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Find us on: #InvestSREDA The Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA) is very proud of the community it serves. SREDA’s three main goals are to retain and ĞdžƉĂŜĚ ĹŻĹ˝Ä?Ä‚ĹŻ Ä?ĆľĆ?Ĺ?ŜĞĆ?Ć? Ĺ?Ĺś ĆšÄ‚ĆŒĹ?ĞƚĞĚ Ć?ÄžÄ?ĆšĹ˝ĆŒĆ?Í• ƚŽ Ä‚ĆŠĆŒÄ‚Ä?Ćš ĹśÄžÇ Ĺ?ŜǀĞĆ?ƚžĞŜƚ Ĺ?Ĺś ĨŽÄ?ĆľĆ? Ä‚ĆŒÄžÄ‚Ć?Í• ĂŜĚ ƚŽ ĞŜĆ?ĆľĆŒÄž ƚŚĞ ^Ä‚Ć?ŏĂƚŽŽŜ ĆŒÄžĹ?Ĺ?ŽŜ Ĺ?Ć? ƚŚĞ ƉůĂÄ?Äž ƚŽ ĹŻĹ?ǀĞ͕ Ç Ĺ˝ĆŒĹŹÍ• Ĺ?ŜǀĞĆ?Ćš ĂŜĚ Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ć?Ć‰ÄžĆŒÍ˜ tÄž Ä‚ĆŒÄž Íž ĞůĞÄ?ĆŒÄ‚Ć&#x;ĹśĹ? 'ĆŒĹ˝Ç ĆšĹšÍ&#x; ĆšĹšĆŒĹ˝ĆľĹ?Ĺš ƉĂĆ?Ćš Ć?ĆľÄ?Ä?ÄžĆ?Ć?ÄžĆ? ĂŜĚ ƚŚĞ ĹśÄžÇ Ĺ˝Ć‰Ć‰Ĺ˝ĆŒĆšĆľĹśĹ?Ć&#x;ÄžĆ? ƚŚĂƚ ĹśĹ˝Ç ĹŻÄ‚Ç‡ Ä‚ĹšÄžÄ‚ÄšÍ˜
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Mining and Manufacturing the key drivers of Saskatoon’s economy The Mining and Manufacturing sector play a vital role in Saskatchewan’s economy, contributing in excess of $40 billion to the province’s economy annually. Saskatoon, more so than any other region in the province, has benefited greatly from the strength of these two sectors. In fact, the Primary and Utilities Industries, which includes Mining and the Manufacturing sector account for 23 per cent of the city’s yearly GDP, and Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority’s Chief Executive Officer Tim LeClair calls it the “backbone� of Saskatoon’s economy. The province began mining for uranium and potash in the 1950s and 1960s, although it is only recently that the success of these ventures has come to the public’s attention. David Doerksen, SREDA Board Member and Vice-President for Taxes, Treasury and Corporate Strategy for Cameco says that the reason for the stability and success of the industry, especially when considered with a focus on those two commodities, comes down to “supply and demand.� “We are always going to need energy and food. The outcome for mining potash is a lot less cyclical than with oil and gas or precious metals.� The province has many decades worth of deposits in both potash and uranium as yet un-tapped. What this means for the city, says LeClair, is an industry that is not only “stable, but sustainable and expanding.� As the mining industry grows and expands, so ML41439.D15 does the manufacturing sector that is vital Mary to support it. He adds that many of the
manufacturing firms in the city that started out in support roles to mining are now branching out and designing and manufacturing for the Oil Sands, the oil and gas industry, and are even getting involved in ship building at the docks in Halifax and Vancouver. In addition, says LeClair, the strong success of all areas of this sector means that there is now also a greater public awareness of the importance of these industries. SREDA has a firm commitment to help the mining and manufacturing sectors stay on pace to not only meet demand, but to explore new areas and new possibilities in a way that sees all needs being met. “We want to see further expansion n the industry, but also ensure stability and sustainability across the supply chain,� LeClair explains. “We want to see opportunities grow at home, and not export the boom at the expense of local industries. At the same time,� he continues “we want to see new markets opened up. We need to realize that Saskatoon is not an island. So we need to build to a point where we can both fulfill all local needs, but also meet new challenges in other places.� To fulfill this commitment, SREDA has been tireless in both promoting the city as a place to work and do business to potential investors and to potential skilled trades people. They have done this both by travelling all over the world to recruit new opportunities and people, and by designing and hosting websites which detail what Saskatoon has to offer as a place to work and live.
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Tim LeClair, President and CEO of SREDA LeClair says the efforts are all paying off, and that there are a number of new ventures slated to take place in the next 20 years in the province. In fact, the planned expansions of existing sites and exploration for new ones will bring about, according to LeClair, “the most exciting 12-15
years the industry has ever seen.� And with the excitement will come ever increasing opportunities for Saskatoon. You can find out more about SREDA or about doing business and living in Saskatoon by going to http://sreda.com/ or http://www.livingsaskatoon.com/.
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International Minerals Innovation Institute brings together industry, institutions and government
Saskatoon-based International Minerals Innovation Institute exists to bring together government, industry and education. Led by its industry members, and including institutions such as the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Regina, SIAST and Northlands, among many others. Or, as Executive Director Rodney Orr puts it, “we work with our industry members to identify their common needs for education, training, and research and then marry the right projects with the right organizations. We serve essentially in a project manager capacity interfacing between our members and the education and training institutions, the R&D researchers and other collaborators.” With a distinct focus in the areas of Education and Training (E&T) programs and Research and Development (R&D) projects for Saskatchewan’s mineral resource sector, the IMII is a not for profit company that was set up in January 2012. That year and most of this year have been devoted to getting structures and organization in place and meeting with industry to determine their priorities, but the IMII is already fostering Education and Training by helping to fund the development of a Bachelor of Mineral Engineering degree by the University of Saskatchewan. Orr estimates that by April and May of this year, they expect to have many more priorities clearly defined for both the E&T and R&D areas. Given their importance in Saskatchewan’s minerals sector, much of IMII’s efforts have been in the areas of potash and uranium mining, but Orr maintains that the opportunities for IMII’s involvement will come from “across the board” as LS905996.D15 the minerals industry and their partners Liza their activities and their needs. He expand
is also quick to point out that IMII “is not here to take place of what is already being accomplished in the areas of Research and Development or in Education and Training. We don’t want to duplicate anything or undertake what any one company would normally be doing, rather we want to enhance the industry as a whole.” One of IMII’s mandates is to find common ground amongst its member companies, which already include PotashCorp, Mosaic, Cameco, K+S Potash, BHP Billiton, Agrium, and North Rim Exploration and to help work towards solutions that will meet the broader needs. Right now, Orr says, the number one issue is the shortage of skilled workers in the province. IMII, along with its partners, is establishing ways to “best train and teach people to work in the mining industry. That is something that everyone is focusing on As so much of what IMII does and plans invaluable, and play a part in IMII’s goal of right now,” and something which the new toJW10315.D23 do is to connect people and projects, the being a “multiplier” of answers and soluMining Engineering degree program at the networking options provided by SREDA are tions for today’s mining industry. University of Saskatchewan will help to James address. Orr goes on to explain that their members are “very much engaged, and contributing money and manpower” to help find “world class solutions” to industry-wide problems, and says that Saskatoon is the perfect place for these partnerships to happen. Strong technological organizations such as the Saskatchewan Research Council and Canadian Light Source – both of whom are IMII members –and a number of world-class mining companies already in the city and the province means that many companies are basing their Canadian operations in Saskatchewan. Orr further estimates that every one direct mining industry job in the city leads to two more support jobs.
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Cargill’s Clavet canola plant expanding
world’s largest canola facility This spring, Cargill will be breaking ground for a refinery at their Clavet canola crush site. This expansion will see the addition of a canola oil refinery as an extension of the existing canola processing facility which opened in 1996. The addition reinforces Clavet’s status as the biggest canola plant in the world, as well as being Cargill’s biggest canola crush plant. Currently, canola grown in Canada is shipped to Cargill refining plants in the United States. With the completion of the Clavet refinery, scheduled for opening in late 2014, Ken Stone, Commercial Manager for Oil Seeds and Processing for Cargill, says the Clavet site will see the “consolidation of world class canola processing with world class canola refining. We will be able to handle the grain, crush the seeds, process and refine the oil all at one site. We will be a significant hub of processing activity. It’s all pretty exciting.” Stone explains that Cargill had been looking at the expansion “for quite some time,” but that the conditions have never been as ideal for the project as they are now. “We are at critical mass in terms of all of the pieces being in place. The marketplace in North America is seeing continued growth with the high stability of specialty and generic canola, increase in contracts and long-term demand from growers in the Province. In addition, we have a strong labour pool and benefit from the close proximity to the University of Saskatchewan and the various technical schools in the city.” Stone adds that the area is also ideal for transporting goods, as Clavet has dual-rail access, with both CN and CP running lines out of the site. Clavet’s central location in the province and Saskatoon’s good road LS905993.D15 structure also give the site easy access from which
Liza
Cargill’s Clavet canola crush facility to run trucking throughout the North America and to also ship internationally via the ports in Vancouver. Stone says that the business community in Saskatoon, including SREDA, has been “extremely supportive of our growth plans for the past 17 years,” including the expansion, and points to “the model that SREDA has of promoting networking has been very helpful and has aided us in making some very strong business relationships,” many of which will now benefit from Cargill’s local expansion due to contracted work throughout the build.
The addition of the canola refinery will add an estimated 30 direct Cargill jobs to the Clavet site, As far as future plans for Clavet, Stone says that getting the expansion up and running and continuing the consolidation of canola processing is the most important future goal. “We’ve bitten off a big chunk with this project and for now, our goal is for us to be operational within our targeted timeframe to better serve the Canadian canola industry. Cargill hopes to break ground on the Clavet expansion within the next 60 days.
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AREVA committed to employing Northerners
AREVA Resources Canada Inc. has made a commitment to employing people living in Northern Saskatchewan. AREVA, one of the largest uranium mining companies in the world, has established recruiting and training programs to help young Northerners join its work force. It is one of the company’s success stories, said Véronique Larlham, an AREVA communications specialist. “When we look at what we are doing in the North, we should remember that the uranium mining industry is the No. 1 employer of Aboriginal people,’’ she said. “About 42 per cent of our workforce at our
McClean Lake site is from northern Saskatchewan. To achieve those numbers, and every day we try to increase those numbers, we have developed different recruitment and training programs.” “In order to hire young people from the North, we partnered with the school system to entice the kids to stay in school and get their Grade 12. We also take them on tours of the mine site, we do presentations for them and we have career fairs in the schools.’’ The company has an office in La Ronge and a work force development officer in Stony Rapids. Hiring is a priority
AREVA is preparing to restart the McClean Lake mill to process ore from the Cigar Lake mill.
for AREVA with the McLean Lake mill reopening this year, as well the start of the Cigar Lake mine. Larlham estimated the company would hire 60 more people this year to work at its McLean Lake mill. “If they come out of high school with the right attitude, we train them, we hire them and then they work for us. So far, we have hired almost every single one we have trained.’’ The company has partnered with Cameco, the federal government, the provincial government and educational institutions to provide the on-site training, she said. “We will keep hiring Northerners and our numbers will grow.’’ With the McLean Lake mill restarting and Cigar Lake opening this year, it promises to be a good one for the industry in Saskatchewan. “The uranium deposits here are second to none,’’ Larlham said. “They are the highest grade ore and some of the largest deposits currently known. There are uranium mines around the world, and the ones in Saskatchewan have grades that are up to 100 times higher than what you would find in a conventional mine anywhere else.” “In Saskatchewan, the uranium mining sector produces 17 per cent of the world’s uranium. “For many, many years, Saskatchewan was the No. 1 producer of uranium in the world. Unfortunately back in 2009, Kazakhstan surpassed us..’’ Larlham hopes Kazakhstan won’t be No. 1 for long. “We will be gaining on them right away LS905995.D15 because starting this year, the Cigar Lake mine Lizais scheduled to start. It is a new mine
we are developing with Cameco, Idemitsu and TEPCO. It will be the second largest high-grade uranium mine in the world, with the first one being McArthur River (also in Northern Saskatchewan).’’ McArthur River is another project that is a partnership between AREVA and Cameco. At both Cigar Lake and McArthur, Cameco is the majority owner. Larlham says the future of the industry is bright in the province. “There is lots of room for growth with the projects we currently have.’’ She says some work is currently being done to evaluate the possibility of an underground mine at McLean Lake. The company, which will celebrate 50 years in Saskatchewan in 2014, has also partnered with an exploration company, UEX, at AREVA’s Shea Creek project, to measure the viability of a mine. “Currently, it is an exploration project so that means we are still looking to see what the reserves are there. It is promising, so there are many forms of potential growth in Saskatchewan. “The climate is very favourable here in Saskatchewan. The people of this province are generally very supportive of our industry. That climate makes it a lot easier for us to do business. We produce uranium, yes, that’s a fact, and we are in business to do that, but beyond producing uranium in terms of what we are able to accomplish helping the north economy develop is amazing. “We are supporting small entrepreneurs, supporting young people that want to stay in the North, but don’t normally have the opportunities. Now we provide them opportunities.’’
I helped feed the world today Growth is a top priority for Agrium Wholesale and it doesn’t just apply to the nutrients we make or the size of our Company. To achieve growth and remain healthy we need talented, diverse employees to support our initiatives.
Vanscoy Potash Operations Vanscoy, Saskatchewan S0L 3J0 Phone: (306) 668-4343 Fax: (306) 668-2003 www.agriumwholesale.com
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Hitachi Power Systems Canada working locally and globally
Saskatoon’s Hitachi Power Systems Canada was formed in 2012 with the merger of Hitachi Canadian Industries Ltd. and Hitachi Canada Ltd. The two companies initially opened their doors in Saskatoon and began manufacturing and custom fabricating components for the energy sector in Canada in 1988. The only Hitachi plant outside of Japan, the factory was established as part of contract signed between SaskPower and Hitachi in the 1970’s. HPSCA manufactures components and turnkey projects such as steam and gas turbine casings and parts, pressure vessels, boilers, heat exchangers, modules, pipe spooling for sectors like mining, oil and gas, the oil sands and power generation. Beyond manufacturing and fabrication as well as precision custom machining, HPSCA also offers assembly, after-sales services and a variety of non-destructive tests on site, making them, according to Ricardo Silva, General Manager of Sales and Marketing, “a one stop solutions” company in the energy industry. “We manufacture our customers’ projects, assembly them and we are also capable to provide after-sales services including nondestructive tests, retrofit and maintenance work on site to ensure proper functioning. We are therefore able to inform clients if and when their system needs repair or replacing.” With the current focus on energy and resources in Saskatchewan’s economy, Silva says that HPSCA has sales booked in advance for the next year and a half. Still, that doesn’t mean the company isn’t always looking to diversify or to expand. As Silva explains, HPSCA also has a commitment to green energy, and has been committed to LS905992.D15 supply the processing equipment to Sask-
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Power’s coal-fired Shand Power Station in Estevan. “We are fully involved in Shand, and committed to green energy. Green energy is definitely a major target for us in the years to come.” HPSCA is expanding not only in the types of energy it supports, but also where it sells equipment. Currently, the company is manufacturing components for the Alberta Oil Sands, as well as for off shore drilling projects in North America. In addition, HPSCA is also involved in deep sea oil exploration and is looking for new opportunities in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, the USA and the North Sea. Silva says that business relationships with groups like SREDA are invaluable to introducing HPSCA to new ventures and clients. “We have a deep interest in working with companies locally and globally to further develop business opportunities together.” In order to keep up with the demand for their product, HPSCA is expanding and adding five new state-of-the-art machines. Silva says that HPSCA is “constantly looking for new talents in the industry” and is hoping to add approximately 30 workers like engineers, operators, welders and fabricators to its roster. As successful as it already is, Silva adds that “Hitachi continues to invest strategically in the facility and people in order to help it stay competitive focused on providing solutions HPSCA customers.”
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Cameco an industry leader in socially responsible hiring
Twenty five years ago, Cameco made a strong, clear commitment to northern Saskatchewan. This promise meant including northern residents in future planning and employment opportunities . To that end, Gary Merasty, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Cameco estimates that about 50% of those directly employed by Cameco currently are of First Nations or Metis descent. In addition, Cameco strongly encourages its sub-contractors to also hire people of First Nations, Metis, or northern descent. “We tell our contractors that this (hiring practice) is a priority for us, and they’ve responded in an amazing way. They’ve hired around 1000 more northern people.” For their efforts, Cameco was recently named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers by the Globe and Mail. They were also recognized as one of the 10 Best Companies To Work For, as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and as one of Saskatchewan’s Top Employers. In addition, Cameco was the recipient of the 2013 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Environment and Social Responsibility Award. Merasty says Cameco is “very honoured” to have received so many awards, but adds that what is most gratifying for Cameco is the response they see in and from northern communities to these business practices. “Kids in these communities are now seeing the possibility of a future making $70,000 a year in, or close to, their home communities. What we see in these communities is better attendance at school and higher graduation rates. And we see a number of other businesses, like stores
Gary Merasty -Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Cameco and restaurants, which are also then able to open and employ members of the community.” Cameco’s commitment to providing employment to northern people includes training programs where 50% of the trainees are guaranteed a job when training is finished. This leads to highly motivated individuals enrolling in, and completing, training. Merasty maintains that, more than being just socially responsible, Cameco’s commitment to northern people makes good business sense. “Our employees are very loyal. A large percentage of them have worked for us for 20 years or more. When the oil sands opened in Northern Alberta, a lot of other companies suddenly found
Water samples are collected at Key Lake as part of the environmental management system. their employees going there, but we didn’t have that problem.” He adds that, contrary to public perception, “northern communities are not against development. This is the message we’ve heard over and over from them. Yes, they want to protect their culture and the environment, but they also see the opportunities development can bring. They just want to participate in the process, and to have their concerns heard.” Merasty says that Cameco wants to become an industry leader in socially
responsible hiring practices, and as such, is using similar mining and hiring practices in Australia, the United States and Kazakhstan. With such far-flung locations and goals, Cameco counts on SREDA to help keep them in touch with what is happening in the local business community. Overall, Merasty says that he and Cameco are “through the roof proud” of the achievements, but more so of their employees. “Our employees” he explains, “drive our success.”
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Allnorth Saskatoon growing to meet industry demand Allnorth is a mid-sized, multi-disciplinary engineering and technical services consulting firm serving clients in a variety of sectors, including mining, oil and gas and infrastructure. Based out of Prince George, British Colombia, the company has 16 offices across Canada and the United States, including an office in Saskatoon, SK, which opened in January, 2010. In its three years in the city, Bryan MacFadden, Division Manager for the Saskatoon office, says the office has had to change location three times to accommodate its growth. Now located on Airport Drive, Allnorth Saskatoon has grown to employ 50 people. The Saskatoon division is comprised of engineers, field technicians, project managers and support team. Allnorth finds itself providing services such as engineering, project management and technical field services for various clients such as Mosaic, PotashCorp and BHP Billiton. For example, Allnorth is providing site wide survey services for the new Mosaic Esterhazy K3 Potash Project. The company also undertakes infrastructure projects such as full cycle land development and transportation projects. MacFadden says the company has no plans to expand to residential or light commercial enterprises, “We have no plans to be all things to all people. We want to focus on the sectors in which we have the expertise to safely and efficiently execute, which are mining, oil and gas, and infrastructure Even with a niche market, MacFadden maintains there is still a large amount of opportunity for Allnorth in the Saskatoon area.The resource-rich markets in Saskatchewan and Northern Alberta make both areas huge current focal points for the company. At the same time, the smaller size of the Saskatoon division of Allnorth means that MacFadden and his colleagues can pay particular attention to recruiting and training employees. Although demand dictates that the company recruit globally, MacFadden says that they have also been very successful in recruiting local graduates, and that young people “are so excited to be able to stay and work in their home province. They JW10793.D15 realize this wasn’t the case ten years ago, and are thrilled
James
that things have changed. And one of the results of this is that we have very low employee turnover.” Allnorth sponsored two leadership scholarshisp for two University of Saskatchewan students ,participates in the co-op program out of SIAST, and is “working hard to engage First Nations and Metis people in the province as a potential skilled workforce.” MacFadden stresses that the company is very proud of its mentoring component for new employees, and that it is “always on the look-out for the leaders of tomorrow. People at all levels of Allnorth like to stay hands on in terms of the actual work and in terms of training our new hires.” In order to maintain this hand on approach, MacFadden says that the company’s goals for the Saskatoon division in the next ten years are to “grow to 80 or 85 employees, and to stay a close-knit group with a tight focus on doing what we are good at, and to see what opportunities are out there, and how we can continue to make an impact.”
Bryan MacFadden, Division Manager Allnorth Saskatoon
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Engineering firm plays key role in Sask. mining AMEC Inc. is one of the forefathers of the mining industry in Saskatchewan. The global engineering consulting firm, which has approximately 29,000 employees worldwide, including 550 in its mining and minerals division in Saskatoon, was there when the first potash mines were built more than 40 years ago, and has been a key player in developing the uranium industry. “With potash, we have been involved right from the beginning,’’ AMEC business development manager Kenn Cutts said. “We have been involved in almost every major potash project in the country out of this office.’’ It is much the same story in uranium mining. The company is in the background when it comes to name recognition, but its work has enabled Saskatchewan’s most demanded commodities to be taken from under the ground, and drive Saskatchewan’s booming economy. AMEC can package an entire operation. “If you look at AMEC, our whole proposition is engineering, procurement and construction management. It can be from conception to project completion. We are covering pretty well almost every element.’’ That includes everything from prefeasibility studies to design to managing the construction site. It’s one-stop shopping. One of its major clients is the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (PCS). “We are currently doing a lot of work for PCS on what is typically known as LS905991.D15 sustaining projects. We are in the final stages of finishing a number of significant Liza
projects for PCS and some of it is still going.’’ Cutts said that work includes upgrades to projects and mills. “On the uranium side, we are also working with Saskatchewan’s uranium mining companies. “We are very fortunate in having a strong resource offering in the mining world. I see that from my general review of everything that potash will continue to be a very strong commodity in the future.’’ AMEC’s Saskatoon office has a worldwide presence. “We are currently involved in projects around the world in number of different countries and doing some work in the United States, too. It’s not just limited to Saskatchewan; our team is working on projects worldwide.’’ He said the success of the company is its staff. “We have some very impressive people who have pretty substantial skills needed in the mining sector — some of them have been in the business for 35-plus years. We also have some really young, sharp, high-potential people and new team members joining us in Saskatchewan that come from around the world that are really beginning to shine. “We are actively recruiting domestically, meaning Saskatchewan, across Canada and internationally for people to come here. There is a lot of promotion from within, too. We have a great staff load of people, but sometimes there is a lot of competition worldwide for those skills. “We need those skill sets here if we are going to make Saskatchewan even more
prosperous than it currently is.’’ The company has had many success stories in Saskatchewan, in Canada and around the world. “We have been working with PCS in Saskatchewan and in New Brunswick. The new mine -- K+S -- is a client and we are working very closely with them to help them achieve their project goals.’’ The K+S Group is building the first potash mine in Saskatchewan in 40 years. “To sum it up, we have developed these high levels of capability here. Mak-
ing our clients a success makes us a success. Our whole mission, is to help them achieve their goals.’’ He said it is rewarding that the work is being done out of Saskatoon. “I think the rest of the world is just starting to find out what we are doing. We have two very unique resources -- uranium and potash – that are demanded around the world and Saskatchewan is ready for it.’’ (For more information on AMEC, go to www.amec.com)
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Tron Power benefits from booming economy Saskatoon is a good place for industrial construction businesses to be, according to those in the industry. With the constant growth in economy and population, businesses are taking advantage of the influx of consumers and contracts available in the industry. “There are great opportunities here with so many big players coming into town right now,” said Doug Reynolds, the vice-president of corporate and social responsibility of Des Nedhe Development LP at Tron Power Inc. “It’s a good opportunity to develop your own business. We’re able to try and expand our own business, and what we do with our construction company. We offer design, build and turnover packages, from small mechanical builds to civil and electrical. We do a lot of piping and structural steel — pretty much any component of construction we can do with our engineering in-house.” Tron Power Inc. was established by the English River First Nation in 1997. It is one of many businesses that work with the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority (SREDA). SREDA has a focus on mining; Saskatchewan is world’s second largest producers of potash with global leaders such as PotashCorp, AREVA, Mosaic and BHP Billiton undertaking significant mine developments and expansions totalling billions of dollars. Specializing in the mining industry for more than 25 years, then under different ownership, Tron Power Inc. provides project execution from mine infrastructure development to upgrades and ongoing maintenance. A unique characteristic of Tron Power Inc. is they are a 100 per cent Aboriginal-owned company ranked in the top 10 of its kind in Canada by the Conference Board of Canada, according to Reynolds. “Our mandate is to hire band members or anybody of First Nations descent,” said Reynolds, an English River band member. “We like to keep our focus back at home and try to be a leader as an Aboriginal-owned company. We’re always striving to ensure that our Saskatoon-based company is providing our best
efforts to reflect back home. We work for the band members.” Growth is substantial in the industrial construction industry Saskatoon, especially in the last two to three years, according to Reynolds. Tron Power Inc. has been able to expand from focusing solely on uranium mining to potash mining as well. Sites right now include Key Lake, Cigar Lake, McArthur River, McClean Lake, Rabbit Lake and a K+S Potash legacy project. “We have six projects going on, and we’re very involved with joint ventures as well,” said Reynolds. “SREDA and the chamber of commerce are a part of the way we represent ourselves during this time. Tron is one of 18 companies that are managed out of the head office, so that’s an indicator of the economy here.”
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