and sensor technologies on Olds College’s 2,800 acre living lab.

Chris Anderson, CTO of Protein Industries Canada, agrees that Edmonton has a unique blend of prairie entrepreneurial resources to offer. Protein Industries Canada is an industryled not-for-profit organization that focuses on growing Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector.

“To me, technology and innovation are the root of opportunity,” Anderson says. “Alberta has a great mix of research capabilities, innovative producers and entrepreneurial spirit that are leading to new companies and new opportunities arising across the province. With research capabilities like University of Alberta, NAIT, Alberta Innovates, the Food Processing Development Center in the area, and Olds College’s Smart Farm just down the road, there is a tremendous amount of innovation infrastructure available. Coupled with other unique features like the food handling capabilities of Edmonton Airport’s cargo area and being in the heart of a highly productive, diverse crop growing region – Edmonton makes a lot of sense for companies to consider.”

Post-secondary institutions around Alberta are also focusing on the integration of technology and agriculture.

The beauty of the Smart Farm is in its ability to bring together producers, technology partners, researchers and students into a collaborative space where they are able to make advancements in agricultural technologies.

In Agnew’s words, the Smart Farm is “a functioning farm with expertise and infrastructure to do projects and to learn about how technology can integrate into a farm operation as well as what farmers of tomorrow next year and five years down the road are going to need out of technology in order to improve productivity and sustainability of food production.”

According to Agnew, much of the research being done on the Smart Farm at the moment involves robotics. “Robots in the field is one way to think about automation, but the other is automated data flows, automated reporting and automated decision support systems. All of that falls under the automation umbrella and all of it is really exciting,” she says.

Just down the road, the cows at Huntcliff Dairy are enjoying the results of innovations in robotics and automation similar to those studied at Olds College. Tietsia Huyzer, who owns and operates the dairy along with her husband and daughter, says that they have implemented many types of automated technologies into their dairy that benefit their cows immensely.

ABOVE: DR. JOY AGNEW

BUSINESSINEDMONTON.COM // BUSINESS IN EDMONTON // APRIL 2022

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TECHNOLOGY, AGRICULTURE AND RESEARCH // AGRICULTURE

“We have adapted technology to make the job easier, to make the job better, to make it more efficient and also in order to improve the welfare for the animals themselves, which is, for us, really important. Happy and healthy cows do a good job of making quality milk,” says Huyzer.

According to Huyzer, utilizing technology on their dairy farm is more than just about the bottom line. She says, “It makes sense economically, but it also makes sense from an emotional standpoint. It is important that you have your work organized in a way that you still enjoy it.”

One of the major changes that the Huyzers made on their dairy farm was switching to milking robots. Before automating, the cows at Huntcliff Dairy were milked twice a day in a parlour. Now with the robotic milking technology, the cows are milked on-demand and it has increased the average milking up to three-and-a-half times per day.

How ever one looks at it, the integration of innovative technologies and forward-thinking post-secondary institutions with Alberta’s rich agricultural industries is a worthwhile endeavor for everyone involved. Edmonton’s technology sector is perfectly positioned to harness the unique human and natural resources that are so abundant in the region. It will be exciting to see the impact that future agricultural innovations have on the local business landscape. Areas like artificial intelligence, agricultural carbon sequestration and the implementation of renewable energies could further cement the relationship between technology and agriculture across the province in the not-sodistant future.

The Huyzers also added automated feed pushers that keep feed in front of the cows as well as automated heat detection sensors that aid in breeding. They are also part of a pilot project from the Alberta government to test micro combined heat and power units that convert natural gas into electricity and hot water in order to reduce overheads.

ABOVE: HUNTCLIFF DAIRY FARM. MARIEKE ARCHER, TIETSIA HUYZER AND MARTIEN HUYZER.

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Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt

DEVELOPING LAND WHILE CULTIVATING COMMUNITIES Landrex celebrates 50 years

By Nerissa McNaughton

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years 47

Photo by Rebecca Lippiatt

S

ince 1972, Landrex has been the locally owned and operated land development company that built a brand based on the power of dedication, hard work and an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing.

To date, Landrex has developed thousands of residential lots and multi-family units, as well as over a million square feet of commercial property. Although the focus is the Greater Edmonton area, Landrex has been pleased to participate in projects around the world, including Dubai, Germany, Hawaii and California.

Locally, Landrex’s impact is seen in the residential communities of Erin Ridge North, Windsor Pointe, Forest Heights and Fenwyck, to name just a few.

Garry Wetsch is Landrex’s corporate advisor and a long-time friend of founder Larry Andrews.

Larry Andrews

“Larry liked to play games, to be challenged,” says Wetsch. “Land development is like snakes and ladders; up and down. He went into it because it was challenging, required a lot of skill and is fun.”

There have been, indeed, plenty of ups and downs, moves and counter moves in the 50 years of Landrex’s operation.

Highlights include hiring the first employees, the first office on Whyte Avenue and the relocation to St. Albert, “a move that signified Landrex’s jump from a project developer to a full-on land developer.”

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years • 2

The Landrex strategy involves a heavy concentration on Edmonton’s satellite communities as opposed to building up the downtown core.

According to Wetsch, each move and each development is strategic. “What helps set Landrex apart is the team’s ability to think ahead by securing good inventory of prime real estate. When we bought land in St. Albert, for example, it was sat on for a long time before we developed it.”

The Landrex strategy involves a heavy concentration on Edmonton’s satellite communities as opposed to building up the downtown core.

“We know how to operate in smaller communities, and we enjoy doing it,” confirms Wetsch.

He also notes that “land development is not for the faint of heart.” Over the past 50 years, the industry has been subjected to fluctuating interest rates, market crashes and changing legislation. As Alberta crawled out of the oil crash, COVID-19 changed all the rules – again. Yet, Landrex is still growing and building. Why? Because the team is comprised of visionaries who see the big picture, take calculated risks and know when to move their game piece forward and when to hold back.

For example, in 2015, Andrews decided not to create new inventory because he could sense that the market was flooded. He was right to hold back.

“Landrex believes in planning today for tomorrow while recognizing that there are external factors we cannot control,” says Wetsch.

Congratulations! Looking forward to many more years of working together.

www.mapws.com

• General Contractor • Underground Services • Infrastructure Replacement • Subdivision Work • Industrial • Site Preparation • Road Building • Pit Stripping • Plant Work • Equipment Rentals • Snow Removal • Equipment Hauling • Equipment Sales •

We are the asphalt and soil compaction professionals

#200, 14303 - 116 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T5M 4G2 Phone: (780) 462-5353 Fax: (780) 463-7725

14303 - 116 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T5M 4G2 Phone: (780) 453-6996 Fax: (780) 455-5257

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years • 3

17515 - 106A Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1M7 Phone: (780) 450-0055 Fax: (780) 466-3574

Congratulations Landrex on 50 years!

We are excited to work with the entire Landrex team.

P: 780.430.0005 | F: 780-437-3998 9114 34A Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6E 5P4 | www.fillmoreconstruction.com

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years • 4

In both residential and commercial developments, Landrex pays close attention to walkability and access to amenities. It’s all about focusing on ideal conditions for living/working/ playing while leveraging indoor and outdoor spaces to their full potential.

In the past, there was reason for holding back; these days, it’s all about moving forward. Landrex is thrilled to be changing the landscape of St. Albert with its development in Erin Ridge North, to be adding residential homes for families in Fort Saskatchewan’s Windsor Pointe, to add to the elegance of Sherwood Park by building up Sherwood Golf and Country Club Estates and to be giving families a beautiful residential option, thanks to the Westwinds development in Morinville.

Wetsch says, “All these developments offer an array of amenities, such as ponds, trails, dog parks, landscaped municipal reserve areas and nearby commercial amenities. Landrex makes sure we keep as much of the natural landscape as possible when developing our residential communities by retaining trees and other natural features.”

On the commercial side, Landrex is pleased to have completed the extensive interior and exterior renovations at Summit Centre in St. Albert.

This move-in ready medical space comes with an incentive package and is conveniently located across from the Sturgeon Community Hospital.

Meanwhile, in St. Albert, Erin Ridge Pointe is ready for possession this spring. Sitting north of Costco and close to big box retailers (Lowe’s, Honda, HomeSense), this development is unique. In addition to being the perfect fit (and location) for fitness, retail, salons and dining, there is an option for a rooftop patio.

In both residential and commercial developments, Landrex pays close attention to walkability and access to amenities. It’s all about focusing on ideal conditions for living/working/playing while leveraging indoor and outdoor spaces to their full potential.

Community building, for Landrex, is not limited to commercial and residential development. Giving back is part of the brand’s DNA. Since 1990, Landrex has been an integral part of the Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters’ fundraising efforts. Additionally, Landrex has donated millions in gifts and sponsorships to a variety of interests,

Congratulations On 50 Years Landrex!

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years • 5

CONGRATULATIONS

ON 50 GROUNDBREAKING YEARS IN THE BUSINESS.

EngCon is proud to be a long-standing, trusted business partner of Landrex.

CONGRATULATIONS

Landrex on 50 years of Business Excellence!

• Commercial Appraisals • Business Valuations • Residential Appraisals • Equipment Appraisals #150, 17510 – 107 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T5S 1E9 (780) 462-1782 www.frostvaluations.com

including but not limited to: $1 million to the University of Alberta for the Landrex Distinguished Professorship in the Faculty of Arts; $1 million to the University of Alberta for the Peter Lougheed Leadership College in the Faculty of Arts; $500,000 to the Betty Andrews Recital Hall at MacEwan University (named for Larry Andrew’s mother); sponsorship of the Recreation Pavilion at Dow Centennial Centre, the Water Play Centre at Servus Credit Union Place, the Fenwyck Fitness Complex and many more.

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years • 6

Alquinn Homes is proud to build and cultivate new communities with Landrex.

Erin Ridge North, in St. Albert Fenwyck, in Spruce Grove Windsor Pointe, in Fort Saskatchewan Fairways North, in Stony Plain

“

Landrex has been an incredible partner for over 10 years and hundreds of homes.

John McCaffray PRESIDENT

”

• Architecture • Interior Design • Contract Administration • Project Management • Client Representation • Specifications • Master Planning • Signage & Wayfinding Design • Space Planning • Tenant Coordination

In 2020, Andrews was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame, following other recognitions that include the Business Leader Canada’s Volunteer Award (2016), the President’s Award sponsored by the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation (2012), St. Albert Chamber of Commerce Chair’s Award of Distinction (2013) and an Alberta Centennial Medal (2005).

Andrews has played the game well for 50 years – and he has no intention of stopping now. The plan for 2022 onwards is one of growth and expansion.

CONGRATULATIONS to Landrex on your 50th Anniversary!

We are proud to be a part of your success!

600, 10339-124 Street Edmonton, AB Canada T5N 3W1 mail: admin@pwarch.ca Office: 780.643.3233 www.weareplanworks.ca

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years • 7

Future planning includes one of Landrex’s most exciting developments to date – Urban Village, a 50 per cent part ownership between Landrex and Fort McKay First Nation.

“We are in a transition phase and it’s an exciting time to be a part of Landrex,” says Wetsch.

Current and future plans include 250+ single family lots, 90,000+ square feet of commercial construction, 450+ multi-family units and 120+ assisted living units. Future planning includes one of Landrex’s most exciting developments to date – Urban Village, a 50 per cent part ownership between Landrex and Fort McKay First Nation.

A mix of residential, commercial and mixed-use buildings, Urban Village’s first phase starts this year with 194 luxury rental units. The next phase is also slated for 2022; 126 assisted living units. In 2023, the final phase of luxury suites and commercial office space begin.

Wetsch concludes, “Landrex is a land developer that is always looking to be better. If there’s a better way of doing things, the attitude is, ‘let’s try it.’”

Learn more and keep up with the exciting new developments at www.landrex. com and on social media (@landrex_inc on Instagram and Twitter, landrexInc on Facebook and Landrex-inc on LinkedIn).

Congratulations Landrex on your 50th Anniversary!

Suite#126- 9218 Ellerslie Road SW Edmonton, AB T6X 0K6 780.851.4301 www.cityarchitecture.ca

We are proud to be a part of your success.

220 Summit Plaza 190 Boudreau Road St. Albert, AB T8N 6B9 Phone: (780) 459-LAND

www.landrex.com

Landrex Inc. • Celebrating 50 Years • 8

DIGGING DEEP

AND MAKING AN IMPACT

The JAPA Group of Companies Celebrates 50 Years

By Nerissa McNaughton with photos by Rebecca Lippiatt

F

amily owned and operated since 1972, The JAPA Group of Companies provides heavy equipment rentals, sales, parts and service for the oil and gas, construction and road building industries. As a preferred XCMG retailer, JAPA offers the most advanced equipment on the market.

In the early 1970s, Jack Edwards and Paul Green decided to go into the heavy equipment business together. They formed two companies, the later one being JAPA. In 1972, the business partners split the interests. Today, the company is on its third generation of ownership with the two latest generations actively working in the brand.

JAPA Machinery Group Celebrating 50 years || 1

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From the start, JAPA was entrepreneurial-minded and tenacious – in all the right ways.

“When things started, the business was run from a trailertype office,” remembers Roger Green, (President). “We really wanted to build a shop, but the bank wouldn’t give us a mortgage. We decided to do it anyways.”

In a move that would define the determination of the brand and the people within it, the team rallied together and started building – literally block by block. They built when money came in and stopped when money was tight. After two years, the shop was complete.

Through the ‘80s and ‘90s JAPA’s reputation, products and services grew, but big changes were afoot. Paul retired in 2003, and Roger, along with Paul’s son David, took over operations along with the rest of the family. They focused on equipment rentals, repairs and a streamlined process that prioritized customer experience.

This careful attention to detail and business practices, along with a record of successful sales, growth and customer service, were all reasons why JAPA became an XCMG dealer in 2016. It was a milestone for JAPA, becoming the first North American dealer for the brand.

Founded in 1943, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (XCMG) is the world’s third largest construction

This careful attention to detail and business practices, along with a record of successful sales, growth and customer service, were all reasons why JAPA became an XCMG dealer in 2016. It was a milestone for JAPA, becoming the first North American dealer for the brand. machinery company (as of 2021). Its core values of “taking great responsibilities, acting with great morals and making great achievements” and its corporate spirit of being “rigorous, practical, progressive and creative” resonate with everything JAPA works hard to achieve.

For Maron Mulligan-Green, Director of Business Development, the trips to Shanghai to see XCMG’s factories and to meet the people working in the company there are fondly remembered. Although she admits, “Introducing this new line of Chinese equipment into Canada has been a challenge at this sensitive time in history. It’s difficult to get people past the notion of where it is made and realize that it is exceptional equipment.

JAPA Machinery Group Celebrating 50 years || 2

Sales Rentals Parts Service

Congratulations JAPA Machinery Group on 50 years of Business Excellence!

XCMG is committed to manufacturing construction machinery of the highest quality -- including components built in North America, and built for the tough Canadian climate.

Your local XCMG Dealer: JAPA Machinery Group Ltd. 10397 267 Street Acheson | AB | T7X 6A2 888.489.1626

www.japamachinery.com

CONGRATULATIONS JAPA MACHINERY GROUP ON YOUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY!

T&T S

and

& Gravel Ltd.

Aggregate supplier for Edmonton and surrounding area

Box 5317 Devon, Alberta T9G 1Y1 p: 780.987.5221 • debjo@telusplanet.net

Congrats to JAPA Machinery Group on 50 years!

“XCMG is based in China but is a great example of the good globalization can bring because all the major components of their machinery are from around the world.

The engines are American, the running gear is made in Europe, the attachments are made in Canada and the hydraulic systems are made in Japan. XCMG sources from and sells around the globe.”

Steve Green, Operations Manager adds, “We are happy with the equipment and the service. We move past the hesitation of our customers by letting this equipment speak for itself.”

In addition to XCMG providing some of the world’s leading heavy equipment through JAPA in Western Canada, the brand also involves JAPA in research and development, asking them to test, use and weigh in on new parts and products.

20504 - 107 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5S 1X1 780-447-3584 www.sheffieldwelding.ca

Roger says, “They ask for and accept feedback. They go back to the engineers, make the changes and are open to making products that work for North America since our region provides a unique working environment for the equipment. They put a lot of trust in our feedback. It’s a special relationship for us.”

JAPA Machinery Group Celebrating 50 years || 4

CONGRATULATIONS

on your 50th Anniversary!

Box 5395, 5741-49 Avenue Drayton Valley AB T7A 1R5 Phone: 780.542.5622 • Fax: 780.542.3751 www.earthiron.com

50 years!

In addition to being an XCMG dealer, JAPA sells new and used excavators, graders, soil compactors, wheel loaders, scissor lifts, boom lifts, asphalt compactors, crawler tractors and articulated trucks. The parts department can locate, supply or provide prices and availability for OEM, non-OEM and used parts. JAPA is also an authorized Cummin service centre and a Trek undercarriage dealer. The state-of-the-art headquarters includes a 20,000 square foot shop, a wash bay, two welding bays, three overhead cranes and contains the 80,000 cubic foot heated parts warehouse. Six service trucks are always ready to roll, and all the mechanics are Red Seal certified.

The sales, rentals, parts and service are presided over by the family team, working from 8,000 square feet of office space. From the boardroom to the shop to everything in between, JAPA, who started out as a trailer and hand-built shop, is now a one-stop dealer for all your heavy equipment needs, service and repair.

Shaun Green, Service Manager, says, “We will tackle anything.

If anyone comes to us with an issue with a machine of any brand, we have no qualms about trying to solve their problems and coming up with ideas. We are solution orientated.”

Canadian Western Bank congratulates THE JAPA GROUP OF COMPANIES on five decades of success.

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JAPA Machinery Group Celebrating 50 years || 5

Shaun Green, Steve Green, Maron Mulligan-Green and Roger Green.

“People don’t realize we are the whole package,” Steve adds, “We sell equipment, fix the engines, and provide parts and service for every make and model for all types of customers. Sales, rentals, maintenance on any make or model – we do it all. JAPA is here for our customers and once they contact us and realise the breadth and depth of our service, they say we are amazing. We built up our customer list through our service, integrity, values and hard work.”

Congratulations!

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Phone: 780-483-6111 • www.galbraith.ab.ca

But of course, the company is not stopping there. “We are in the midst of adding 100 pieces of equipment to the fleet, including a line of all black excavators,” says Maron. “Lifting equipment is the newest area for JAPA.” Roger adds, “Within this last year, we built a new department and building just for XCMG parts. Next year, we will reach out to the Calgary market and keep growing.”

The team works hard, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a sense of humour. One of the things they all get a giggle out of is the calls asking if they are the Japanese embassy.

And then, there is that golf simulator.

When the shop in Acheson was built in 2017, there was a room upstairs that just happened to be the right size for a golf simulator. Never one to let an opportunity pass by, Roger and David found a golf simulator company in Palm Springs that was going out of business. That simulator now resides in their head office.

“Before COVID, it was a great place for meetings!” laughs Maron.

JAPA Machinery Group Celebrating 50 years || 6

JAPA, the family business founded by service mechanics and grown to catch the eye of one of the world’s largest equipment suppliers, looks forward to the next 50 years. The family and team are excited about the future and all the possibilities it brings to provide the best equipment, parts, service and R&D. “In the winter, customers would come in and play 18 holes,” smiles Roger.

The family is quick to also attribute the success of JAPA, outside of their work dynamic, to their staff, suppliers, customers and community. They are especially thankful to Paul Green who went the extra mile in getting JAPA off the ground, taking out a loan against his own vehicle to afford the first pieces of equipment, and to the clients that have been with them since 1972.

JAPA gives back by providing a safe and empowering workplace, by supporting non-profits such as Edmonton’s Food Bank and Kids Sport and by supporting the Acheson Business Association. JAPA also continues its partnership with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) apprenticeship program, helping to grow and support the next generation of heavy equipment technicians.

Giving back is part of JAPA’s DNA. To honour their 50th anniversary, JAPA will donate to 50 charities across the greater Edmonton region.

The contributions to the heavy equipment industry and community have not gone unnoticed. JAPA is proud to be the recipient of XCMG’s dealership of the year award for Canada and to see one of their salespeople, John, receive XCMG’s top sales award. They’ve also been recognized with an outstanding service award and an Acheson Business Association brick and mortar award for their state-of-the art shop and office.

JAPA, the family business founded by service mechanics and grown to catch the eye of one of the world’s largest equipment suppliers, looks forward to the next 50 years.

The family and team are excited about the future and all the possibilities it brings to provide the best equipment, parts, service and R&D. By working with integrity and never wavering from the customer service they have become legendary for, JAPA moves forward with the motto, “there is no challenge too big or too small. We will take it on. We are honest, work hard and find solutions. Bring it on!”

JAPA will host an open house on May 6th to celebrate 50 years. Learn more at japamachinery.com.

10397 - 267 St., Acheson, Alberta T7X 6A2 Phone: 780-962-5272 japamachinery.com

Congratulations JAPA Machinery Group on your 50th anniversary!

We wish you many more years of continued success.

GS Construction | Underground Infrastructure 27060 Acheson Rd, Acheson, AB T7X 6B1 | (780) 962-3544

www.gsconstruction.ca

JAPA Machinery Group Celebrating 50 years || 7

Superior Customer Service Has Always Been the Goal

By Nerissa McNaughton with photos by Rebecca Lippiatt

Global Machine & Supply Inc. celebrates 25 years

O

perating from a 15,000 square foot machine shop in Edmonton, Global Machine & Supply Inc. provides specialty manufacturing (spectacle blinds; blinds & spacers and bleed rings in carbon steel, stainless steel and other alloys) and custom machining.

A range of horizontal and vertical manual lathes, computer numeric controlled (CNC) lathes, manual drill presses and CNC milling machines allows Global Machine & Supply to operate at top efficiency while providing a diverse range of products and services.

Rick Giacobbo and Rob Riopel founded the company in 1997.

“I opened Global Machine & Supply because I had identified an opportunity after working for a company that did similar work in the industry but wasn’t committed to the customers the way I felt they should have been,” says Giacobbo. “I was eventually relieved of my job with that company because of my philosophical business approach, so I turned that into an opportunity to start my own business and serve those customers and future customers with a different style.”

Jeremie Corpuz and Jared Mouille

The risk paid off. After starting out in a 2,500-squarefoot industrial bay with one employee and two used lathes, two major orders arrived by 1998 – within less than a year of the company opening for business.

“We got a very large order for spectacle blinds and another large order for lap joint stub ends for Enbridge.

That put us on the approved vendor list and ultimately allowed us to grow as a major player in supplying the many projects in Ft. McMurray and other parts of Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan,” says Giacobbo. “Those two orders allowed us to get listed on most, if not all of the major oil companies’ approved vendor lists, which

Rick Wright

Rick Giacobbo

Global Machine & Supply Inc. • 25 Years 63

Products Ltd. and Comco Pipe & Supply Company) are still part of Global’s success story today.

“Another part of our success, at that time, was the support of our biggest supplier, Edmonton Exchanger,” Giacobbo explains. “I didn’t have the cash flow to purchase the material to fill those early, large orders, but Henry Gusse, the president and owner of Edmonton Exchanger, extended me 60 days of credit and supplied me with all the material I needed. He believed in me, and he believed in the company. Without that support I don’t know how I would have come up with the cash to purchase the raw materials. It’s that kind of support by both sides, customers and suppliers, that played a big part in our success in the early years, and since.”

The faith customers and backers put into Global Machine & Supply was not misplaced. After just one year in business, the company had to expand into a neighbouring bay – then continued to take over bays and add equipment and staff as the orders kept rolling in.

In 2004, the company purchased and moved into its current 14,000 square foot facility.

Giacobbo is rightly proud of the space and the opportunities it brings to the company. “We were able to automate our manufacturing as well as expand on our product lines. We entered into an agreement to manufacture products for Victaulic Company of Canada ULC, a privately owned worldwide company that makes products for industries around the world.

We are the only approved manufacturer of Victaulic’s in western Canada, and only one of two in Canada.”

In 2002 Rick Wright became Giacobbo’s business partner, and together they continued to grow the company. While Giacobbo puts high praise on his past and present business partners for making the company what it is today, he gives equally high praise to the employees and clients.

“A big part of our success came by building personal relationships with our large customer base, manufacturing quality products and supplying them at competitive prices with on-time delivery and having the support of our many suppliers. However, that all starts and ends with our employees and the culture we have built in the company.

gave us the opportunity to work with our customers to supply them with spectacle products for the major projects that were just coming on stream.”

From there, Global Machine & Supply grew rapidly.

Contracts for the NOVA Chemicals’ Joffre project and then the Syncrude UE1 project quickly followed and the customers behind those projects (TransAm Piping Global Machine & Supply Inc. • 25 Years • 2

Both the commitment and the culture come with good leadership, and that’s not only from the very top.

I’ve always tried to surround myself with good, smart, hardworking, trustworthy and loyal people. Paying them competitively, treating them like family, listening to their concerns and offering solutions are part of growing a good company with everyone pulling the same way; and that’s what we’ve tried to accomplish with Global Machine. We have a loyal staff with a lot of long-term employees.”

As a visionary, Giacobbo positioned the company early on to be diverse enough to withstand the ups and downs of Alberta’s energy industry.

He says, “The lack of pipelines may be a threat going forward, however the demand for oil and gas is not going to decrease in the near or long-term, so I feel that Global can continue to be a viable company for many years to come based on those facts, as well as future opportunities in alternative energy, hydrogen energy and carbon capture.”

etc., and machines them into finished products that allow them to live the lifestyle they live. That includes heating their homes, driving their vehicles, playing sports, wearables and many other parts of their everyday routine. We are an essential service in Edmonton, Alberta and Canada and literally around the world to anywhere oil and gas is exported.”

Speaking to the diversity, he continues, “Many people don’t realize that Global Machine takes raw materials in many different forms: round bar, flat plate, forgings,

Global Machine & Supply has always given back to the community. This is a very important value for Giacobbo.

CONGRATULATIONS

“I grew up in a small town and I benefitted from private enterprises supporting their community, so I have always tried to do the same,” he confirms.

Global Machine & Supply Inc. on 25 years!

7812 Progress Way, Delta, BC V4G 1A4 (604) 946-5383 • sales@terranovasteel.com www.terranovasteel.com

CONGRATULATIONS! Global Machine & Supply Inc. on your 25th Anniversary!

1-866-437-7315 www.newusedmachines.com

In this spirit, the company supports the Alzheimer’s Society, Adopt-A-Teen and local youth sports.

“We’ve been part of start-up programs for a variety of sports in urban and rural Alberta, along with sponsoring a number of sports teams and leagues.

We are also very involved with the sport of curling in Alberta. We believe that sports are a very good place for kids to learn to be team players, as well as to develop the skills to be a better athlete and person.”

On July 1, 2021 Global Machine achieved a new milestone, the sale of the company to Giacobbo’s nephew Jared Mouille, and to Jeremie Corpuz, the son of one of his original long-term employees.

“Both have been with the company for a lot of years and they have earned that opportunity. I know they will take Global Machine to bigger and better things in the future and will hopefully be able to pass it on to the next generation years from now,” says Giacobbo.

Mouille, President says, “Both Jeremie, [Vice President] and I believe in the culture of Global and the way the company truly is a family. We look forward to continuing growing Global with the same integrity and passion that was instilled in the brand by its founders.”

Giacobbo, Mouille, Corpuz and Wright conclude with a message to Global Machine’s clients: “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve your needs on a dayto-day basis, and for staying loyal to us and allowing us to be your business allies for all these years.”

CONGRATULATIONS on your 25th anniversary Global Machine & Supply Inc.!

We wish you many more years of continued success. #112 85 Cranford Way Sherwood Park, AB T8H OH9 P: 780-467-2122 • F: 780-467-3099 Visit us online: www.tailormadeins.com

Global Machine & Supply Inc. • 25 Years • 4

6803 – 71 Street NW Edmonton, AB T6B 2M5 Phone: 780-450-9757 Fax: 780-450-0298 Toll Free: 1-866-450-9757 www.globalmachine.net

THE VISIONARY FORMULA: Hard Work + Local Focus = Success Don Pierce celebrates 25 years in business

By Nerissa McNaughton with photos by Rebecca Lippiatt

P

ierce Co. Manufacturers Ltd. and Weather All Shelters help you cover your assets, thanks to high-quality, custom-sewn canvas, vinyl and polyethylene tarpaulin, welding tents and blankets, equipment covers and shelters.

The main industries serviced are within the oil and gas sectors; however, as a custom manufacturer, a variety of industries (farm, commercial, storage, residential, industrial) look to both brands for solutions, from custom canvas and mesh tarps to durable quonset-style shelters.

“We are very proud to say that everything we sell is manufactured locally,” says Owner Don Pierce. Within

this segment of our industry, Pierce Co. Manufacturers has a wealth of experience in providing high-quality, portable structures anywhere, from oil and gas sites to the local farmer. We are proud of our custom industrial fabrics (tarps and covers) division, which has been a large part of our success over the years.”

Pierce continues, “We are one of very few in Canada that has the CSA A660 program to meet or exceed the building code for portable buildings. To date, there is no site in North America where we cannot produce and deliver our products.”

Pierce Co Manufacturers Ltd. || 25 Years 67

The man behind the brands built up both companies through a mix of talent, hard work and sheer determination and grit. He founded his manufacturing company in 1997, but admits that, at the time, “I had absolutely no idea of where I was going and I had very little money!”

It all started when Pierce was removed from the company he worked with, being replaced by new personnel that had close relationships with the new management team. At the time, Pierce had a ninthgrade education and zero business experience. But he had plenty of manufacturing experience, along with an iron will and a drive to carry on despite the setback. So, like many of today’s most successful entrepreneurs, he turned his garage into a shop and plunged forward.

With some help from friends and family, Pierce Co. Manufacturers took off. The garage was traded for a 15,000-square-foot shop on the south side of Edmonton.

Eight years later, that was traded up to a 4,000-square-foot shop. Growth continues at a pace of 20 per cent per year.

Pierce says with pride, “For the last 16 years, we have been operating out of the west side of Edmonton, and the growth has been nonstop. We now have four locations, including a brand new 8,000 square foot shop exclusively for building portable building covers. We also have 20,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 2.5 acres of yard. In the fall of 2018, we purchased the assets of a local portable building company to help foster our ability

2 || Pierce Co Manufacturers Ltd. || 25 Years

Although he took the risk in starting out on his own, Pierce considers the team to be the biggest part of his brands’ success. to provide quality shelter products with the additional experience and workforce we obtained. The purchase was a perfect fit, bringing on welders, sewing machine operators, installers, a graphic team leader and so many others who have helped bring us to where we are today.

Going from being out of work and starting up in a garage to having multiple locations across two businesses, a laser focus on locally made shelters and covers and a team of collaborative specialists, Pierce Co. Manufacturers and Weather All Shelters meets – and exceeds – the needs of clients in Western Canada, and beyond.

Although he took the risk in starting out on his own, Pierce considers the team to be the biggest part of his brands’ success.

“I really owe most of the success to my staff,” he admits. “I’ve worked in the field for many years and understand what it takes to keep all my employees; it involves showing respect for them and their families each and every day. We spend 45 per cent of our lives

at our jobs, and a happy employee means a happy work family. We probably pay about 10 to 20 per cent higher than others in our industry simply because we appreciate our people and we want them to enjoy coming to work every day.”

However, staffing can also be an issue. Pierce explains, “My greatest challenge today is acquiring more experienced staff to keep up with the steady growth in our companies. The price of oil is expected to go over $125 per barrel in the near future. This brings on more drilling activity, which in return drives up the need for our products. With all the new pipelines, there is a need to keep product flowing at all times.”

Despite having multiple locations, steady growth and a positive future ahead for both brands, Pierce remains humble and grateful.

“I wasn’t handed the companies by anyone. I started both companies from scratch. I have a grade nine education and no business degree; but I am the 100 per cent shareholder, to the surprise of many. Honestly, being a businessperson hasn’t changed me much, I don’t think. I do have a few things I enjoy that I otherwise probably wouldn’t have had.

I get to go away golfing and boating, but I’ve grown into a workaholic, so a week away is very hard for me.”

He continues, “As for the businesses, we have survived through a lot of things over the past 25 years, including the economy, oil and gas demands fluctuating and now

COVID variances. We survived it all. So, when looking for a product like ours, remember one thing: will they be able to provide that service in the years to come? We have proven that we can.”

As the brands grow, Pierce is steadfast about retaining their local identity. “We manufacture all the components locally, including the fabric covers. We are proud to tell our clients that we have the highest quality and that they are supporting local manufacturers.

“I love Edmonton business because I believe in shopping locally. I support it, and I expect it simply because I’ve seen a lot of products similar to ours, but without the same integrity. Most of the offshore

Machines, Needles, Thread and more.

Congratulations Pierce Co. on your 25th Anniversary!

South Edmonton: 8649 63 Ave. • Ph: 780-469-1147 West Edmonton: 10642-170 St. • Ph: 780-486-0047 www.centralsewing.com

Pierce Co Manufacturers Ltd. || 25 Years || 3

It’s been an interesting 25 years for Pierce, and the rapid trajectory makes it hard for him to slow down. Yet, he knows the value of work/life balance. products have given our type of products a bad name. I encourage all to shop local because we need to support our workers in our own industry.”

It’s been an interesting 25 years for Pierce, and the rapid trajectory makes it hard for him to slow down. Yet, he knows the value of work/life balance.

“These days, I’m looking at trying to step back and see what the next step is,” Pierce confirms. “I’m trying to spend some quality family time. Building a business takes you away from all of that, and it has certainly affected my life. Life has gone by me very fast. If I did it all again, I would do it as a family business just to spend the time together.”

He does have to chuckle, though, as he draws parallels between then and now.

“In 1997, I purchased a computer and had to read the instructions to turn it on. Today, like everything else, I throw the instructions away and can manage around a computer very well. I can even do some accounting duties.”

“I would have to say,” he concludes, “that my most memorable moment was waking up one day and realizing that the hundreds of hours, weekends, days, working holidays and sleepless nights had finally paid off. The businesses are successful.”

12871 170 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5V 1L8 780-448-9659 || www.Pierce Coltd.com www.weatherallshelters.ca Pierce Co Manufacturers Ltd. || 25 Years || 4

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