3 minute read
of fabrication excellence
Jne Welding celebrates 40 years of fabrication excellence
Crystallizer crossing the South Saskatchewan river.
November 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of a landmark on the saskatchewan fabrication scene – JNe Welding. founded on November 1, 1980 by Jim Nowakowski with a mobile welding rig, as well as integrity and ambition, JNe has grown to more than 140 people delivering thousands of tons of fabrications large and small to industry in Western Canada today.
after some field work in the late fall of 1980, Nowakowski started up a small shop at 1916 saskatchewan avenue in the north end of saskatoon. He ended up adding five employees that first year, and by 1985 moved to the centre bay of 811, 56th street east – a space still occupied by JNe 35 years later. over the next few years, the business expanded to include the east and west bays, then additions of 960 square feet of shop space at the back and a temporary coverall space still in use today.
by 2006, JNe had 75 employees and was a growing company in saskatchewan’s potash industry and the alberta oil sands – delivering pressure vessels, piping, ore bins, tank conveyors, ducting, transmission structures, and virtually any other fabrication that could be imagined. at the same time, JNe still delivered small projects and repair services, just like the first years on saskatchewan avenue. to take advantage of growing opportunities, the property at 3915 thatcher avenue was pur-
chased and a large new fabrication space with tall ceilings and heavy cranes was built on that location.
this new shop made a significant difference, allowing JNe to add almost 100 full-time positions to peak at more than 175 employees. In the 14 years since its completion, the “b shop” has established JNe as a custom heavy fabricator in western Canada – fabricating equipment that would have otherwise had to be supplied from outside of saskatchewan.
In 2015, JNe partnered with Peter ballantyne Developments lP and Des Nedhe Group to become 60 per cent Indigenous owned. the combined strength of this partnership has provided direct financial and employment benefits to saskatchewan’s northern communities and helps JNe’s customers deliver on their commitments to Canada’s truth and reconciliation Commission Calls to action.
today, JNe Welding continues to be guided by its core values, which are key to successfully delivering significant projects to potash producers. their company values statement is “founded on integrity, we are bold, compassionate, collaborative, proud”.
an example of this was in 2013 when JNe was contracted to fabricate several large crystallizers for a new
Crystalizer fabrication in the JNE shop.
potash facility. these large, complex vessels were fabricated with exotic materials to withstand the harsh process conditions of a potash mill. then in 2016, JNe’s success with those units gave the producer confidence in trusted them with an additional unit on an expedited time frame. the size and material specifications made these challenging projects, but through collaboration with excellent partners, JNe successfully delivered on the customer’s requirements.
over the past 40 years, JNe Welding has grown from just one welding rig to a reliable, capable high-quality fabricator serving saskatchewan’s potash industry. they look forward to continuing to be a key part of that industry as it feeds the world for decades to come. s
JNE is a Limited Partnership in which the economic development corporations of English River First Nations and Peter Ballantyne First Nations have each acquired 30% ownership in the company with JNE’s current owners retaining the remaining shares. JNE is known for strong project management practices and fabricating a variety of scopes of work. These scopes have included, but are not limited to, structural steel, chutes, ore bins, tanks, pipe spooling, pressure vessels, rotary dryers, and conveyance systems. We have developed fabrication and welding procedures for a vast array of alloys such as 316, 304H, 904L, 2205, Inconel, Monel and C276. We are registered on ISNetworld and are CWB, ASME, and ISO 9001:2015 certified.
