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October/November 2014
Also in this issue:
Top 100 Drivers
Saskatchewan NOW!
Ken Krawetz Q & A
Publication Mail Agreement No. 40013389
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
Volume 35 Issue 7 October/November 2014
CONTENTS
FEATURES
Q & A WITH KEN KRAWETZ
As Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance for Saskatchewan,
Ken Krawetz has had a distinguished (almost) 20 years while in
elected office. Here he reflects on the changes to the province’s
economic climate and shares his thoughts for the future.
COLUMNS
7
THE DRIVERS
11
These companies may have fallen just short of the Top 100 List,
but that doesn’t mean they should ever be discredited. They deserve
as much recognition as the main listing because they are are the
ones who are driving industries and creating resources for the
province and the world.
SASKATCHEWAN NOW!
The Ministry of the Economy’s quarterly newsletter.
21
THE HOODIES AND THE SUITS
ISM has shifted gears since 2013 with Mark MacLeod holding
the reins as CEO. Instead of offering a static list of services, the
company has started listening to their customers’ needs which is
allowing them to adapt to anticipate for the future.
30
CORRECTION: In Saskatchewan’s Top 100 Companies of 2014 list, four
companies should have had the Mission: Zero logo by their name:
#45 Driving Change Automotive Group Ltd.,
#64 Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Canada Ltd.
#79 Battlefords & District Co-operative Association Ltd., and
#90 West Wind Group of Companies.
THE FRONT DESK
Changes are taking place for
Sunrise Publishing.
DRIVE: SMART FORTWO
It’s not a car for everyone, but it’s worth
considering as a second vehicle.
4
38
RESILIENCE
41
Only five per cent of our life can truly be done
by ourselves.
ENTREPRENEURISM
Rather than corporate social responsibility,
think corporate social opportunity.
43
LAW
44
The laws which create the biggest headaches
and costs for businesses are often buried deep
in regulations or regulatory board rulings.
FINANCIAL PLANNING
45
After such a long stretch of positive returns,
it’s easy to get complacent and forget that risk
is an intrinsic part of investing.
BACK PAGE
It was an inspiring day at the NSBA’s
Lessons I’ve Learned event, and a day of
reflection.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
46
3
The Front Desk
PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Twila Reddekopp
Twila Reddekopp
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Publisher
Paul Martin
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Nathan Hursh
Cassi Smith
Virginia Wilkinson
Change – challenge
COLUMNISTS
Daryn G. Form
Paul Martin
David E. White
W. Brett Wilson
Craig Zawada, Q.C.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Greg Huszar
Stuart Kasdorf Photographics
PRODUCTION
Nathan Hursh
Trevor Sellar
RESEARCH
Cassi Smith
PRINT LIAISON
Lyle Boulton
REGIONAL SALES
Darren McDonald
NATIONAL SALES
Twila Reddekopp
OFFICE MANAGER
Sandra Billinsky
HEAD OFFICE
Sunrise Publishing
255 Robin Crescent
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada S7L 6M8
Phone: (306) 244-5668
Fax: (306) 244-5679
Toll Free: 1-800-247-5743
email: news@sunrisepublish.com
Website: www.sunrisepublish.com
Saskatchewan Business is published eight times
a year by Sunrise Publishing Ltd. No part of this
magazine may be reproduced without
written permission of the publisher.
Subscription rate is $40.00 per year including GST.
ISSN 1701-4468
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40013389.
Printed in Saskatchewan by
PrintWest Communications
Most times I try and keep things on the upside and professional in this space, but this
time I will deviate from that. Sometimes there are things that just need to be said.
The month is only ten days old and things are changing – now and on the horizon.
Earlier this week, the provincial business community lost a great leader. Doug
Gillespie passed away and leaves behind a very rich legacy of family, friends, reputation, accomplishments and people whom he mentored over the years. For this business leader, he set an example for the rest of us to aspire to. I reflect on his
accomplishments and am in awe. If I can complete a quarter of what he accomplished
I will look back on my life and think, “Yes, I made it count.” I am not just talking
about his business success, but everything else he accomplished. He walked the walk
in all he did and never gave up. Mountains could be moved. And if you needed help
moving your mountain, he was there to help with that. As Paul says in his column –
he was a special one. Rest now; you deserve it.
Another change on the horizon: we are on the move at the end of the month. It is
a very exciting time for us, but with the excitement comes much angst and disorganized chaos. First off, not sure if you are aware, we publish magazines for a living and
that means there are about a billion pounds of paper in this office to be dealt with.
Human nature is to collect – in this case, paper: back issues of every issue and/or publication we have published, every brochure, everything. Over the past 21 years, we
have been very busy according to the mounds of very heavy boxes. Human nature is
also programmed to consider routine very important and to push back at change.
Our office is also experiencing this. What person in their right mind would move
after two decades in one spot? The “collection” is overwhelming. The opportunity
has presented itself to purge, clean and accept that having only computer files is fine.
Much lighter for one thing and take up less space for another. But old-school habits
have taught me we need a “back-up” – thus the struggle with the billion pounds of
paper. If you are in the neighbourhood of 255 Robin Crescent in Saskatoon after
October 31, stop by and see our new digs. Hopefully by then we will be out from
under moving boxes and up and running.
Lastly, you will notice a bit of a change with the title of this issue. Traditionally, this
issue held the Top 100 Sequel listing. It still does, but the Sequel is now the Drivers.
The companies on this list are a very important part of the provincial economy equation, the ones that are truly making things happen. Without them, many of the Top 100
companies that you saw in the last issue would not have many suppliers and contractors. We challenged ourselves last issue to find links to many of our everyday purchases
and products. This issue we challenged ourselves to connect the companies on this list
with those on the Top 100 and found that many serviced those companies or their
CEOs. A big salute to these companies on a job well done and for participating. It was
only a few short years ago that we did not have a lot of participation due to the fact that
people thought if they didn’t hit the Top 100 list, they were not accomplished. I have
maintained all along that this is not true. Hopefully the ink on this paper proves that
all business in the province is important. We all need to work together to continue to
make this province the best place to live, work and play!
Send change of address notices and undeliverable
copies to: Sunrise Publishing, 255 Robin Crescent,
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7L 6M8.
100% Saskatchewan Publication. Not all advertising
or editorial content may be represented as such.
Twila Reddekopp, Publisher
news@sunrisepublish.com
Recycle where
depots available
4
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
The Do-It-Yourself economy is a
natural extension to the growing
D-I-Y movement. But instead of
remodelling your own home or
creating your own solar radio, the
D-I-Y economy is about “driving
economic powered development
at the local level, with local
leadership, guided by a robust
and sustainable vision.”
Thriving in the
D.I.Y. Economy
2014 Creating Intersections for Growth Conference
November 19 and 20, 2014
Hilton Garden Inn Saskatoon
The Creating Intersections for Growth Conference supports SEDA’s year-round
initiatives and our mandate to build local and regional economic capacity.
Sponsored by Ministry of the Economy and Saskatchewan Business Magazine
Presenters Include:
Cynthia Stewart and Kieron Hunt
Sustainable communities rely on the retention,
expansion and attraction of jobs and businesses,
including but certainly not limited to those in the
retail industry. Cynthia Stewart and Kieron Hunt of
the International Council of Shopping Centers will
present how economic development staff can bridge
the gap in being proactive for their municipality as
well as attracting and working collaboratively with
tenants and developers. Representatives from
Harvard Developments and ICR will join Cynthia and
Kieron to explore the benefits, challenges and
opportunities of furthering the interests of the Public
and Private sector from a retail perspective.
Leveraging the
interconnectedness of
agency mandates, pooling
resources, and truly
collaborating to fill gaps in
services offers an efficient
vehicle for community
based organizations and
government to implement
almost any initiative
Jann Beeston
at the local level.
Jann Beeston of Volunteer Alberta will illustrate
how a Community Team approach only requires
thinking differently to conduct business, maximize
resources, and serve community.
Agenda Subject to Change
View the complete conference agenda and speakers at
www.intersectionsforgrowth.com
www.worksafesask.ca
FORGING
NEW PATHS
www.safesask.com
I BELIEVE IN
MISSION: ZERO
Mitsubishi Hitachi President and CEO, Tom Kishchuk
“
Our investment in safety starts at the top, with real time knowledge of our
safety performance. We are committed to identifying and systematically
managing risks and hazards in our workplace. The return on our investment
in safety has been a continual decrease in injury frequency and severity.
For us, Mission: Zero means striving to achieve zero injuries in our workplace through the elimination and control of risks and hazards. We seek to
first eliminate, and then control, risks and hazards. The safety of our people
is our number one priority.
Tom Kishchuk
President and CEO
Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Canada
DESNEDHE.COM
An English River First Nation Company
6
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
”
Join the Mission: Zero movement by signing the Saskatchewan Health & Safety Leadership Charter.
Call 306.352.3810 or email info@safesask.com for more information.
October/November 2014
Photo: Stuart Kasdorf Photographics
S A S K A T C H E WA N :
STRONG AND MOVING FORWARD
Q
&
A
A Q & A W I T H K E N K R AW E T Z
K E N K R AW E T Z , Deputy Premier and Minister of
Finance, was the keynote speaker at the unveiling of
Saskatchewan’s Top 100 Companies of 2014 gala reception
on September 3, 2014 in Saskatoon. The following is
an overview of his address.
You’ve announced you’re not going to seek re-election,
and not a lot of people may realize this, but you’ve held
elected office since 1995. Can you speak to your retirement
and provide some insight into what it was like when you
were first elected almost 20 years ago?
You know, the media said that I had already resigned and
that I was already out the door. It took a little while to
correct that. I haven’t resigned; I am just not running as a
Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the next
election. The premier has asked me to remain as Deputy
Premier and Minister of Finance and I’m honoured to do so.
When we get to the spring of 2016, which is when the
next election is currently slated for, I will have been a MLA
for 21 years and a cabinet minister for seven years.
Before I sought elected office, I owned a small insurance
brokerage in Invermay. And you know, there are many great
things about owning your own business but there are also
many obstacles. I remember back then, I would look at
Saskatchewan, both as a citizen and small business owner,
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
7
8
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
and I would think: we can do better. So that was part of the
idea in forming the Saskatchewan Party in 1997 – that our
province can do better.
Today, I am happy to look back and see how Saskatchewan
has changed. We are now a “have” province and our government has made a commitment to maintaining a positive
business climate. I believe there are fewer barriers for small
business owners now and our government has helped
reduce many of those barriers.
What was the economic climate like when you were
first elected?
When I was first elected in 1995, the Top 100 companies
had about $20 billion in gross sales and employed around
35,000 people. This year, the Top 100 had gross sales of
about $60 billion and employed just under 50,000 people.
So that’s roughly $40 billion more in sales and 15,000 new
jobs – or triple the gross sales and almost 45 per cent more
employees.
I think this increase speaks to the change we have seen
in Saskatchewan. We have moved forward. We are more
optimistic and certainly the economic climate is
more positive. There are more people working
than ever before and more investments in
our province. It’s definitely an exciting
time for Saskatchewan.
I’ve had many students who’ve come up to me and said,
“Thank you. Thank you, because there are now enough jobs
in this province and the GRP provides some incentive to
stay here.” After five, six, or seven years these young people
have a family and an established career, and the chances of
them moving out of the province are slim.
There is such benefit to our province – having a higher
population and a strong economy. The only way we are
going to continue being able to pay for education, for healthcare, for road building, all of the things we need – is to
expand the tax base of those who are willing to contribute to
the province. So a growing population is very critical.
The Saskatchewan economy has been booming since
the mid-2000s. What is the state of our economy now?
The Saskatchewan economy is the envy of many places in
Canada and around the world. Booming isn’t the right word,
though. Booming economies have a tendency to have big
swings – first upward and then downward. What we have
seen here since the mid-2000s is strong and steady growth.
Consistent growth. Our government has made it a priority
to create a very stable economic environment that
minimizes risks for companies and for
Saskatchewan people.
Our economy is expected to grow about
2.3 per cent in 2015, which is around
average. Over a three-year period
though, from 2013 to 2015, we saw 9.5
per cent GDP growth. Saskatchewan
was third in the nation over that time
period, behind only Alberta and
Newfoundland. The province is constantly performing near the top among
provinces in terms of GDP growth.
Earnings in Saskatchewan are the third
highest in Canada, and as I said earlier, we
have the lowest unemployment rate in the nation.
In fact, it is the lowest unemployment rate out of all the
provinces in Canada, and 49 of the 50 states (behind only
North Dakota). As of July 2014, there were 575,000 people
working in Saskatchewan.
If we go back to 1995 when I was first elected as an MLA,
there were 448,000 persons employed in Saskatchewan.
That is 28 per cent fewer people – a very significant difference. There are 125,000 more people employed now compared to 1995. So, we have to thank all of those businesses,
both those the size of our Top 100 companies and those
small businesses, for helping us get here.
“Today,
I am happy
to look back
and see how
Saskatchewan
has changed.”
Could you tell us more about the
Saskatchewan story?
The Saskatchewan story is all about
growth and renewal – about how our
province moved forward from years of
decline to where we are today. We are
leading the nation in many economic
indicators. In fact, we’ve had the lowest
unemployment rate for 20 consecutive
months now.
I always like to use the example of our population.
From 1996 to 2006 our province lost more than two per cent
of our population. On March 19th of this year, Statistics
Canada said that Saskatchewan had grown by 20,000 people
in 2013 alone. Our population was in excess of 1,122,000 for
the first time ever.
Compare this to the early 1980s and 1990s when I was a
teacher at the Invermay School, or chair of the Canora
School Division board. On many Fridays, a mother would
come in and say, “My husband got a job in Medicine Hat
and today is the last day of school for our three kids because
we’re leaving. We’re going to Alberta on Monday.” This happened far too often.
As the official Opposition, we often thought about retaining and attracting youth in the province. In 2007, we campaigned on something called the Graduate Retention
Program (GRP) and implemented it when we formed government. The GRP provides graduates from an established
post-secondary program the potential to recoup up to
$20,000 of their investment into education if they stay and
work in Saskatchewan.
So what do you see for Saskatchewan’s future?
Tell us a little about what we can expect going forward.
I have been fortunate to be finance minister during a time of
growth in Saskatchewan. Since 2007, we have been able to
lower our public debt from $6.8 billion to $3.8 billion. That’s
a 40 per cent drop in our public debt. So this helps us a lot
moving forward. We now have a triple AAA credit rating from
the two major credit rating agencies- Standard and Poor’s and
Moody’s- and are saving over $1 billion in interest costs.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
9
There when you need it,
growing when you don’t.
1.35%
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Business Savings Account
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even more benefit. Find your nearest branch at
cwbank.com and start earning today.
*Rate is subject to change without notice. Interest is calculated on the daily
closing balance based on the portion within each tier and paid monthly.
Interest is paid as follows: 1.30% on deposits up to $250,000, 1.35% on
deposits between $250,000.01 to $5 million and 0.25% on deposits above
$5 million. Available in-branch only.
10
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
This also allows us to invest more in
capital projects, which is one of the key
challenges of growth – providing the
necessary infrastructure. However, we
have been moving forward with investments like the Academic Health
Sciences Building at the University of
Saskatchewan. This is so critical for a
growing province. We now have nearly
600 nurse training positions, 100 medical seats and 120 medical doctor residencies in the province. These things all
cost money but are an investment in
our future to keep us moving forward.
Our infrastructure plan now includes
P3s or public private partnerships. We
partner with private entities to build
infrastructure projects by sharing the
cost. We are turning to these forms of
investment because they have a greater
tendency to come in under budget and
within the allotted time. They also allow
us to leverage external funding to build
projects that are increasingly necessary
as we continue to grow.
P3s are going to help us build a
Regina bypass. They are going to help
us build a North Battleford provincial
hospital. They’re going to help us build
18 new joint-use schools across the
province, and they’re going to help us
build a long-term care facility in Swift
Current. All these projects amount to
well over $2 billion worth of infrastructure. This is all made possible through
partnerships with the private sector.
Thank you very much for speaking
with us Minister Krawetz. Any final
comments?
I think the growth of this province is
finally becoming visible. We have come
a long way. Who would have thought
there would be a Tim Horton’s in
Davidson and a Dairy Queen right
across the street. There’s a McDonalds
opening up in Martensville. Saskatoon
and Regina both have Cabela’s. And, as
my wife said, both cities have a
Sephora! Seven years ago I don’t think
many people thought this was possible.
Saskatchewan is a great place to live,
a great place to raise a family, and a
fantastic place to start a business.
Congratulations to the Top 100 businesses in Saskatchewan and thank you
for your contribution as a partner in
building this great province. n
T H E
D R I V E R S
BY CASSI SMITH
Our Drivers List – an annual tribute to the Saskatchewan companies that managed to stand out while
falling just short of our Top 100 qualifications, deserves just as much recognition as our Top 100 —
and for good reason. Many of our Drivers List participants had a hand in our Top 100 companies
making it to this year’s list. These businesses are the drivers behind the industries, the resources for
success, providing services and products for everything from everyday living to custom-manufactured
equipment. In many ways the success of Saskatchewan’s largest businesses is dependent on the efforts
from our Drivers List members.
OIL AND GAS AND MINING
Featured on our list this year are a number of companies that
fuel the oil and gas and mining industries here in
Saskatchewan. These well-known businesses service and provide the industry with the tools necessary for continued success. Companies such as Cameco and SaskPower would be in
serious disarray without businesses like Team Drilling and
RobWel Constructors.
Team Drilling provides not only drills and equipment for
the resource industry but full camp services as well. With their
expertise in surface, underground and specialty drilling, Team
Drilling provides vital repair and manufacturing for a number
of industries in Saskatchewan.
RobWel Constructors is a leader in its field and provides
construction, maintenance, manufacturing and fabrication
services to the oil and gas and Team Drilling
mining industries. In recent CP Distributors/
years, RobWel has expanded United Group
operations and now boasts Kelsey Group of Companies
five- and 10-tonne cranes that
have increased productivity, RobWel Constructors LP
which makes this business Panther Industries Inc.
owned by the Clearwater Dene Fastener Warehouse Ltd.
Nation Group of Companies an
easy choice for this year’s list. IWL Steel Fabricators LP
The company is present in both
Alberta and Saskatchewan and utilizes picker trucks, cranes,
service trucks and more in order to meet all construction
requirements.
continued on page 15
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
11
1
7
17
29
32
59
63
T H E
D R I V
SASKATC HEWA N
EMPLOYEES
C ITY
MA JOR SHAR E HOL D ERS
COM PANY
CEO/ PR ESIDENT
1
Team Drilling
Robert Fleming
2
Saskatchewan Research Council
Dr. Laurier Schramm
3
Central Plains Co-operative Association Ltd.
Mike T. Moon
4
Borderland Co-operative Association Ltd.
Jason Schenn
175
5
Percy Hunt Travel Group Inc.
Kevin Percy
6
Riverbend Group of Companies
7
CP Distributors/United Group
8
Co-operative Hail Insurance Co Ltd.
Nick Gayton
7
9
Kramer Auctions Ltd.
Neil Kramer
63
10
Prairie Co-operative Association Ltd.
Chris Paradis
174
Melville
11
Northern Resource Trucking
Dave McIlmoyl
197
Saskatoon
12
Synergy Credit Union Ltd.
Glenn Stang
231
Lloydminster
13
Partner Technologies Inc.
George Partyka
125
Regina
14
Crestline Coach Ltd.
Steven Hoffrogge
129
Saskatoon
Prairie Ventures Ltd. Partnership,
SaskWorks Venture Fund Inc.,
Kensington Capital
15
Southland Co-operative Association Ltd.
Kenneth Bahuaud
130
Assiniboia
Member Owned
16
Canpulse Foods
David Nobbs
17
Kindersley
Rajesh Jain, David Nobbs
17
Kelsey Group of Companies
Jim & Richard Clunie
200
Saskatoon
Jim & Richard Clunie
18
WBM Office Systems Inc.
JoeAnne Hardy
152
Saskatoon
JoeAnne Hardy, Bob Hardy, Brett Bailey
19
Ag World Equipment
Ian Thorson
40
20
DirectWest Corporation
Gord Farmer
111
Regina
21
International Road Dynamics Inc.
Terry Bergan
130
Saskatoon
22
Beeland Co-operative Association Ltd.
Todd Svenson
105
Tisdale
23
SaskWater
Doug Matthies
112
Moose Jaw
24
Superior Cabinets
Scott Hodson
217
Saskatoon
25
Cornerstone Credit Union Financial Group Ltd.
Kevin Lukey
206
Yorkton
26
Jump.ca Wireless Supply Corp.
Gerald Buchko
125
Regina
N/P
27
Jay’s Moving & Storage Ltd.
Murray Mullen
409
Regina
Publicly Traded
28
Global Transportation Hub
Bryan Richards
11
Regina
Government of Saskatchewan
29
RobWel Constructors LP
Ty Rutzki
20
Meadow Lake
Clearwater River Dene Nation
238
Saskatoon
Team Drilling Management,
Athabasca Basin Development
359
Saskatoon
Province of Saskatchewan
150
Rosetown
Member Owned
Moosomin
Member Owned
65
Regina
Lynne Fafard
99
Saskatoon
Lynne Fafard, Ken Fafard
Scott Suppes
102
Saskatoon
Scott Suppes, Employee Owned
30
Turtleford & District Co-operative Association Ltd.
Bruce Mulroy
43
31
NorSask Forest Products LP
Dave Neufeld
139
32
Panther Industries Inc.
Jack Schneider
40
North Battleford
Kinistino
Turtleford
Meadow Lake
Davidson
Neil Kramer, Monica Kramer,
Kim Kramer, Brendan Kramer,
Michael Higgs
Member Owned
Kitsaki Management Limited
Partnership, Trimac Transportation
Member Owned
George Partyka
Ian Thorson, David Cook
SaskTel
Widely Held
Member Owned
Government of Saskatchewan
Linda Larre
Member Owned
Member Owned
Meadow Lake Tribal Council
PIC Investment Group Inc.
33
Westcon Equipment & Rentals Ltd.
Brian Brown
DynaVenture Group of Companies
Charles Miller
117
Saskatoon
Brian Eidem, Earl Eidem,
JoAnn Thompson
35
Sarcan
Amy McNeil
703
Saskatoon
SARC Member Agencies
36
Hospitality Network Canada (2011) Inc.
Doug Jesse
51
Regina
Funds managed by PFM Capital Inc.,
Company Executives, Founders Group
37
Hodgins Auctioneers Inc.
Grant Hodgins
25
Melfort
Grant Hodgins, Barrie Jung
38
Ralph McKay Industries Inc.
J. David Pitt
64
Regina
Giles & McLeod Families
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
Regina
Member Owned
34
12
27
Regina
Kevin Percy, Garry Huntington
Brian Brown, Mike Smiegielski
E R S
2 0 1 4
SASKATCHEWAN
EMPLOYEES
COMPANY
CEO/PRESIDENT
39
Palliser Plains Co-operative Association Ltd.
Terry Vanmackelberg
62
Tugaske
40
ESTI Consulting Services
Mark Dick
32
Saskatoon
14 Partners
41
Hometown Co-operative Association Ltd.
Carol Nickell
110
Broadview
Member Owned
42
South 20 Dodge Chrysler Ltd.
Steve Slipetz
39
Humboldt
Steve Slipetz, Chad Ellison
Russel Gehlen
43
TCU Financial Group
Morris Smysnuik
102
Saskatoon
44
Paradigm Consulting Group Inc.
Mark Hustak
45
Prairie Centre Credit Union
Al Meyer
46
Lake Lenore Co-operative Association Ltd.
Randy Wassermann
25
Lake Lenore
47
Innovative Residential
Tyler Mathies, Alex Miller
75
Saskatoon
48
PrintWest Communications
Dennis Ermel
142
Regina
Owned by Public Company
49
Auto Electric Service Ltd.
Bob Jaworski
108
Regina
Bob Jaworski, Brenda Gelowitz,
Kevin Wagner, Brent Kulcsar, Dwayne
Kulcsar, Wayne Woycik, Shayne Parent
50
Saskatoon Prairieland Park Corp.
Mark Regier
381
Saskatoon
51
Weyburn Credit Union Ltd.
Don Shumlich
94
Weyburn
52
SRG Security Resource Group Inc.
Doug Emsley
223
80
118
CITY
Regina
Rosetown
Regina
MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS
Member Owned
Member Owned
Mark Hustak, Punam Burnett,
Michael Plosz, Bonnie Jackson
Member Owned
Member Owned
Tyler Mathies & Alex Miller
Membership Not-For-Profit
Member Owned
Doug Emsley, Blair Ross,
Winnipeg Airports Authority
53
Wadena Co-operative Association Ltd.
Ray Bourgeois
92
Wadena
Member Owned
54
East Central Co-operative Association Ltd.
Randy Wassermann
60
Kelvington
Member Owned
55
Ghost Transportation Services
Clay Dowling
46
Saskatoon
Clay Dowling
56
Saskatchewan Transportation Company
Shawn Grice
240
Regina
Crown Investment Corporation
57
Archerwill Co-operative Association Ltd.
Randy Wassermann
35
Archerwill
Member Owned
58
Carrot River Co-operative Association Ltd.
Colin Peters
50
Carrot River
Member Owned
59
Fastener Warehouse Ltd.
Bob & Kim Weimer
50
Saskatoon
60
West Central Pelleting Ltd.
N/A
22
Wilkie
61
Dutch Industries
Greg Cruson
86
Pilot Butte
62
SaskTel International
Sean Devin
57
Regina
Government of Saskatchewan
63
IWL Steel Fabricators LP
Ty Rutzki
40
Saskatoon
Clearwater River Dene Nation
64
Northland Chrysler
Jeff & Ginger Fechter
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Meadow Lake
Jeff & Ginger Fechter
65
Paramount Parts (Saskatchewan) Inc.
Brent Usick
40
Fort McMurray
Brent Usick
66
Stark & Marsh
Elden Moberg
65
Swift Current
67
PIC Investment Group Inc.
Greg Yuel
9
Saskatoon
Privately Held
68
Kreos Aviation Inc.
Wes Ramsay
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Saskatoon
PIC Investment Group
69
Wilhelm Construction Services Inc.
Nathan Wilhelm
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Estevan
70
Round Table Management Ltd.
Greg Yuel
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Gevity Consulting (Sask sales Only)
Leon Salvail
72
FCI Accelerated Solutions
N/A
73
DevFacto Technologies Inc.
Chris Izquierdo
74
Flexxifinger QD Industries Inc.
Dave Dietrich
75
Jazz Custom Cabinets Ltd.
Michelle Mosure
Health and Safety Leadership Charter Company
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Saskatoon
Vancouver
Regina
Bob & Kim Weimer
Publicly Owned
Irene Cruson
Ben Wiebe, Leslie Neufeld,
Glen Budd, Greg Smith, Terri Olfert,
Todd Loeppky, Vern Peters,
Bill Wiebe, Shane Lacasse
Nathan Wilhelm
Privately Held
11 Partners
Todd Obrigewitsch, Rick Fraser,
Curt England
9
Edmonton
Chris Izquierdo, David Cronin
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Assiniboia
Dave W. Dietrich,
Dietrich (2012) Family Trust
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Saskatoon
Michelle Mosure & Dean Mosure
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
13
Sara
Rosetown, Saskatchewan
What’s the opposite of a selfie?
years
of nourishing
human potential.
Strategy
To us, it’s a picture of young people working selflessly to create a better world.
This summer, PotashCorp sent Sara and 24 other high school students to a
village in India, where they helped villagers grow more food and build a school
to grow young minds. See their inspiring story at PotashCorp.com/nourish.
Facilitation
Mediation
Creating High
Performance Cultures
14
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
Reconciliation
Measurement
www.SynergySG.net
306-260-2286
T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
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Another important cog in our economy’s wheel is transportation. With Saskatchewan’s high number of rural municipalities and remote locations in need of products and
services, transportation is a vital aspect of any business. This
year our Drivers List features a number of companies that specialize in transportation such as Saskatchewan Transportation
Company, Ghost Transportation Services and the Global
Transportation Hub. These businesses focus on connecting
Saskatchewan to the rest of
the world while also offering
warehouse, distribution and
Northern Resource Trucking
storage services.
Crestline Coach Ltd.
Located in Regina, Global
Jay’s Moving & Storage Ltd.
Transportation Hub has capGlobal Transportation Hub
italized on Saskatchewan’s
growing international status.
Ghost Transportation Services
Our province exports nearly
Saskatchewan
75 per cent of what it proTransportation Company
duces worldwide which
means there is a real and
serious need for high-quality transportation and logistics
services. GTH’s network is designed based on Saskatchewan’s
national and international trading patterns which have developed over the last few years. Saskatchewan’s resources are in
high demand worldwide and GTH enables entrepreneurs and
businesses to reach new markets.
Ghost Transportation is also working hard to keep
Saskatchewan connected. Offering one-stop air, ocean, rail
and road services, Ghost Transportation has been serving
Saskatchewan for more than 25 years. Regardless of size,
Ghost customizes all routes and can accommodate any transportation requirements throughout North America. With
advanced tracking technology and elite carrier services, Ghost
Transportation allows all of Saskatchewan’s principal industries to stay connected with their customer base across the
country and the globe, meaning many of Saskatchewan’s Top
100 companies likely rely on such services to succeed.
E V E R Y DAY N E C E S S I T I E S
Each year the provincial economy grows, influencing various
industries in Saskatchewan. Particular sectors remain constant
drivers of the economy while others fluctuate and can become
more prominent. These drivers affect various aspects of life in
the province and provide needed services to our larger corporations. Many members of our Drivers List provide fundamental amenities necessary for everyday living and deserve to
be recognized for their ongoing service. Businesses such as
Synergy Credit Union, SaskWater, Sarcan and Jump.ca ensure
that operations run smoothly and efficiently for Saskatchewan
businesses. These companies provide everyday essentials,
without which productivity would be nearly impossible.
For approximately 66,000 people in Saskatchewan,
SaskWater provides reliable water and wastewater services.
Health and Safety Leadership Charter Company
INVESTING
IN SAFETY
MAKES SENSE
The Top 100 and Drivers Lists in SaskBusiness are
Saskatchewan’s go-to lists for evaluating the business
climate in our province. The lists provide a profile of
our dynamic province we cannot see anywhere else.
Reviewing past lists, I like observing how the dominant sectors have changed over the years. It’s always
interesting to see if and where the WCB lands on the
list each year.
You might notice that this year, SaskBusiness has
made a change to the Top 100 and Drivers lists,
adding a red button to certain names. The button
marks those companies who are not only leaders in
business performance, but recognizes companies who
have chosen to stand forward as safety leaders as well.
It denotes those who have publicly declared a commitment to safety and to the goal of Mission: Zero by
signing the Health and Safety Leadership Charter.
Business success and injury prevention go hand in
hand. One-third of the companies on the Drivers List
achieved zero injuries, Mission: Zero in 2013.
Almost half of the companies on the Top 100 list
are signatories. Eight of the top ten companies on
the Top 100 list are charter companies as well.
On the Drivers List, only 15 of the 75 companies
have signed the Charter.
There are good solid business reasons to commit
to a safety program:
• Saskatchewan has an unemployment rate of 3.1
per cent, making it challenging to recruit employees.
• Injuries cost money in lost time and productivity.
• An injury will raise your company’s WCB premiums,
while a good safety record will result in a WCB
rebate.
I would like to extend a personal invitation to every
leader on this list and off it to attend the charter
event on June 11, 2015, in Saskatoon. If there isn’t a
red Mission: Zero button beside your name, please
read the Charter principles and consider signing the
Charter.
Join our community of safety leaders. Together we
are making our province a safer place to live and to
do business.
Yours truly,
Peter D. Federko C.A.
CEO, Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
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Saskatchewan Business Magazine
Saskatoon Office
La Ronge Training Center
P: (306) 933-3010
F: (306) 242-3156
E: nrtinquiry@nrtlp.com
P: (306) 425-2148
F: (306) 425-5311
E: nrttrainingcenter@sasktel.net
October/November 2014
w w w. n r t l p . c o m
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Serving more than 60 communities, seven rural municipalities, 16 industrial customers and over 230 commercial and
end-user consumers, SaskWater is a vital resource for all
Saskatchewan businesses. Since 1966, SaskWater, or a version
of it, has been present in the province helping communities,
First Nations and industry
gain access to clean and reliSaskWater
able water. In 2013, SaskWater
delivered 6.8 billion litres of
Jump.ca Wireless Supply Corp.
high-quality drinking water
Sarcan
and 32.3 billion litres of nonSaskatoon Prairieland
potable water.
Park Corp.
Saskatchewan Prairieland
Park Corporation is almost
always a staple for event planning in Saskatchewan. With over
320 events per year, it is obvious that Prairieland Park is one
of the top venue choices in the province. Each year, the park
attracts nearly 1.6 million people to various events. From business conferences to expos, cabarets to rodeos, Prairieland Park
is constantly entertaining and supporting local businesses.
With an event nearly every day of the year, it’s no stretch to
assume that each company on our Top 100 and Drivers lists
has attended or participated in an event hosted by Prairieland
Park Corporation.
The park is situated on over 136 acres of land with more
than 200,000 square feet of indoor event space. Events at
Prairieland range from regional to national to international
and each year Saskatoon brings more and more attention from
around the world. Prestigious event planning and full inhouse services for everything from audio to staging creates an
elite atmosphere for some of the year’s biggest events.
A G R I C U LT U R E
Saskatchewan has a few claims to fame, among the most
prevalent being our unwavering pride and faith in the colour
green. But we are also known, perhaps slightly less well, for
our thriving agricultural industry. With an abundance of
farmland and decades spent perfecting equipment and operations, Saskatchewan is home to some of the most prominent
agricultural companies in the world. The industry, while providing employment and economic sustenance for
Saskatchewan, has international reach and requires a great
deal of local support to keep up with global demand.
Featured on our Drivers List are key players in the agricultural community. Kramer Auctions, Canpulse Foods, Ag
World Equipment, Ralph McKay Industries and Flexxifinger
QD to name a few, supply Saskatchewan’s major corporations
with the tools and resources they need.
Regina’s Ralph McKay Industries is a well-known manufacturer of tillage tools, including cultivators, furrowers, drill
shoes and vegetable tools and has been present in the province
since 1975. Recent acquisitions and expansions within the
company have made McKay Industries one of the top equipment suppliers in Saskatchewan.
Health and Safety Leadership Charter Company
Flexxifinger QD Industries is another premier manufacturer for agricultural equipment. Specializing in harvesting
aid attachments and based out of Assiniboia, Flexxifinger’s
patented technology bridges the gap between effectiveness and
efficiency. All too often, farmers have to sacrifice efficiency
for quality but Flexxifinger promises no compromise and offers
an internationally-acclaimed
line of harvest attachments disSaskatchewan
tributed throughout North
Research Council
America, Europe and Australia.
Kramer Auctions Ltd.
Making an important
impact in a different sector of
Canpulse Foods
the industry is Canpulse Foods. Ag World Equipment
Canpulse is a processing and
Ralph McKay Industries Inc.
export company of red and
green lentils, canary seed, peas, West Central Pelleting Ltd.
chickpeas, beans and flax. With
Paramount Parts
(Saskatchewan) Inc.
plants located in Kindersley
and Zealandia, Canpulse has a
Flexxifinger QD Industries Inc.
strong presence in international markets and is part of
Globeways Canada Inc. Saskatchewan is the largest producer
of peas, lentils and chickpeas in the country and as such,
Canpulse has strategically located its plants along national
highways and railways making for convenient and efficient
transportation.
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CONSTRUCTION
With economic progress undoubtedly comes infrastructure
and residential development. Saskatchewan has not got this
far without expansions in nearly every municipality. Taller
office buildings, better bridges, newer roads and larger neighbourhoods – it seems like almost daily a new development is
occurring somewhere in Saskatchewan. This year we are
proud to present the companies that have a hand (or hammer)
in our province’s constant expansions – the actual nuts and
bolts of our provincial construction industry.
NorSask Forest Products LP
For decades our prairie
province has relied on con- Westcon Equipment
struction companies for a mul- & Rentals Ltd.
titude of services: businesses
DynaVenture
Group of Companies
need more office space, new
and growing families need
Dutch Industries
more housing and we always,
Wilhelm Construction
Services Inc.
always need those potholes
filled. Westcon Equipment &
Rentals is in the business of
supplying the products and services needed by the construction, aggregate, road building and forestry markets in
Saskatchewan. Representing a number of established manufacturers including Kraft Tools Co., Lee Boy and Manitou,
Westcon boasts an impressive rental fleet that encompasses all
aspects of the industry.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
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Although based out of Saskatchewan, Westcon is also present in Winnipeg, Brandon and Dauphin, Manitoba. Among
the full range of services Westcon offers, they provide in-house
rebuilds and on-site support of major component parts and
have factory-remanufactured components available as well.
Everything from aerial lifts, material handling, compaction,
lighting, welding, excavation and concrete equipment is available through Westcon’s rental fleet and the company is able to
pick up and deliver equipment of all sizes.
Representing a unique aspect of the construction industry,
Wilhelm Construction and its experienced team of architects
work with clients from the first step of a simple vision or
initial idea through to the final product – keys in hand.
Specializing in design-build services, WCSI has constructed
over 750,000 square feet of buildings in Saskatchewan. The
company is based out of Estevan and since 2007 has helped
build everything from wood-frame shops with offices, to preengineered steel-frame buildings and even custom woodframe residential housing.
WCSI provides each customer with advice and management in selecting a building team of their own work force
and connects customers with local suppliers and contractors. Within its short time in Saskatchewan, WCSI has
acquired a number of accolades including 2013 ABEX for
Growth and Expansion and a nomination for this year’s
2014 award.
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Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
C O N S U LT I N G / I T
From HR and marketing to IT and financing, there are many
vital aspects of a business that often require expert advice for
improvement. Enter: WBM Office Systems, Paradigm
Consulting Group, Global Village Consulting, Round Table
Management, Stark and Marsh
and FCI Accelerated Solutions. Riverbend Group of Companies
This year’s Drivers List is
packed with premier consult- Partner Technologies Inc.
ing, financial and IT firms. WBM Office Systems Inc.
Companies in any industry International Road Dynamics Inc.
know that in order to improve
Hospitality Network Canada
performance or create more (2011) Inc.
savings, there are certain ESTI Consulting Services
things best left to the experts.
Paradigm Consulting Group Inc.
And these guys are among the
SRG Security Resource Group Inc.
best at what they do.
With innovation at the
SaskTel International
heart of its operations, WBM
Stark & Marsh
Office Systems specializes in
Round Table Management Ltd.
providing the most advanced
IT business solutions. Estab- Global Village Consulting Inc.
lished in 1950, WBM has
FCI Accelerated Solutions
always gone above and
DevFacto Technologies Inc.
beyond traditional means in
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order to satisfy every customer’s unique needs. Today,
WBM is one of Canada’s top 50 largest information technology solution providers. As a complete systems integrator, WBM has over 125 technology professionals working
for more than 3,000 active clients. This past year has been
hugely successful for WBM, with major expansions in both
its Saskatoon and Regina locations.
For over 20 years, ESTI Consulting has also been providing Canadian clients with industry-specific professional
services and custom application development services.
When ESTI was founded, the company focused on professional services only, but soon adapted to meet consumer
demands and shifted into integration services and data
migration services. Today, ESTI’s lengthy and prestigious
client list includes the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation,
Point2 Technologies and the University of Saskatchewan.
In May of this year, operations expanded and the company
is now operating in Calgary along with its previously-established centres in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Regina.
CREDIT UNIONS
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Credit unions have a lengthy and important history in
Saskatchewan. Emerging during our province’s worst economic time, the Great Depression, credit unions have seen
us through to recent economic highs. Offering stability and
reliable services aimed at meeting member needs before
turning a profit, Saskatchewan CUs are the financial institution of choice for many top businesses and entrepreneurs.
Among those dedicated and thriving institutions, this
year’s Drivers List features Synergy Credit Union,
Cornerstone Credit Union, Prairie Centre Credit Union
and Weyburn Credit Union. All of these institutions are
a part of Saskatchewan’s vital CU network while each has
also experienced independent success and prosperity this
past year.
Synergy Credit Union is
currently the fourth-largest
Synergy Credit Union Ltd.
credit union in Saskatchewan
and has over $1.2 billion in
Cornerstone Credit Union
Financial Group Ltd.
assets. Although a recent
Prairie Centre Credit Union
official addition to the CU
organization, Cornerstone
Weyburn Credit Union Ltd.
Credit Union has roots dating back to 1941 and started
with a modest 81 members in Wynyard. Cornerstone now
boasts more than 24,000 members and 13 branches
throughout the province. Weyburn Credit Union can be
attributed with initiating trends such as the patronage
rebate and bonus program, still a popular choice today.
Weyburn’s success over the years has led to amalgamations
with credit unions in Colgate, Creelman and Lang.
Credit unions in Saskatchewan are making it even easier
for members to get what they need when they need it.
“Credit Unions Connect” now allows members to access
Health and Safety Leadership Charter Company
their account, secure deposits, make withdrawals, accept
transfers and complete bill and loan payments at any credit
union branch without incurring additional costs. It’s a convenient and efficient way to conduct banking and financial
transactions anywhere in the province.
VARIETY SERVICES
Our Driver’s List always encompasses a variety of industries and services. From housing and vehicles, to banking
and transportation, these companies provide people and
businesses with everything they need. This year, our list
features South 20 Dodge and Northland Chrysler,
two dealerships that have provided Saskatchewan
with reliable and outstanding
service. Located in Humboldt,
South 20 Dodge offers new Percy Hunt
and used Chrysler, Dodge, Travel Group Inc.
Jeep and RAM vehicles and DirectWest Corporation
RVs. Northland Chrysler is
Superior Cabinets
also a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep
and RAM dealership, owned South 20
Dodge Chrysler Ltd.
and operated by the Fechter
family in Meadow Lake. TCU Financial Group
Northland Chrysler provides Innovative Residential
northern Saskatchewan with PrintWest Communications
the best deals on new and
Auto Electric Service Ltd.
used vehicles.
Over the last three years, Northland Chrysler
Innovative Residential has PIC Investment Group Inc.
received over 20 awards for Kreos Aviation Inc.
their excellence in community development, customer Jazz Custom Cabinets Ltd.
service, innovation and more.
Innovative Residential is a
Saskatoon homebuilder dedicated to providing affordable
housing for homeowners and renters while being environmentally conscious. Currently, Innovative is partnered with
the City of Saskatoon, the National Affordable Housing
Corporation and Canada Mortgage and Housing
Corporation to create programs to help Saskatoon residents
afford down payments on a home.
Whether you’re looking to stay and build in
Saskatchewan or get away, our Drivers List members have
you covered. Percy Hunt Travel and Kreos Aviation can
help fulfill your travel plans while Jazz Custom Cabinets
and Superior Cabinets can make your home your ideal
destination. Businesses require all kinds of services, and
DirectWest and PrintWest help put those businesses in
touch with services and services in touch with customers.
With superior products, dedicated staff and a strong desire
to meet the growing demands of Saskatchewan residents,
the companies on our Drivers List literally do just that –
help drive the economy and keep businesses thriving. n
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
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Contact us to see what we can do for you!
20
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
www.economy.gov.sk.ca
Saskatchewan’s quarterly newsletter on people and business engaged in economic growth
Volume 24
Fall 2014
A Portrait of the (Saskatchewan) Artist
By Dave Yanko
Art and business often reside on opposite
sides of the street. But Regina-area artist
Kimberly Kiel is bridging that divide by
blending a business background with a
passion for painting. Her stellar results
have convinced her that all budding artists
can benefit by learning how to run a business.
“I tell any artist starting out to take a
business class and really, really approach
what you’re doing as a business,’’ says Kiel.
“I tell them you need to be aware of the
relationships you’re forging, you need to be
aware of what you can offer, and you need
to be aware of when you can deliver it.’’
Kiel, who graduated in 1994 with a
business administration degree from the
University of Regina, also makes a point of
reminding young artists there are many
flavours of ice cream because not everybody likes vanilla. “It’s my way of saying
not everybody’s going to like your art. You
need to get over that.’’
Not everybody appreciates their п¬Ѓnancial
advisor, either. But Kiel developed a thick
skin for that inevitability during 10 years
in the business, п¬Ѓrst in Regina and later in
Calgary. It was in the latter locale in 2003
that she decided to sell her п¬Ѓnancial advising
practice and just take a break.
“It had gotten to the point where that
skin just really didn’t fit me anymore,’’ says
Kiel, adding health problems exacerbated
the situation. “I was at the point where I
was not interested, whatsoever, in what the
stock market was doing.’’
She says she gave herself permission to
...continued on page 8
Regina-area artist Kimberly Kiel
Photo by Keith Moulding
2
Saskatchewan NOW!
Fall 2014
Dr. Swathi Iyer works in her ultraviolet light-free lab at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron
Photo by Kevin Hogarth
CLS, Graphene and the Nano Frontier
By Dave Yanko
Imagine a large and ultra-thin smartphone
that you could fold up and put into your
pocket, operate on solar power and safely
recycle when it’s time for an upgrade.
Imagine doctors being able to precisely
target tumours with cancer drugs or create
neural connections allowing people with
serious spinal injuries to learn how to use
their limbs again. Or imagine the impact
of an inexpensive п¬Ѓlter that makes sea
water drinkable.
These are just a few of the myriad
potential uses for an amazing
material called graphene, a
one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms whose properties
—and promise—are the subject of intensive study around
the world. Scientists in
Saskatoon are using several
experimental facilities at the
Canadian Light Source
(CLS) synchrotron to gain
greater understanding of this
substance. The results of their
work will be used to help
create some of the futuristic products
graphene will bring to the world.
“We wanted to study the fundamental
properties of this material,’’ says Dr. Swathi
Iyer, a post-doctoral research fellow at the
CLS. “And the beamlines here at CLS
allow us to really study this at the
nanoscale.’’
Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms
arranged in a honeycomb lattice, has been
around for centuries. The “lead’’ in pencils,
which is actually graphite, is comprised of
millions of ultra-thin layers of graphene.
Part of what makes graphene so extraordinary
is its super electrical and thermal conductivity. Graphite is a great conductor,
explains Iyer. However, when you apply an
electrical current to it, the free electrons
that carry the charge can fly off in all directions. On the other hand, when the
graphite is “stripped down’’ to a single layer
of graphene, the current flies across the flat
matrix of carbon atoms “like an electron
super highway.’’ Iyer says this can greatly
enhance the performance of electronic
devices.
Graphene is also flexible and extremely
strong.
“It would take the focused force of an
elephant balancing on a pencil point to
pierce a layer of graphene as thick as plastic
wrap,’’ says Iyer.
Scientists had long known of the existence of graphene, but no one knew how
senses the п¬Ѓngertips, explains Iyer. Devices
such as smartphones and tablets now use a
very thin layer of indium tin oxide (ITO)
that functions as an electrical conductor
when you touch it. But where ITO is rare
and expensive, graphene is plentiful and
cheap. It also has greater electrical
conductivity than ITO and is virtually
transparent—important properties for use
in foldable electronic devices. The challenges
facing those who wish to use graphene for
this purpose include producing it in largearea quantities that are pure
and uniform in thickness.
Iyer and her collaborators
also modified the electronic
properties of graphene to suit
various applications. They created a large-area, freestanding
nanostructure of graphene and
gold and then studied its
electrical and structural
properties. Iyer says one of the
applications for this kind of
hybrid nanostructure is biosensors, which could help
detect material in quantities as small as one
molecule.
“One simple example is the detection of
cancer cells,’’ says Iyer. “Right now, for
instance, a tumour in the brain is very
difficult to detect.’’
Graphene appears to combine easily
with many other materials to make its
potential uses virtually limitless. But
advancing it from promise to product
hinges on a better understanding of its
basic characteristics and behaviours. Iyer
and her collaborators at CLS bring Canada
and Saskatchewan into this important
quest.
“I want to study the fundamental
properties of this material, but taking this
information into areas like flexible electronics
or bio-sensors is the ultimate goal,’’ she
says. “Every researcher wants his or her
science to lead to a product that makes the
world a better place.’’
“We wanted to study the fundamental
properties of this material ... and the
beamlines here at CLS allow us to really
study this at the nanoscale.“
to isolate the two-dimensional substance
from graphite. In 2004, Manchester
University researchers Andre Geim and
Konstantin Novoselov solved the problem
using Scotch Tape to peel off or “delaminate’’ graphite flakes until all that remained
was a one-atom thick layer of graphene.
The achievement earned the Russian-born
scientists the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics
and launched a worldwide flurry of
graphene research.
Iyer, along with her colleagues at CLS
and her collaborators from the University
of Saskatchewan and North Dakota State
University, created large-area, single-layer
graphene and carried out leading-edge
work in measuring its optical density, or
relative transparency. Their research could
be used in that proposed touchscreen technology of the future. The topmost layer of
a touchscreen needs to be an excellent
conductor of electricity so that the material
Saskatchewan NOW!
Fall 2014
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Saskatchewan NOW!
Fall 2014
BWI’s Dion McArthur
Photo by Cal Fehr
BWI: Regina’s High-Tech Crimefighter
By Elaine Carlson
When Dion McArthur started to operate
Sonshine Esso for his folks in Regina’s core
neighbourhood a couple of decades ago, he
was frustrated by the level of property
crime in the neighbourhood.
“At that time, Regina was one of the top
cities in Canada for property crimes,”
McArthur recalls. “I got to know a lot of
police officers.”
McArthur soon found himself on a
property crime steering committee to come
up with solutions. He was also a founding
member and a past president of Regina
Crime Stoppers and a founding member of
the Saskatchewan Coalition of Crime
Stopper Programs. “One of the problems
for law enforcement was that they couldn’t
distribute information in a timely fashion
to the business community as to what
crimes were happening, or any patterns for
who committed the crimes. There was no
way for citizens to get information quickly
to the police and have it redistributed so
that people could recover stolen goods if
they showed up for sale in pawnshops or
through other means.”
When Regina Police Services showed
McArthur the п¬Ѓling cabinets in their
paper-based pawn records room back in
1997 and asked him if he could bring it
into the electronic age, McArthur took on
the challenge. He set up a company—
Business Watch International (BWI)—
hired his brother’s software development
company and set to work.
“The result was that we moved what had
been a paper-based system of п¬Ѓling pawn
slips into an electronic system, where stores
could transmit data in real time and
officers could have immediate access to
information that would help them search
for, identify and recover items that were
stolen,” says McArthur.
Before long, police services from jurisdictions across Canada and the United
States expressed interest. SaskTel came on
board with an investment interest to help
п¬Ѓnance expansion, and in 2002 BWI
incorporated a U.S. subsidiary—Business
Watch International (US) Inc. In 2006,
McArthur’s hard work and dedication to
reducing crime was beginning to pay off
and he and his wife were able to repurchase
all the shares.
Since then, BWI’s software has also
progressed into a product called RAPID—
Regional Automated Property Information
Database. “Essentially, we’ve gone from
having just pawn stores reporting to us to
requiring second-hand stores, gold buyers,
jewellery stores and scrap metal dealers to
report to us.”
McArthur is quick to acknowledge that
the electronic system depends on legislated
mandatory electronic reporting for businesses
where stolen goods might show up.
“Regina was one of the very first jurisdictions
in North America requiring electronic
reporting, and Saskatchewan was the very
п¬Ѓrst province in Canada with legislated
electronic reporting. I still write legislation;
just recently I helped rework legislation for
the state of Michigan.”
McArthur п¬Ѓnds himself on the road two
weeks out of every month—making
presentations to law enforcement agencies
and retailers, meeting with legislators,
providing training and orientation to
police officers once a system has been
installed, and generally working with other
interested parties who share his goal of
reducing property crime and restoring
property to rightful owners. “Overall, our
system has helped recover over $20 million
in stolen property and sent anywhere from
8,000 to 10,000 bad people to jail. We’re
doing a lot of good.”
Insurance companies are also interested
in BWI. “One of the modules we will
expand on next year will give insurance
companies the ability to make queries and
sniff out the system for lost or stolen items.
It will still remain a confidential data
system for police use only, but if there’s a
hit, the system will send them a code and
their loss prevention officers will be able to
take that to a police officer for further
action,” says McArthur. BWI is also looking
to expand to Australia, New Zealand and
the U.K. over the next few years.
What McArthur is really excited about
now, however, is its new BWI HomeWatch
program that is available free to all citizens
in North America. “We now provide a
nationwide web-based property registry
that allows you to record photos and key
details about your property—jewellery,
electronics, bicycles, antiques, whatever—
in case they are ever stolen,” he says. The
system is also connected with the Canadian
Police Information Centre (CPIC), a
national repository operated by the RCMP
in Canada listing all stolen items that are
reported.
“I really hope homeowners get onto the
website,” says McArthur. “Everything
helps. If police can’t identify something as
yours, they can’t solve the crime. And even
if you lose your home in a п¬Ѓre, you can go
to your neighbour’s house, log on, and
you’ll find all the information you need to
report losses to insurance companies.”
McArthur remains committed to working
with law agencies to curb property crime
and keep neighbourhoods safe, and his
wife continues to run Sonshine Esso in
north-central Regina. “We like it here, we
love Saskatchewan and its positive environment for business. And where else can you
go through a 100-degree temperature
swing in three days?” he laughs.
For more information on BWI, including
its HomeWatch Program, visit
www.bwirapid.com and follow the links.
Saskatchewan NOW!
Fall 2014
5
Stopwatches and Step Counters:
QAM Sets the Pace for Success
By Darrell Noakes
When Quality Assured Manufacturing
founders Rod Culbert and Darren Martin
decided their growing Regina-based
company needed a new manufacturing
6
Saskatchewan NOW!
Fall 2014
facility, they didn’t follow conventional
wisdom. Instead, they set off with step
counters and stopwatches, painstakingly
pacing off distances and timing processes
in the vacant lot that would soon become
the company’s new home. They wanted
their workflow to reflect the exacting
quality of the product they produced.
QAM’s Darren Martin (left), COO and Director of Production, and Rod Culbert, CEO and Director of Marketing
Photo by Darrell Noakes
“I don’t know how many nights we were
out here with stopwatches and step
counters,” says Culbert, the company’s
CEO and Director of Marketing.
“We tried to take everything into
account. Where are we going to place the
parts bins? How far away is the lunchroom
from the work area? We spent a lot of time
planning, making sure that work flow and
efficiency was at the forefront for the new
facility design. In my experience that’s a
large part of dividing you from your
competitors. We made up about a 75 per
cent efficiency rate compared to the
efficiency rate we experienced over there [at
the previous, leased location], just because
we were able to design the building the way
we wanted.
“It has allowed us to really go after business
that we did not go after before,” he adds.
Quality Assured manufactures ULC and
API tanks and vessels for the gas and oil
sector, as well as custom steel fabrication
for the mining, waste management and
agricultural sectors.
“From the mining side, we’ve done
everything from structural platforms and
grating systems, to pulverizers, chutes and
hoppers,” says Culbert.
“On the gas and oil side, it’s typically
horizontal and vertical ULC and API
tanks, and a multitude of custom steel
fabrication of various types supporting the
gas and oil sector. Structural skids for
compressor stations and water treatment
within the industry is also a large part of
what we do.”
In addition, the company has п¬Ѓlled orders
to meet the needs of waste management,
power stations, construction, chemical
processing, and pulp and paper industries.
“You name it, it’s been done!”
The new facility is open scarcely four
years after Culbert and Martin п¬Ѓrst
conceived their plan to launch Quality
Assured Manufacturing. They’ve outgrown
their п¬Ѓrst building, a leased space on the
other side of Highway 6 from their new
location. They started in the middle of the
credit crunch, Culbert says, but with the
help of Conexus Credit Union to secure an
operating line of credit, the company was
up and running before the end of 2010.
Culbert has lived steel day in and day
out for about 25 years, with a strong background in marketing steel and specialty
metals, sourcing suppliers, and fabrication.
Martin, with about 17 years of industry
expertise in production management and
product improvement, had been working
for one of Culbert’s clients when they first
met. They got along well, and four years
ago decided to start a new business
together. Martin was a natural п¬Ѓt as COO
and Director of Production.
“It was a fast start-up,” Culbert says. “We
turned it around in about eight months,
from the business plan to getting the
money and getting a building.”
They doubled their sales and staff within
the п¬Ѓrst two years, then nearly doubled
their business again in year three. Now,
rounding out year four, Culbert says they
are about where they thought their sales
would be by year eight.
“We are considerably ahead of schedule,”
he says.
“Both Darren and I have been in the
industry long enough that most of the
people that we do business with, or have
done business with to start the company,
we’ve known very well for many years. That
all helped to get us to where we are today,”
Culbert says.
“We’ve never worried about a sale,” he
adds. “We always focus on the relationship
first. We look at what we can offer the
customer, we develop a relationship and
plan, and then the sales follow. That’s what
we’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy
here.”
The company’s biggest markets are
currently in Alberta and Saskatchewan,
with sales extending into B.C. and
Manitoba, and a plan to export into the
United States.
They employ about 25 employees,
mostly tradespeople such as welders. As the
company settles into its new headquarters
on Inland Drive, it plans to add technical
and professional workers, including
computer aided design specialists.
Saskatchewan’s boom makes it hard to
п¬Ѓnd people, too, Culbert notes. But the
company is careful to manage its growth
and match its hiring accordingly. As a
result, they recruit with an eye on retaining
the best workers by augmenting competitive
wages with a generous benefits plan.
“I call it �inventive management,’” says
Culbert. “We try to make it an enjoyable
place to come to work—where everyone
here works with us, not for us.”
Saskatchewan NOW!
Fall 2014
7
Saskatchewan Artist
take a few months off before making any
decisions about her future. On the advice
of a friend, meanwhile, she signed up for
an art class that just happened to begin the
day after she left her п¬Ѓnancial advisor
practice. The class was once a week in the
back of a Calgary art store, but Kiel fast
became an almost permanent п¬Ѓxture at the
facility, visiting three days a week.
“It was incredibly liberating. I absolutely
loved it,’’ says Kiel, who has no special
educational grounding in the arts.
Today, her paintings sell for between
$400 and $11,000, they’re shown in
galleries across Canada and in Switzerland,
and she’s so busy she has enlisted members
of her family to help her keep up with
demand. Her mother paints the edges of
her canvasses, her sister-in-law and brother
look after shipping and both her husband
and father have stretched canvas for her,
although that’s now handled by another
party. She and her husband are also raising
Produced by: Saskatchewan Business Magazine
2213B Hanselman Court, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6A8
Tel: (306) 244-5668 Fax: (306) 244-5679
...continued from page 1
two young boys on their acreage near
Balgonie.
“It’s the Elton John principle,’’ says Kiel,
who’s been sensing a growing entrepreneurial
spirit in the province since returning about
six years ago. “Elton John sings and he has
other people that do all the other things.
I’m trying to outsource as much as I can.’’
Kiel’s impressionistic style involves the
use of wide brushes, a palette knife and oil
paint to create textured and boldly
coloured works that often feature floral
themes or elegantly attired human п¬Ѓgures
in socializing poses. Her work has become
more textured over the years as she employs
layering and other techniques to make her
pigments stand out above the surface of the
canvass. Sheet music, cheesecloth, burlap
and gold leaf are among the materials she
has incorporated into her paintings for
texture and effect.
Kiel’s talent was apparent to fellow art
students and mentors right from the
For more information, contact:
Editor
Ministry of the Economy
Tel: (306) 787-4765
Fax: (306) 787-8447
www.economy.gov.sk.ca
For subscription information,
call: (306) 787-4765
Distributed as an insert of
Saskatchewan Business and
mailed to over 6,000
Saskatchewan businesses.
beginning; however, serendipity played a
big part in her commercial success. The
spouse of a former business colleague put
her in touch with a person who was opening
a furniture and design store in Calgary and
he agreed to sell her paintings from his
shop. Then another furniture and design
business in Canmore, Alberta agreed to sell
her work and that fruitful relationship
lasted 10 years.
Kiel admits her passion for painting may
be a little greater now than her passion for
business – she’s at a point in her career
where gallery owners and others handle
many of the business details. But that
hasn’t changed her perspective about art as
business.
“Paintings are my product, even if
they’re a very personal product. And in
order to keep painting, I have to get them
to the people who might be interested in
buying them.’’
Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:
Ministry of the Economy
300-2103 11th Avenue
Regina, SK S4P 3Z8
Published quarterly. Publication Mail Agreement Number 40065736
8
Saskatchewan NOW!
Fall 2014
business profile
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The biggest positives associated with Private Equity investments are that
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For more information on Private Equity investments, call or email Silas or
Michael at Pinnacle Wealth Brokers today.
Silas Dain
Michael Warnes
silas.dain@pinnaclewealth.ca
306.227.1101
michael.warnes@pinnaclewealth.ca
306.361.3344
www.pinnaclewealthbrokers.com
Rumley Building - 205 224 Pacific Avenue - Saskatoon, SK
Photo: Greg Huszar
Hoodies
THE
AND THE
SUITS
Le a d in g t he c u l tu ra l sh ift f ro m tr adi ti onal IT ser vi ces
t o in t e llig e n t cu s to mer s ol uti o ns
by Virginia Wilkinson
CEO of Saskatchewan’s largest IT company, Mark MacLeod is creating an entirely new face for ISM Canada.
Since taking the company’s helm in 2013, MacLeod has begun re-focusing the organization around the
business needs of its customers rather than around the services provided by ISM. This means that customers’
business needs today, and the anticipated needs of customers in the future, are beginning to advance the development of ISM’s services.
“ISM is becoming much more of a business solutions company. We’re working on creating partnerships
with customers that drive out solutions to their business needs. While IT may play a critical role in the end
product, it’s really the tool we use to get to the final solution, rather than being the final solution itself,” said
MacLeod.
Key to ISM’s business solutions approach, the company is moving heavily into offering business analytics
services – analyzing corporate data, “big data,” and social media-generated data.
“The successful corporations of the future will be the ones using analytics tools and services as intelligence
in the development of new services, in solving business problems and in listening to customers wants, needs
and concerns. Analytics allows organizations to refine their competitive edge and gain corporate advantage.
It’s a tool few successful companies will soon be able to do without,” said MacLeod.
As proof, he points to a growing number of companies, including the Toronto Maple Leafs and the
Edmonton Oilers, which are incorporating analytics into daily business planning processes.
In fact, research shows that big data is being used by public safety agencies to make highways safer from
crime, by water management agencies to reduce leaks, identify pipes at risk and proactively manage issues,
by governments to improve services and encourage citizen participation in governance, by port management
authorities to optimize shipping routes, and more.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
31
Mark MacLeod (left) and Mark Lemmerick (right)
Photo: Greg Huszar
MacLeod takes the manipulation of
the data a step further. He believes it will
be the youth – the Gen Ys who will be
critical in the process of data analysis.
“They think differently than do many of
our older employees. We’ve watched them
take data, apply it to business problems,
and come up with innovative, nontraditional solutions that improve service,
reduce cost and enhance business competitiveness for our customers,” said MacLeod.
Transforming ISM around this philosophy, MacLeod is infusing youth and young
ideas throughout the organization. He’s
pairing the “under 40” Gen Ys with ISM’s
more experienced business executives.
“We call them the �hoodies’ and the
�suits,’ ” says MacLeod. “The suits have the
years of experience and the business
expertise, but it’s the hoodies – those
young, creative, brash, Gen Yers, who
understand and can leverage the new
technologies and services desired by customers, and customers’ customers, who
“
creating new services, new markets and
new opportunities for Regina-based ISM
Canada that will have an impact on the
province’s IT sector well into the future.
“ISM is well positioned to move
beyond the traditional IT sector, leveraging the company’s wealth of technology
expertise and its new business ingenuity
to offer value-added business solutions
for customers,” said MacLeod.
ISM Canada has been a key player in
the province’s IT sector for nearly 50 years.
The company grew out of the provincial
government’s SaskCOMP. The Crown
Corporation built the highly-secure IT
infrastructure services which supported
Saskatchewan’s public agencies in the
1970s. Privatized in 1989, it morphed into
Westbridge Computer Corporation.
In 1992 the company was purchased
by IBM Canada, and ISM Canada was
born. With close to 1,000 employees, ISM,
is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IBM
Canada, which is itself owned by IBM, the
These folks don’t necessarily see a need for
IT support, or they may be disillusioned
with their own IT department’s challenge
of keeping up with rapidly changing technology – they see a need for solutions
which address their business problems.”
MacLeod suggests that as an example,
these new customers really don’t care to
know how the technology behind their
smart phone works, but they do care to
know about the opportunities that mobile
customers or workers present.
“So customers are driving a transformation in our company, and in our industry,” said MacLeod. “It’s a very exciting
time, with some fantastic opportunities
for our staff.”
MacLeod says ISM Canada is fortunate to employ some of the highestskilled IT and business resources in the
province. The company’s new direction
offers these individuals both exciting new
work, as well as a wealth of career development opportunities.
”
CUSTOMERS ARE DRIVING A TRANSFORMATION
IN OUR COMPANY, AND IN OUR INDUSTRY.
aren’t afraid to take risks, who push at the
edges and break down barriers. We need
them to help us understand the coming
trends, help us dream about what’s possible, and help us to do things in new ways.
They help us to push the boundaries – we
help them to learn when to stop.”
MacLeod believes this model of using
Gen Ys to help incorporate analytics into
business decisions and solutions will soon
be used by most progressive companies.
“A company’s success in the future will
depend on its ability to engage with its
stakeholders, which includes understanding youth, what they expect, how
they interact and how they get their
information and services, so it’s critical
that organizations leverage and hear from
hoodies at all levels. What they say really
does matter – they need to have a voice.”
The business executive credited with
turning the fortunes of Regina-based ISC,
developing a new direction and opening
new markets for Saskatoon-based
Superior Cabinets and cofounding technology start-up, Software 2000 (eventually sold to a US multinational), is now
New York-based IT giant with 430,000
employees around the world, generating
$16 billion in net income.
ISM offers its customers local knowledge and expertise with the ability to
leverage IBM’s world-class resources. ISM
Canada opened a Vancouver office in
December 2004 and a Saskatoon office in
March 2012.
Unlike many other IBM companies,
ISM Canada has its own identity, brand
and unique product offering, a direct
result of its roots in the province.
While the company is known for its skill
in operating mainframe computer systems
and data centers for large corporate and
government customers, MacLeod says ISM
and its nearly 1,000 highly-skilled employees have much more to offer, and he
believes customers are also now looking for
much more from IT business services.
“We’re still going to be operating mainframe systems and data centres, but we’re
broadening our scope. Our customers are
no longer just the IT folks in these organizations. They’re the executive leaders, the
HR department, the marketers and more.
Not one to let the grass grow under his
feet, MacLeod has made significant
changes over the past year.
Together with Mark Lemmerick, ISM’s
chief operating officer, who’s been a business partner in many of his successful ventures (Software 2000, SHL Systemhouse
and ISC), and backed by his skilled team
of business experts (suits), MacLeod has
begun implementing changes that will
transform ISM Canada’s service delivery
model from a traditional IT support service company, to an innovative business
solutions partnership model.
His infusion of hoodies into the organization reaches even the senior leadership
table. New young additions to the senior
team include: director of marketing and
mobility, Kristin Kutarna Gates; manager
of organizational development, Kate
Alport; manager of HR, labour relations
and talent, Rachelle Clarke; and territory
executive, Janelle Mansfield. None of
these new hires are trained IT resources,
instead all bring a unique skill set
required to support ISM’s evolution into
a company focused on business solutions.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
33
www.worksafesask.ca
www.safesask.com
Since 2002 SBC has been
offering Computer Training to
thousands of individuals and
companies in the Saskatoon
Region. We are accredited
by the Canadian Education
and Training Accreditation
Commission (CETAC) and
are the primary source of
recruiting for professional
and business offices.
Photo by Kevin Hogarth for the Government of Saskatchewan
I BELIEVE IN
MISSION: ZERO
We teach Microsoft-approved
curriculum in state-of-the-art
facilities.
SBC offers several options from
one-day courses in MS Office
2010 & 2013 to Microsoft Technical
courses in SQL, SharePoint 20102013, and MS Exchange 2013.
We also have one-day courses
in Adobe Creative Suite CS5
including InDesign, PhotoShop,
Illustrator and Acrobat.
Courses are running year round.
Choose your level based on your
skill level.
30 6- 244 - 6 3 4 0
w w w. sb c c o ll e g e. c a
34
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
“
Schulte invests in safety because we care about our employees.
We don’t want to see anyone get hurt, and we want everyone to go home to
their families at the end of each day.
Investing in safety is also part of good overall business management. It
costs the company to have injured employees.
Mission: Zero means that we have a world-class safety culture. It means
our employees believe and act so that we have injury-free work sites and an
incident-free company.
”
Greg Archibald
President
Schulte Industries Ltd.
Join the Mission: Zero movement by signing the Saskatchewan Health & Safety Leadership Charter.
Call 306.352.3810 or email info@safesask.com for more information.
October/November 2014
“ISM is taking an incredibly innovative approach by encouraging the Gen Ys
at all levels to be involved in influencing
decisions affecting the overall direction
of the company. It’s really exciting to be
part of a company that’s willing to take
risks and be innovative enough to
become more about the delivery of business solutions than about business products,” saysKristin Kutarna Gates, director
of marketing and mobility.
Leveraging the company’s mix of suits
and hoodies, MacLeod and Lemmerick
are fostering the development of an innovative suite of new services focused on
providing solutions to a range of issues
for ISM customer partners.
“ISM is in the enviable position of having the skilled resources, the access to
world-class expertise and the young innovators who are helping the company look
past traditional boundaries. As a result,
we’re creating some really visionary business services, which are targeted directly
at the customer’s needs,” said MacLeod.
The company has recently launched big
data analytics, social media analytics,
mobile strategy services, cloud computing…
and there’s more to come. All of the new
services are focused on ensuring added
value to customers, and meeting the needs
of business unit leaders across a range of
sectors and industries.
MacLeod says ISM’s new social media
analytics service enables customers to
monitor and dig deeply into evolving
trends, emerging or evolving issues and
conversations taking place across all social
media platforms. This means customers
are able to develop a robust understanding of their issues, client,s audiences, competitors etc. ISM Canada will launch an
exclusive Centre of Excellence in Business
Analytics in 2015.
To identify how ISM’s new services
work to “connect the dots,” the company
took a city, looked for chatter from frustrated drivers, then dug down into where
those drivers were located, when the frustration was happening, what was causing
it and what demographic the drivers
largely represented. The information provided the city with intelligence that could
then be used to develop detour routes,
program traffic signals, alert media to
traffic jams, advertise street closures or
even identify the priority of additional
street/roadway development.
Skilled employees are critical to ISM’s
success. ISM has taken a dynamic
approach to supporting the career development of its employees. The company
has made, and continues to make significant investments in employee training,
and is in the process of creating a talent
transformation team.
“We’re all about encouraging employees to take charge of their own careers. If
an employee wants to move into a different
role or move up within the organization,
we’re all for it. We’ll help that employee get
the training they need to make the move
within the company. The flip side is that
the employee needs to play a role in this
process. They need to identify their position of interest, take the training and do
the work required to ensure they have the
skills for the role,” said MacLeod.
In 2013-2014 ISM committed just
under $1 million to employee leadership
and development training and expect to
nearly double that amount for 2015.
For MacLeod, all of the work done
within the company is focused on enhancing services and solutions for its customers.
He believes success is not just about offering a great product or service, it’s about
providing much greater value to customers,
and it’s about creating partnerships that
provide customers with results they wouldn’t get without their ISM partner.
While ISM’s evolution is taking place
under MacLeod’s leadership, he says if
the company and its customers are successful, it will be because of the team and
the partnership.
“Success happens when people are
working together for a common goal. At
ISM we’re working to develop successful
products, strategies and solutions for our
customers each and every day. We will be
successfuland they will be successful
because of the unique team of people at
all levels involved in moving this company forward.
The combination of hoodies and suits
using analytics to help companies develop
new business services and solutions may
be a new phenomenon, but I predict it
will become an increasingly important
model for successful organizations of the
future. We are very fortunate to have such
a creative and committed group of hoodies and suits within this organization who
will lead ISM into a successful future,”
said MacLeod. n
Making “IT”
Cool Again
Working with employees from across
business units, ISM has begun designing, developing and delivering an
innovative suite of new services
focused directly on adding value to
customers’ business lines.
This means these new services are
no longer targeted specifically at IT
units, but are developed to provide
business leaders, human resources,
marketing, IT, manufacturing, finance,
distribution and corporate executives,
access to tools that will support and
add tremendous value to their work
processes.
For example, ISM has recently
launched mobile services, social
media analytics and community
cloud services.
Mobile services offers customers information and support as their organization
moves into the world of mobility. ISM is
providing customers everything from
strategy and enterprise mobility management, through to virtual desktops, on
customer site THINKMobile! kiosks and
customer specific app development.
Social media analytics offers customers
the ability to monitor and mine conversations about or in relation to their company,
which are taking place over social media.
Social media plays an increasingly large
role in corporate marketing strategies,
and as a result, understanding and
managing those conversations can be
critical to reputation and brand. ISM
officials say that having access to social
media analytics is like having your own
intelligence service.
Community cloud services offer ISM
customers more server space for less
than the cost of building and maintaining a hosting environment. The services
are flexible, so customers pay only for
what they use, and all customer data is
housed in Saskatchewan. The company
has created a range of customer options
including a private environment, a public
environment, a hybrid environment and
a community environment. ISM identifies it as a service intended to offer
peace of mind for customers. n
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
35
EDUCATIONBUSINESS
PARTNERSHIPS
by Diana MacKay
Executive Director, Education, Skills & Immigration, The Conference Board of Canada
The University of Saskatchewan’s partnership with Potash
Corporation to provide Aboriginal youth with hands-on science and mathematics activities recently won a Global Best
Award at the International Partnerships Network conference in
Brussels. The KamskГ©now program illustrates the power of
business and educational institutions working together to
engage students in science and discovery.
The Conference Board of Canada presents Global
Best Awards to education-business partnerships every other
year. The board also produces guidelines on the operating
principles that help develop and maintain effective partnerships, as well as guidelines on the key components of ethical
partnerships.
Other successful Saskatchewan partnerships have also won
awards, including SaskTel’s and Saskatoon Public Schools’ We
See You program that transformed a 40-foot shipping container
into a housing unit stuffed with medical and school supplies,
clothing, blankets, and other donated materials.
36
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
From Saskatchewan’s largest corporations to its smallest
startups, striking partnerships with educational institutions can
further corporate goals while enhancing learning outcomes.
Everyone should examine what they can do to build more such
collaborations.
ESTABLISHING SUCCESSFUL
EDUCATION–BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS
To better meet the skills and training needs of the workforce,
educational institutions around the world are exploring innovative partnerships with industry stakeholders. Education-business partnerships are mutually beneficial cooperative
relationships involving educational institutions and businesses.
These partnerships share obligations, objectives, and contributions to achieve desired outcomes that directly support, and are
aligned with, educational mandates and business needs.
Establishing a clear set of operating principles help partners
collaborate and reduce conflicts and misunderstandings. The
Conference Board’s newly-updated operating principles
describe some of the keys to successful education-business partnerships in eight areas: inception and development; operation;
intellectual property; resources and financing; governance; people management; communication; and assessment and evaluation.
For example, the people management guidelines encourage
partners to:
• create a partnership team with a clear mandate and continuity of membership;
• recruit champions and advocates in partner organizations;
• indentify and manage personnel requirements and risks (e.g.,
student and employee turnover);
• involve individuals with varied experience who can bridge
educational and business environments;
• train participants to carry out their roles and responsibilities,
and ensure that they are fulfilling them; and
• build trust through face-to-face meetings, especially as partnerships are being established.
Ethical guidelines describe the key components of ethical business–education partnerships and provide each partner with a
rational basis for addressing ethical issues that relate to the
ideals, obligations, and effects of their partnership. These guidelines safeguard the interests of partners and participants and
build trust and mutual respect. They help partners regulate
themselves and make informed decisions that benefit everyone
involved. Ethical business-education partnerships are ones
that strive for ideals, adhere to obligations and manage effects.
These partnerships treat all partnership participants fairly and
equitably and help collaborators find common ground when
challenges arise by returning to shared objectives and values.
For example, the section on Manage Effects recommends
that partners:
• consider the effects of actions and test them against ideals
and obligations;
• identify and address potentially negative impacts on nonparticipants;
• exercise diligence when making decisions by considering
responsibilities to all partners and stakeholders;
• are open and honest when problems occur and avoid making
excuses or rationalizations;
• find common ground when challenges arise by returning to
shared objectives and values; and
• celebrate and build on positive outcomes and progress made.
IDENTIFYING BEST PRACTICES FROM
AROUND THE WORLD AND IN SASKATCHEWAN
To develop the business–education operating principles and
ethical guidelines, the Conference Board partnered with the
International Education-Business Partnership Network (IPN),
a global network of education, business, and community organizations working together to achieve specific economic and
social outcomes. With over 20 years of partnership facilitation
experience at both the local and international level, the IPN
provides expertise in partnership development, collaborative
learning, and global networking.
Do you know of a proven or promising partnership between
an educational institution and a business organization?
Recommend that the leaders involved nominate the partnership for consideration in the next round of Global Best Awards
that will be announced in Oslo, Norway in 2016. Contact us at
the Conference Board for more information on the submission
process, or visit www.conferenceboard.ca/education. n
TACKLING ADVANCED SKILLS AND EDUCATION NEEDS THROUGH
THE CENTRE FOR SKILLS AND POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
While education is a provincial government responsibility, improving the skills and post-secondary education system is a national
priority involving stakeholders form across government, business, academic, and community sectors. To examine the advanced
skills and education challenges facing Canada today, The Conference Board of Canada created the Centre for Skills and
Post-Secondary Education – a major research initiative designed to foster broad collaboration of public and private sector
stakeholders working together to think through the development of a national strategy. The centre addresses Canada’s
advanced skills needs by helping to renew the roles, structure, activities, and impact of post-secondary education, while
ensuring Canada’s skills development and sustainability, competitiveness and quality.
To help shape the future of higher education in Canada and develop a national Skills and Post-Secondary Education Strategy,
the Conference Board welcomes Saskatchewan stakeholders to attend the 2nd Skills and Post-Secondary Education Summit
2014: Developing the Skills and PSE Strategy for Canada. This national summit takes place on November 5-6 at the Metro
Convention Centre in Toronto.
For more information on the summit, visit: www.conferenceboard.ca/conf/education
For more information on the Centre for Skills and PSE, visit: www.conferenceboard.ca/spse
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
37
Nathan Hursh
SaskBusiness Staff Writer
Specifications
999 cc in-line 3-cylinder engine
70 horsepower @ 5,800 RPM
68 lb-ft torque @ 4,500 RPM
5-speed automatic transmission
with manual shift mode
Length: 2,695 mm
Width: 1,559 mm
Height: 1,542 mm
Wheel Base: 1,867 mm
Fuel consumption:
5.8 litres/100km city / 4.7 litres / 100km highway
5.3 litres /100km combined
38
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
Could you imagine a world filled with Smart Cars? Imagine pristine
roads devoid of potholes with lanes that accommodate more traffic and a
speed limit that remains moderate and steady. There would be little truck
versions of the Smart Car towing tiny trailers making multiple trips to
transport everything from building supplies to crushed rock and tools to
and from job sites, forcing people to slow down and turn down their stress.
It’s an intriguing thought, but not a highly realistic one, especially given
our climate and propensity to drive big 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Despite prairie culture’s ideas of “bigger is better” for vehicles, there is
a demographic that finds the Swatch-designed, Mercedes-Benz-cousin
Smart Car to be perfect for their needs. Its size, fuel-efficiency, and
maneuverability make it an excellent commuter vehicle for up to two people (hence the model name). And it’s stunning how good the visibility is
while driving this car. I could see any obstruction that I came across along
October/November 2014
DRIVE
SMART FORTWO
the road and I had clear knowledge of where I was on the road
in relation to other vehicles. It really startled me when I went to
change lanes and found myself shoulder-checking out the rear
window because initially you don’t comprehend how small the
car really is.
One major criticism I have of the Smart ForTwo is how much
lag is present when gears shift. The car seemed to shift smoother
when I accelerated abruptly to get up to speed whereas a slow
speed progression would cause the automatic transmission to
seemingly drop gears and lose all power before lurching into the
next higher gear. By putting the car into its manual shifting setting, I was able to avoid the lurches and smooth out the ride, but
that removes the purpose of having an automatic transmission.
Why not have a fully-manual transmission come standard?
Saskatchewan roads aren’t overly hospitable for the ForTwo.
Potholes are terrifying and bumps of any size are felt in the car,
but if the extent of your driving is back and forth from work it
is a perfect commuter car and makes a great summer vehicle.
With a price point starting around $14,000, it’s completely
affordable to have this in addition to your SUV or truck to use
from April to October.
Personally, I would like to drive a ForTwo in the winter just
to see what it’s like. Winter tires would be a must, but the upside
of an 820-pound car is that if you get stuck you can call up a
couple of friends to lift you out of whatever predicament you
may find yourself in, but it would be daunting to get on the icy
roads knowing that it’s not the ForTwo you have to worry
about… it’s the other motorists. n
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
39
W W W. T E C - C A N A DA . C O M
I N F O @ T E C - C A N A DA . C O M
To learn more about the latest TEC Canada news, success stories and events, please visit
their website. For business-relevant articles, blog postings and current events across Canada,
you can also follow TEC Canada on LinkedIn or Twitter @TECCanada.
The Paradox of Growth
Can you keep up with your small business?
The foundation for Saskatchewan’s prosperity today has
been built on its many small businesses. It’s no secret that
the last decade in this province has been one of high
growth for all sectors, with investment at unprecedented
levels. It’s an exciting time to be a business owner in
Saskatchewan. As a company scales up, however, it’s
important to remember that its leadership must match its
growth; this can be its most pivotal challenge.
Paul Martin, Saskatchewan’s leading business
commentator, has seen the ways in which small business
owners wrestle with the sometimes paradoxical nature of
growth. He describes the experience of the high-growth
small company CEO with one word: “Consuming.
Exponential growth consumes time, capital and talent.”
But while securing the talent to work in their businesses
is one challenge often mentioned by leaders, they don’t
always realize it when their business is outgrowing their
own ability to manage all of its facets, says this TEC chair.
“Owner-operators experiencing rapid success often don’t
appreciate that they can no longer manage the day-to-day of
the business the way they used to. And the primary casualty
of trying to micro-manage is big picture thinking. Suddenly
they don’t have time to be strategic any more. And if
leadership is not taking the time to be strategic, who is?”
When a rapidly growing business becomes a runaway
train, it no longer serves its owner. Some common
unintended consequences of rapid growth are capital
shortfalls, decreased customer service, and a reactive
management under too much pressure. Morale issues can
lead to increased staff turnover. It’s easy to reiterate the
business axiom that at a certain point leaders must begin to
work on the business not in it, but delegating and trusting
others by relinquishing control to specialist managers is a
leap of faith many entrepreneurs have trouble making.
This is because the very traits that made them successful
in the first place (self-reliance, risk tolerance, persistence)
are the ones they must temper if they are going to make
the successful transition from entrepreneur to executive.
Not being able to “let go” can ultimately lead to stress
and damaged relationships, both at work and at home.
At its worst, it can lead to failure of the business itself as
the business owner becomes a bottleneck to efficient
decision-making.
40
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
Bruce Hunter, speaker,
author of The Success Cage
and a former TEC chair and
senior executive, has worked
with hundreds of companies
in transition. “Each owner
has a fervent belief that their
business and experience is
unique. My own experience
and the preponderance of
studies have shown that,
when it comes to growth,
each business is uniquely the
same. All businesses follow a
Catherine Osler,
CEO, TEC Canada
predictable growth trajectory
with distinct stages, each of
which has its own challenges and characteristics. For a
leader, understanding what stage you’re at is critical to
building a road map to sustained growth.”
TEC Canada member Garry Derenoski started his
company, Innovative Rehabilitation Consultants, with two
employees out of his basement in Saskatoon 16 years ago.
Today IRC is a leading provider of HR services in
disability management and vocational rehabilitation and
the recipient of numerous business awards. When asked
how he managed growth transitions Garry indicated –
in true entrepreneur fashion – that gritty determination
and the willingness to adjust everything from methods to
technology were key. However, he wished he had had
reached out to more mentors in his early business days.
“I knew how to lead and motivate people, but not how
to delegate and manage the growth initially. Young
entrepreneurs need to take the time to reach out to other
business organizations. Don’t isolate yourself – learn about
what is out there for you and utilize those skills as a leader.”
Over the years I’ve learned that the sounding board of
a group of peers or personal mentor can be an invaluable
asset to a leader negotiating the various stages of business
growth. They can keep you honest with yourself and
accountable for your own goals. If you’re experiencing
the challenges of success, do yourself and your company
a favour and reach out to others who have travelled the
same path. You don’t have to go it alone.
business profile
Resilience
David E. White
Consultant,
Synergy Solutions Group
Five per cent significance
Discovering foundations for resilience
Thirty-plus years ago, I knew a young man that started a job to he was also looking forward in an effort to establish a new
provide for his new family. Their needs were basic and his aspi- vision for the remainder of his working life. This had proved
rations uncomplicated. He simply needed to earn an income so more difficult than what he had expected, especially given that
that his family could have a roof over their head, heat through so much of his past had been filled with work that had been
the winter, clothing, food (including formula for the baby), and inspired through clear vision. As he scanned the horizon for
maybe a little extra cash for the occasional special event.
meaning and significance he recalled the message of the five
Not too long into his new job, management discovered that per cent in the past week as he noted a connection between sighe had significant appetite for growth and an ability to get nificance and a key relationship.
things done. His job duties and responsibilities continued to
His daughter was turning 30 and had just celebrated her secexpand as the accomplishments piled up. The company grew ond wedding anniversary. As a surprise to his daughter, he had
exponentially through his efforts and contributions and the written a song for her and performed it at her wedding. “Bright
young man’s confidence grew right along with it. He was gain- eyes and endless smiles, since the day she first looked up at
ing a reputation as an over-achiever.
me…there’s a tear near to a man, holding such frailty…” – On
As time went on, other organizations enticed him to come My Arm was a song that spoke to the transition of a daughter’s
and work with them. The young man, now 30 years old, reliance on her father, from infant to bride. In the week prior, as
accepted one of these positions and worked hard to serve a new a gift for his daughter’s 30th birthday, he had worked the song
organization. He was challenged within a new work environ- into a video and, in the process of going through photo albums
ment and struggled to adapt to a new
to gather images, he had been deeply
culture, one where politics and “people
moved.
management” (manipulation) were the
The trail began with images of an
norm. However, he continued to grow
infectiously
giggling baby, and jourWork was simply about
and excel at whatever he put his hand to.
neyed through the stages of toddler
More organizations came calling as
(spaghetti bowl upside-down head),
his doings; his life meaning
the years went on, each providing new
early years (birthdays, camping, silly
opportunity for challenge and growth,
games), teen (graduations, cheering for
and personal value
each also providing a measure of meanthe Riders and playing sports with famcame from his being.
ing and a hint of personal significance –
ily) and ultimately the day where he had
subtle, even subconscious. Whenever I
walked her down the aisle on his arm.
would ask him if he was deriving his
To say that these images moved him
personal worth from his work, he would
would be an understatement. As he had
assure me that this was not the case, that he knew that work was been searching for vision for his future, one where he could feel
simply about his doings, and that his life meaning and personal enough significance and meaning that could provide foundavalue came from his being – a place of greater substance than his tions of resilience to continue to grow and adapt through each
work. I reminded him of a statistic that I had heard many years future challenge, he was finding it in his five per cent. He had
ago, of how 80 per cent of what we do a monkey can be trained been a significant part of the life and growth of another, simply
to do, and that 15 per cent of what we do can be done by oth- by walking with her and letting her lean on his arm a little while.
ers through appropriate training and experience; the remainNothing achieved through his career provided the same
ing five per cent can only be done by our self, so we must be depth of meaning he had experienced through this single five
careful to ensure that this five per cent is prioritized. This five per cent relationship. I know that this is truly what he sees, for
per cent showed up in personal care and the relationships clos- that young man was me.
est to him; only he could be husband to his wife and father to
his children. Once again he assured me that he understood.
Recently, I spent some time of reflection with this young
man, now in his forties. He noted that he has been in an
extended season of reflection. He recalled many of his accom- David E. White is a consultant with Synergy Solutions Group.
plishments, and noted that he held no regrets. Having said this, Questions and comments can be directed to him at david@synergysg.net.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
41
www.williamjoseph.com
www.facebook.com/williamjosephcommunications
@wj_agency
William Joseph worked with Bloom Learning Centre
(www.bloomlearning.ca) to:
1. utilize a strategic approach to determine budgets and
starting points;
2. develop a brand that looked like a national chain
establishing credibility and reliability; and
3. develop a growth plan on how to build on the foundation
over the next few years optimizing their efforts and dollars.
Agencies are only
for the big guys,
right?
Marketing firms and advertising agencies are often
associated with large, big budget companies that want to
launch expensive ad campaigns. This is definitely not the
case. While agencies do work on behalf of these companies,
they also play an invaluable role for smaller ones.
Oftentimes a small company or organization will have
limited resources for marketing and will be just trying to fill
the gaps. Promoting your company may seem necessary, yet
completely overwhelming. Using the expertise and
experience of a firm can alleviate this stress and save your
company valuable time and actually help to make you
money. Agencies bring a combination of skills to your
company that can kick-start a project or enhance existing
initiatives.
Bloom Learning Centre, a Saskatchewan based startup
company, saw the value of using an agency from the very
beginning. They had seen firsthand the struggle other
businesses had had trying to do their own marketing and
branding and decided to take a different approach.
Instead of investing resources in a marketing department,
Bloom Learning Centre contacted William Joseph to be
their marketing department. They were keen to capitalize on
William Joseph’s skills and expertise while not having to
invest in the cost of staffing, hardware, software, and other
expenses associated with a marketing department.
42
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
Agencies like William Joseph can support companies to launch
campaigns and to design ads, but can also work on retainer to
provide day-to-day support and resources. In addition to their
expertise they also provide third-party objectivity and insight.
Business owners often can’t see the forest for the trees. Basing
your marketing on internal assumptions is dangerous and can
lead to less than desirable results.
So when you are trying to determine whether to invest
your marketing dollars in building a marketing department
or hiring an agency consider the following questions:
• What marketing tasks do I need done?
• Will one person be able to do them all competently?
• What is the cost benefit trade off of a person internally vs
an external agency?
• Who will manage the new hire?
In addition to their ability to develop strategies and manage
marketing initiatives, agencies also have several other
unique assets.
They have invaluable experience. It is likely that they have
worked with similar companies and have learned what does
and does not work in your industry. Working with someone
that has this knowledge is smarter than learning through trial
and error, and as a result, wasting time and money.
Using an agency can save a business valuable time.
Hiring an advertising agency means that you and your staff
do not need to spend time developing your marketing plan,
advertising campaign or website. This is especially important
if you do not have staff that is dedicated to marketing.
Hiring an agency will free your staff to do what they have
been trained for. Most small business owners are busy
enough running their business. Hiring an agency to develop
ad campaigns and marketing strategies enables you to spend
more time running your actual business.
Although it may seem as though hiring an agency will be
expensive, you need to consider that an agency can save you
a lot of money by helping you strategically invest
EFFECTIVE tools and tactics to achieve maximum return
on investment for your marketing dollars and reduce costs
associated with running a department.
It doesn’t cost anything to meet with an agency to find out
what they have to offer. A good agency will meet with you
to answer your questions and to establish a plan and budget
that works for you. Regardless of the approach you take and
the size of your company, a strong brand and marketing is
essential for a successful business venture. Working with an
agency is a smart and effective way to achieve this.
business profile
Entrepreneurship
W. Brett Wilson
Entrepreneur/Philanthropist
Corporate social opportunity
How giving and getting go together
As we once again approach the giving season, there is no time
of year where there is more pressure on companies to give
something back to the communities in which they operate.
While I’m a big believer in philanthropy, I find myself increasingly frustrated by the somewhat obligatory nature of and
expectations around corporate giving.
Obligatory giving is, for me, a reflection of limited-range
thinking. Rather than corporate social responsibility, I would
prefer the term corporate social opportunity. That’s because the
best corporate philanthropy doesn’t just make a social impact –
it also effectively adds to a company’s bottom line – in many
different ways.
In my world, giving and getting do go together. Businesses
should expect a return on their charitable donations. And for
those who might disagree with me, think about this: charitable
giving that reaps an economic return creates stronger companies that can make more meaningful contributions to their
communities in the long run.
Unfortunately, business executives remain largely divided
about their role in the social sector. In a 2010 Compas Inc. poll
of Canadian executives, nearly half said that charitable giving
should be left to shareholders. A mere one-third agreed that corporations should support charities – as long as it was consistent
with corporate objectives and employees’ desires.1 Here’s an even
more interesting statistic: according to a 2008 Imagine Canada
survey of corporate community investment, the median cash
donation was $2,000 (1.25 per cent of pre-tax profit), while 25
per cent of businesses didn’t contribute at all.2
Ironically, businesses that unreasonably limit their charitable
giving budget are also failing to explore how corporate philanthropy can help them grow. When I co-founded FirstEnergy
Capital Corp. in 1993, my partners and I decided from day one to
give 2.5 per cent of pre-tax profits to charity. Thus, before we
opened the door for business, we arguably cut the value of our firm
by 2.5 per cent. Around that time, fewer than three per cent of
Canadian businesses claimed any charitable donations at all, on
average giving less than one per cent of pre-tax profits. We wanted
to do a more. A lot more. For many good reasons.
First, we truly used charitable giving as a marketing tool.
Every time we made a contribution, we were very open about
the fact that we expected something in return. We wanted fair
accountability and reasonable recognition. We also organized
some of the most sought-after client events in the city – and
turned them into successful fundraisers. Those parties included
the highest-quality entertainment, food and fun. They were
always “free” events to clients with the “price” of admission
being a cheque in the amount of the client’s choosing but
payable to the charity of our choice. No cheque, no entry.
Second, we wanted our charitable giving to make an impact. It
would be nearly impossible to measure the number of lives that
have been touched – and dramatically improved – by FirstEnergy’s
philanthropic work. Since inception,В FirstEnergy hasВ provided
around $10 million in donations to some 500 charities and community organizations, and has been one of the countless corporate players to help make Calgary into a truly great community
where people feel connected to each other and enjoy a great quality of life. Every business really has a vested interest in creating
stronger communities. As business guru Don Tapscott noted,
“Businesses cannot succeed in a world that is failing.”
We have also engaged our broad client network to join with us
in many aspects of the philanthropic process. In 1997, the Red
River flood caused enormous damage. In response, FirstEnergy
decided to allocate all of our trading commissions on a given day
to Manitoba flood relief. At that time, a good trading day would
have generated just over $100,000 in commissions. But on that
day, we raised more than four times that amount – closing at over
$450,000. We also raised money for the 1998 ice storm in
Quebec, the Alberta drought in 2002 and the Slave Lake fire disaster of 2011. In total, we raised several million dollars with all
four of these initiatives. What did we gain for our efforts? There
was immeasurable public recognition and co-branding with
larger companies, and significant recognition within the charitable community. There was also goodwill with customers, suppliers and staff – all of which collectively helped us to
dramatically increase our profile, develop new partnerships, and
grow our client base. Over the past 20 years, FirstEnergy has
enjoyed incredible growth built on relationships and goodwill all
developed, at least in part, by its charitable giving strategies.
There is no doubt its commitment to community has been a core
building block for the foundation of the firm’s overall success.
Your efforts don’t have to be as elaborate as these, but when
you’re planning your giving, think about how you can engage
your network of colleagues and use some creative marketing
ideas to make your efforts stand out from the crowd, benefit
your community, and return untold dividends to the cause and
your company. That’s the opportunity in corporate giving.
1. Canadian Business Magazine, March 2010
2. Imagine Canada, CanadaВ Survey of BusinessВ Contributions to Community 2008, Hall,
Ayer, Zarinpoush and Lasby.
W. Brett Wilson, a native of Saskatchewan, is chairman of Canoe Financial and Prairie Merchant
Corporation. His book, Redefining Success, is available through Penguin Books. This article
originally appeared in the Financial Post. Connect: @WBrettWilson.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
43
Law
Craig Zawada, Q.C.
CEO, WMCZ Lawyers
Red tape is taxing
A new stewardship program adds work and cost for Saskatchewan businesses
Big changes to laws usually get big attention. When the
We won’t get into the exact definition of a “steward” that is
Supreme Court of Canada decides something it’s widely caught by the regulations, but if you distribute paper or packreported even if it doesn’t affect normal activities very much. aging to consumers let’s assume you are. There is an escape
But the laws which create the biggest headaches and costs for clause that can exempt you if you fall under any of these three
businesses are often buried deep in regulations or regulatory categories:
board rulings.
• you distribute less than a tonne of paper or packaging each
If you’re not already aware, let me introduce you to the
year;
Multi-Material Recycling Program. Any business located in • your revenues are less than $750,000 annually;
Saskatchewan which distributes packaged goods or paper to • your business operates as a single point of retail sale.
Saskatchewan consumers might be required to pay ongoing
Any of these qualify to avoid the reporting requirements but
fees and comply with extensive reporting requirements.
you still must pay an annual $150 registration fee.
If you are publishing a newspaper or magazine you’ll susThe Saskatchewan government claims that this program will
pect you could be caught. Or a paper manufacturer. You’d be divert the amount of waste entering landfills by “up to 40 per
right. But MMRP catches retailers and “ordinary” businesses cent.” The 25 per cent of recycling costs not paid by business
too. Do you sell packaged goods like electronics or toys? will be covered by municipalities who choose to participate.
How about sending letters or reports to
It’s interesting that it is not a government
clients/customers? Fast food restaurants,
department running MMRP, at least
credit unions and yes, even law firms
not directly. A non-profit corporation,
The Saskatchewan
all potentially fall into the grasp of this
Multi-Material Stewardship Western
new law.
Inc. has primary responsibility. They
government claims that
The philosophy behind the Household
must, of course, operate within guidePackaging and Paper Stewardship
lines and laws enforced by the Ministry
this program will divert
Program Regulations is that recycling
of Environment.
programs alone aren’t enough. The only
Few businesses will be thrilled paying
the amount of waste
way to fully fund a cradle-to-grave soluextra costs for stewardship fees and comtion on materials that otherwise end up
plying with forms and red tape through
entering landfills by
in landfills is to impose an extra charge
the reporting requirements. While
on those goods. Until now, with a few
MMSW promises to make the system as
“up to 40 per cent.”
exceptions, we’ve relied on consumer
efficient and friction-free as possible,
deposits with things like beverage conespecially for small businesses, there will
tainers or electronic devices (in the latter
be costs. MMSW’s website suggests that
case, of course, it’s not a deposit since you don’t get it back. It’s suppliers of paper and packaged goods will just see the charges
just a surcharge to pay for recycling.)
as a “cost of doing business” and will not pass them on to conYou might think that a charge imposed on the end customer sumers. Perhaps. It’s more likely that consumer prices will rise.
is most effective. After all, they are the ones who make the buy
MMRP comes into effect January 1, 2015 and until it is runor don’t buy decision. It can be effective but it might also be ning smoothly there will be a lot of questions. Many businesses
inefficient. The infrastructure to collect and remit deposits on affected have already been notified and have probably started
every piece of paper and packaging would be unmanageable.
preparing their reports. But we venture there are plenty of proUnder MMRP business will assume the responsibility for fessional offices, retailers and others who will be surprised to
financing up to 75 per cent of recycling programs for residen- learn of their new responsibilities. Time will tell how effective
tial waste packaging and paper. The financing is probably the the program will be or whether it will devolve into an ineffieasiest part, although that’s cold comfort to businesses paying cient and costly drag on business.
the bill. The more costly part is administering and auditing the
program. In order to ensure that costs are being allocated properly there will be broad reporting requirements. In other words, Craig is CEO of WMCZ Lawyers in Saskatoon. Questions and comments on this article can be
sent to him at craig.zawada@wmcz.com
prepare to fill out more forms on a regular basis.
44
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
Financial Planning
RETHINK THE WAY YOU INVEST
Daryn G. Form
Senior Financial Advisor,
Assante Capital Management Ltd.
Reacting to unexpected
events affecting the markets
Safety drills aren’t about how to react to expected events;
they are about controlling reactions to unexpected events
Selective memory is a valuable human trait when it keeps us
moving forward, refusing to be encumbered by painful experiences in the past. However, it can make us feel a little too
comfortable in the midst of good times.
The markets have rewarded investors handsomely for the
past five years. After such a long stretch of positive returns, it’s
easy to get complacent and forget that risk is an intrinsic part of
investing. That risk has to be carefully evaluated and managed,
in good times and in bad. The temptation when markets are
roaring ahead is to take on more risk than you would in times
of modest growth or negative returns.
One technique for managing your tendency to assume more
risk than you should in great markets – or overreact and sell
out in bad ones – is an adaptation of safety systems and procedures. For example, building managers clearly mark fire exits,
regularly test fire containment and warning systems and drill
people on how to safely evacuate burning buildings. Just
because these systems and procedures are in place doesn’t mean
that the building managers are expecting a fire; it’s simply
prudent to make sure that everyone is prepared if disaster
strikes. People are drilled in procedures so that habit and forethought will prevail over panic and chaos.
An investor’s safety procedures include regularly reviewing
the investment parameters you established when your portfolio was constructed: as discussed in our last column, making
sure you are rebalancing on a cost- and tax-efficient basis to
keep within your asset allocations. It also includes communicating any material changes in your financial situation to your
investment advisor, so that your long-term financial plan can be
updated.
but much of your drill beyond that would have to be conceptual.
After all, how do you rehearse hurling yourself into a raging sea
in a lifeboat? You could educate yourself about the safety features of the lifeboat and surviving at sea, but only an act of
imagination could prepare you for being tossed around on
stormy seas for an extended period of time. One thing is certain:
you wouldn’t want to abandon your lifeboat!
As an investor, let’s say your portfolio is your lifeboat. Your
portfolio should be constructed with deliberation and care,
using investment concepts that are based on scientific research
to withstand market volatility and earn you the sustained rate of
return required to meet your needs. It’s important that you
have a clear understanding of the reasoning that went into constructing your portfolio, because you won’t be able to conquer
fear in a volatile market or greed in a rising market if you do not
have confidence in the long-term viability of your portfolio.
The next part of your drill in stormy markets is to imagine
as vividly as you can how you will react to a negative event. Your
investment advisor should discuss potential outcomes with you,
to temper your expectations in good years and bad. If you have
$2 million and your portfolio goes through a particularly difficult year and drops to $1.75 million, how will you react?
Imagine how you will feel when you finally summon the
courage to open your statement and see that number. What if
this period of negative returns lasts for 18-24 months? How will
you react? The mental drill is to stay put in your lifeboat,
because market history shows that the storm will pass and you
will be fine. Your portfolio was built to withstand the battering.
Like the disciplined investors who stayed the course in 2008,
you’re going to be okay.
When the real event happens – as it will – you will have gone
through a mental rehearsal that should help you avoid destrucThe least reliable part of the safety process
Once you have your goals established and a portfolio strategy tive behaviour. You can remind yourself that you knew this was
designed to achieve them, your work is to stick to your plan going to happen and this is how you decided to react, when you
over the long haul, in spite of near-term distractions in the mar- were calm and rational… and focused on the far horizon.
kets. Here comes the most difficult part of the drill, because that
is much easier said than done.
Daryn Form is a Senior Financial Advisor with Assante Capital Management Ltd. providing wealth
For an analogy better suited to the complex investment management services to principals of family-owned and privately held companies. The informaenvironment, one might look to how you might prepare for a tion mentioned in this article is for general information only. Please contact him to discuss your
particular circumstances prior to acting on the information above. Assante Capital Management
fire at sea. You can physically go through a drill showing you Ltd.
is a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and is registered with the Investment
how to exit various parts of the ship and where the lifeboats are, Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.
October/November 2014
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
45
The Back Page
Paul Martin
Associate Editor
Lessons I’ve learned
It was a good month for storytelling
The first week of October was a big week for storytelling in this
province. We told stories of an old friend of the provincial business community lost when Doug Gillespie passed away. He
carved a reputation of considerable quality in Regina and then
Saskatoon as a force in the printing and communications industries. He was also a leader in the sports world, travelling the
world as a player and a coach. All who knew him knew he was
a special one.
Then, after recounting experiences with a lost colleague, we
listened, hearing stories from a handful of leaders who shared
the wisdom gained in their years as players in our community.
Four of those – Clay Dowling, Glen Dziadyk, Penney Murphy
and Ray Penner – anchored the ever-popular Lessons I’ve
Learned initiative of the North Saskatoon Business Association
which this year attracted in the neighbourhood of 400.
And then it was stories about the remarkable success story of
Darcy Bear, chief of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation south of
Saskatoon.
In both cases, the change that has gripped Saskatchewan in
the past decade was chronicled by those who created or elevated
that transformation. Truly a memorable set of experiences for
those of us who have tried to humanize the New Saskatchewan
by writing or observing the profound differences those of us
who live here have experienced in the past 10 years.
Gone is the anti-success bias rooted in jealousy of a neighbour doing well. In its place is an underlying belief that not only
can we do well, we can always do better. Or, as Ray Penner put
it, “We don’t want to be the next Calgary or the next Toronto; we
want to be the next Saskatchewan.”
Underscoring that view was Clay Dowling’s assertion that
wealth creates wealth and, given the economic expansion we’ve
enjoyed, Saskatchewan is now the best place on the planet to
live, work and play.
Darcy Bear, though, probably delivered the strongest message of all, not only in his words but in his actions. The story he
and the residents of Whitecap have penned is no less significant than the one written by the province as a whole. In fact, it
may be even more impressive given the obstacles and challenges
mainstream society placed in their way.
His venue was an event marking his 20th year as chief of the
First Nation, a period of transition that has seen the band go
from a negative financial position when he took office to one
that is now turning heads across the province and the country.
Simply unwilling to allow the shackles of the Indian Act to
prevent him from reminding his people that for hundreds of
years before European contact, First Nations people survived
46
Saskatchewan Business Magazine
October/November 2014
quite nicely through hard work and self-sufficiency. That legacy
was one worthy of honour and should be restored.
As the years progressed, he successfully communicated his
vision for a better future, one that was translated into empowerment and partnerships – empowerment of the First Nation’s
residents and partnerships with everyone from neighbouring
communities to financial institutions, entrepreneurs and senior
levels of government.
In the old days, he notes, First Nations people had their own
unique form of taxation. They called it sharing. When a hunter
brought home a buffalo, the entire community feasted. Sharing.
When the Europeans brought their societal structures to
North America, he added, they too brought their own form of
taxation or sharing – the collective investment in basic services.
Same idea, different model.
So he drew on the best of both worlds to enhance the lot of
Whitecap residents. Under his leadership, for example, the First
Nation has enacted taxation structures borrowed from the
mainstream. Since on-reserve transactions are exempt from
taxation, he filled the gap, enacting property tax and even, as
he jokingly calls it, the FN-GST.
The results have been nothing short of remarkable.
Whitecap has a negative unemployment rate, having to import
workers from nearby Saskatoon. Home ownership – the most
important investment vehicle for most citizens – is a reality on
Whitecap. Even private-sector developers are now constructing residential developments on the FN’s lands under the terms
of a long-term lease arrangement, homes that are available to
any buyer whether a First Nation member or not.
His vision has resulted in agreements with health authorities so the clinic on the First Nation is now available to all, not
only Whitecap residents. Next is an education package to be
announced any day now.
Leadership – whether embodied by a politician or a business owner – is both ethereal and concrete. We can’t touch it
but we know when we see it. At its heart, though, is a story, the
saga we write together as a community on this journey and all
these leaders – whether they’re still with us or are gone –have
helped the rest of us translate something we know into something we can articulate. It was a good month for storytelling and
being in Saskatchewan.
Paul Martin is chair of Martin Charlton Communications, a Saskatchewan public and government relations and corporate strategy firm.
BDC SMALL BUSINESS WEEKв„ў
OCTOBER 19-25, 2014
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David Luba &
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Tentree International
Saskatchewan
Back to basics
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