global ventures magazine march/april 2010

VENTURESGLOBALA S T E P P U B L I C A T I O N H I G H L I G H T I N G S A S K A T C H E W A N B U S I N E S S

VOLUME TWO ISSUE TWO • MARCH/APRIL 2010PUBLICATIONS AGREEMENT #41786012

OVERCOMING THE ODDS Young’s Equipment doesn’t let adversity get it down

Safe, Affordable Water for Rural Saskatchewan Mainstream Water Solutions’ treatment systems provide the answer

The Best in the Export Business STEP’s Tim Marshall named Pulse Promoter of the Year

Driven to Succeed Honey Bee Manufacturing aims to build on the strength of its core products

2 GLOBALVENTURES • MARCH/APRIL 2010

… the long range forecast is for blue skies.

Carbon Management ExpertsCarbon Capture Design and Supply•

Enhanced Oil Recovery•

Geological Storage•

Carbon Credit Management•

HTC PURENERGY Suite 150 – 10 Research Drive Regina, Saskatchewan Canada S4S 7J7 Telephone: (306) 352-6132 Email: [email protected]

htcenergy.com

MARCH/APRIL 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 3

insideGLOBALVENTURESis the official bi-monthly publication of

Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP).Submissions to GLOBALVENTURES are welcomed.

The Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity and length. Please contact the Editor for copy submission deadlines.

PUBLISHERSSaskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP)

www.sasktrade.sk.caRegina Office:P.O. Box 1787

320 - 1801 Hamilton Street, Regina, SK S4P 3C6Regina 306.787.9210 / Toll Free: 1.877.313.7244

Toll Free: 1.888.XPORTSKSaskatoon Office:

400 - 402 21st Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0C3Saskatoon 306.933.6551 / Toll Free: 1.877.313.7244

Toll Free: 1.888.XPORTSK

Concept Media2629 Angus Boulevard, Regina, SK S4T 2A6

306.545.6099 / [email protected]

EDITORPat Rediger BENCHMARK PUBLIC RELATIONS INC.

306.522.9326 / [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORKatie Boyce BENCHMARK PUBLIC RELATIONS INC.

306.522-0903 / [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSKatie Boyce

Nicole WilliamsPat Rediger

Trilby HendersonSTEP

DESIGNBob Anderson CONCEPT MEDIA

[email protected]

PRODUCTIONLorelle Anderson CONCEPT MEDIA

[email protected]

SALESBob Harvey CONCEPT MEDIA

[email protected]

PRINTINGWestern Litho Printers Ltd. / Regina, SK, Canada

DISTRIBUTIONPrairie Advertising Ltd. / Regina, SK, Canada

Publication Mail Agreement #41786012Return undeliverable mail to Circulation Department,

2629 Angus Boulevard, Regina, SK S4T 2A6.

ON THE COVERPatriot marketed by Young’s Equipment of Regina.

PRINTED IN CANADA

cover14 Overcoming the Odds

Regina-based Young’s Equipment has overcome it fair share of challenges to become North America’s most profitabale farm equipment dealership.

features10 Safe, Affordable Water

for Rural Saskatchewan Mainstream Water Solutions’ chemical-free, low cost water treatment systems perfect for rural communities.

13 The Best in the Export Business STEP’s Tim Marshall is recognized for his superior and long-standing support to Saskatchewan exporters.

16 Driven to Succeed With expansion in its market base and plant facilities, Honey Bee manufacturing is building on its solid line of draper platforms to become the best it can be.

STEP notes 4 Message from the

President and CEO 6 Where in the

World is STEP? Upcoming international trade events

21 Staff Profile Donavon Swinnerton adds his expertise to the STEP team

Market info 18 International Trade:

Measuring Risk and Opportunity STEP’s David Froh discusses Political Risk Analysis

STEP services20 Opening Doors

to the World STEPS’s recently launched Market Access Program is helping Saskatchewan businesses reach new markets around the globe.

VOLUME TWO ISSUE TWOMARCH/APRIL 2010


I am cruising at 39,000 feet high above Kuwait City on my return flight home from Bangladesh. Along the path on

this clear evening, I will pass over Bagh-dad, Beirut and Vienna. I will pass through twelve time zones by the time I arrive home and it will be 36 hours from door to door. I traveled to Bangladesh for some important work that business women and men understand. I came here to say thank you. More on that later.

STEP has been traveling to this corner of the world for over a decade and Sas-katchewan has had export opportunities in this densely populated country going back to the late 1970s. What makes Ban-gladesh remarkable today is that in 2009 Saskatchewan will have exported a re-cord dollar volume of goods and services

greater than any export we have made to continental Europe in 2009.

Our success has been in pulse crops, in-cluding peas and lentils, with staples like wheat and canola making up the major-ity of our export volume. Although the final numbers for 2009 are not in yet, we expect the total to exceed $356 million. This is remarkable when you consider the five year average has been approximately $90 million. In 2009, Saskatchewan will make up over 57 per cent of all of Can-ada’s exports to Bangladesh. The irony of this is that Canada actually has a trade imbalance with Bangladesh based on the fact that we import more than we export to this market.

Bangladesh is a country of contrasts. It is home to a population of over 160 mil-

lion people spread out over a land mass half the size of Italy, which equates to 20 per cent of the size of Saskatchewan. In the capital of Dhaka, there is abject pov-erty, but there is also an emerging work-ing class that is determined to improve their standard of living as well as that of the next generation. To see thousands of women walking down the street heading to work in the garment district in their customary saris is quite a sight to be-hold.

Ironically, the most startling thing for me to see was the traffic congestion. It is hard to explain, but I have never wit-nessed anything like it. Miles upon miles of cars, bumper to bumper, door to door; immersed among three wheeled cabs powered by single cylinder engines; sur-rounded by pedal bike rickshaws carrying people and every other freight imaginable. Every vehicle is dinted and scratched and concepts like traffic circles become pris-ons whereby when you exit, it becomes a game of chance. Taking an hour to drive ten kilometers is deemed fast and speeds in excess of twenty kilometers per hour are rare. I have traveled quite a bit, but I have never seen anything like this.

Canada has played a vital role in Bangla-desh since independence in 1971 and the respect residents of Bangladesh hold for Canadians is genuine and heartwarming.

With the help of the Canadian Consul-ate and His Excellency High Commissioner Robert McDougall, STEP led this mission accompanied by the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, Saskatchewan Agriculture, and STEP members. We travel to this region annually, but this year is different. It was our objective to recognize this remark-

Message from the President & CEOTaking the Time to Say Thank You


able export growth and we did it in a manner that Canadians are familiar with. We organized a gala evening and invited the fourteen top importers.

With the help of the Bangladesh Feder-al Minister of Commerce, Mr. Muhammad Faruk Khan, we had a remarkable eve-ning. To put this event in context, these are multimillion dollar global companies with collective employment numbers in the tens of thousands.

We know from our own experience that business is business, but from time to time it is critical to connect with clients and customers on a personal level to let them know that they are important to us and that we value our working relation-ship. We know from the extensive media coverage we received, we successfully ac-

complished this task with this mission.On a personal note, I always have

friends and colleagues comment on our STEP mission and travel schedule and how terrific it must be and how envious

they are. I certainly understand this and I genuinely feel fortunate to be able to do what we do. However, what most people do not know is that international travel is hard. Adjusting to time zones, planning for security issues – and there are many – planning for health realities like malaria pills and vaccinations, as well as a host of other issues does take a toll on you. Our reality is that for Saskatchewan to be suc-cessful in global markets we must, and we will, be there.

Lionel LaBelle, President & CEOSaskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership


Where inthe world

is STEP?place. The mission will also include at-tendance at the Aqua Nederland Exhibi-tion while seeking opportunities to sell Saskatchewan innovation and learn from Dutch best practices.

Contact: David Froh, Trade Specialist, Technology & Professional Services

Telephone: (306) [email protected]

CME National Buyer Seller Forum

Date: March 23 - 25, 2010Location: Edmonton, Alberta

Building on the foundation of previous National Buyer/Seller Forum, the 2010 edition will focus on new realities of the global heavy oil and oil sands mar-ket after the global economic financial meltdown. The forum remains Canada’s premier supply chain development con-ference with this year’s theme reflecting on “The Maturing of the Oil Sands”. STEP will attend this event to keep abreast of oil sands developments as they pertain to manufacturing supply chain opportu-nities for STEP members.

Contact: Rob Ziola, Director, Manufacturing


participate in the NPEW 2010 trade mis-sion. Over 30,000 retailers, manufactur-ers, industry members, exhibitors and media will attend with 2,500 booths and the largest new products showcase in the country. Event includes exhibits, events, tours, seminars and workshops. Supply Expo also occurs with NPEW which is rel-evant to the raw materials component of the industry.

Contact: Dan Maynard, Trade Specialist - Agri-ValueTelephone: (306) [email protected]

Business Development Mission - The Netherlands

Date: March 14 - 20, 2010Location: The Netherlands

The future prosperity of Saskatchewan and the world depends on maintaining access to increasingly scarce water and energy resources. From extracting raw energy to diluting and dispersing pollut-ants; to purifying, pumping and trans-porting drinking water, water and energy are essential. STEP will lead a business de-velopment mission to The Netherlands to meet with industry leaders, researchers and government officials to determine how Saskatchewan’s demand and supply side technologies and applied research fit into the Dutch and European market-

MARCHBusiness Development

Mission - Asian Development BankDate: March 8 - 12, 2010

Location: Manila, PhilippinesSTEP and member companies will par-ticipate in the Constituency Mission to the Asian Development Bank. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the ADB as well as network with a variety of firms pursuing/working on ADB proj-ects. Held in conjunction with Canada’s Executive Director’s office at the ADB, the mission is open to companies/indi-viduals from countries belonging to the ‘Ice’ Constituency including Canada, Den-mark, Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The mission is de-signed to prepare companies, both expe-rienced and newcomers, to be successful at winning ADB contracts.

Contact: Angela Wasylynka, A/Executive Director - Export Services


Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) 2010

Date: March 11 - 14, 2010Location: Anaheim, California

STEP will recruit member companies to


Buildex EdmontonDate: March 23 - 24, 2010

Location: Edmonton, AlbertaBuildex draws more than 2,000 com-mercial and residential construction in-dustry attendees each year to visit over 150 exhibits and services. Attendees include property managers, building owners, home builders, facility manag-ers, contractors, architects, and interior designers. This is an industry-only event with exhibitors displaying products and services for office, commercial, institu-tional, retail, residential and multi-unit residential properties. STEP will arrange a group display and assist members in making business contacts at this leading industry event.

Contact: Stacey Sauer, Trade Specialist, Manufacturing


CTIA WIRELESS 2010Date: March 23 - 25, 2010

Location: Las Vegas, NevadaThe CTIA WIRELESS event attracts over 40,000 industry professionals from over 80 countries. STEP plans to attend the show and will initiate networking oppor-tunities where participating companies will be able to present their product/ser-vice to industry professionals interested in doing business with Saskatchewan companies.Contact: Donovan Swinnerton, Director,

Technology & Professional ServicesTelephone: (306) 933-6531

[email protected]

Seminar - Using Social Media to Maximize Trade

Show EffectivenessDate: March 31, 2010

Location: Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSTEP, in cooperation with Saskatchewan Advanced Technologies Association, will conduct a lunch-hour educational semi-nar at Innovation Place in Saskatoon. STEP member, zu.com will provide an overview of social media tools and means to use them in the preparation and exe-cution of a trade show strategy as well as for post-show follow-up.

Contact: Jennifer Evancio, Director, Agri-Value


GLOBE 2010Date: March 24 - 26, 2010

Location: Vancouver, British ColumbiaThe event is aimed at the environmental sector and has been well attended in past events. STEP will organize a business de-velopment mission that will involve a group display at the show, arrange meet-ings with buyers, and represent non-at-tending members.

Contact: David Froh, Trade Specialist - Technology & Professional Services


Business Development Mission - Mexico - Woods Products

Date: March 24 - April 1, 2010Location: Guadalajara and

Mexico City, MexicoSTEP will organize a market development mission to Mexico intended to connect Saskatchewan’s primary wood produc-ers with wood importers in Mexico. The mission is an opportunity to learn about the Mexican wood industry, understand competing products in this market and meet with key industry associations while learning if opportunities exist for Saskatchewan wood products in the Mexican market.



China 2010 AGMET Date: April 5 - 22, 2010

Location: Langfang/Heibei, ChinaSTEP will organize a trade development mission to attend the 2010 China Inter-national Agricultural Mechanization and Technology Exhibition in Langfang, Hei-bei. These areas hold strong potential for Saskatchewan produced agricultural equipment and technology.

Contact: Yi Zeng, Trade Specialist, Asia - AfricaTelephone: (306) 787-2194

[email protected]

FITT Skills International Trade Training

Location: Regina/Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

STEP offers FITT Skills International Trade Training, a unique international trade training which was formed from an expressed interest by Saskatchewan companies to make FITT Skills inter-national trade training available. Open doors with STEP delivered international trade training today! Upcoming and con-firmed courses of interest include:

International Market Entry Strategy - Regina (April 10 - 11, 2010)

Registration Deadline: March 28, 2010International Trade Research - Saskatoon

(June 19 - 20, 2010)Registration Deadline: June 6, 2010

Contact: Blair Hudyma - Programs & Training Specialist


APRIL Pet Food Forum

Date: April 12 - 14, 2010Location: Chicago, Illinois

The event is a major show for the pet food industry and includes an associated industry conference. With market trends on pet food moving towards functional ingredients, this event is a natural fit with STEP members. The event sold out in 2009 and strong growth in this industry bodes well for the upcoming years.

Contact: Dan Maynard, Trade Specialist, Agri-ValueTelephone: (306) [email protected]

SIAL Canada 2010 Date: April 21 - 23, 2010

Location: Montreal, QuebecThe event is one of the premier interna-tional food exhibitions which takes place in Canada. Open only to the trade, with an expected 15,000 attendees from 80 countries around the world and with 750 exhibitors, this event successfully links Canadian buyers to the rest of the world. STEP will organize a business develop-ment mission involving a STEP Saskatch-ewan Pavilion to present Saskatchewan’s food ingredients and beverage products.




Agrishow BrazilDates: April 22 - 30, 2010

Location: Ribeirão Preto, Brazil Agrishow is about pure agribusiness de-rived from the need to have a dynamic trade fair where the producer can com-pare, in practice, how new technology can leverage productivity. STEP will orga-nize a business development mission to this event focusing on agricultural equip-ment opportunities, industry briefings, and one-on-one matchmaking meetings.



Successful Partnerships: Working with Independent

Manufacturers Representatives

Date: April 2010 (Date TBC)Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

STEP will organize a seminar involving an executive from the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA) and a pro-fessional MANA representative member to demonstrate how sales representa-tives serve as critical links.



MAY2010 CICILS/IPTIC

Convention, Australia Date: May 1 - 4, 2010

Location: Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia

CICILS/IPTIC, a non-profit group repre-senting 12 national trade associations and more than 220 leading companies in over 32 countries, will conduct their an-nual convention in May, 2010. The group represents the mainstream of the world pulse trade and serves as an international forum for this industry. Contact: Tim Marshall, Senior Director,

Trade Development, Asia - AfricaTelephone: (306) [email protected]

Trade Development Mission - Tokyo, Japan

Date: May 5 - 8, 2010Location: Tokyo, Japan

STEP will lead a mission to Tokyo, Japan, a mature market with opportunities for members. In this business culture, it is important to have face to face contact with buyers to start establishing the re-lationships that can lead to international export opportunities.



CIM Conference & Expo 2010

Date: May 9 - 12, 2010Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

STEP will organize a business develop-ment mission to the CIM Conference & Expo with a focus on STEP members of-fering products/services to the mining in-dustry. The mission will involve a group display at the show, pre-arranged meet-ings with buyers, and representation of non-attending members.

Contact: David Froh, Trade Specialist, Technology & Professional Services


Trade Development Mission - South Africa

Date: May 12 - 22, 2010Location: Johannesburg, Cape Town

and Bothaville, South AfricaFollowing the CICILS Conference, STEP will lead a mission to South Africa with a focus on the pulse and agriculture equip-ment sectors. The mission will include attendance at the NAMPO Agricultural Trade Show which is considered to be one of the largest of its kind and highly regarded in the industry.Contact: Tim Marshall, Senior Director,

Trade Development, Asia - AfricaTelephone: (306) [email protected]

P.O. Box 26011, Regina, SK, S4R 8R7, Canada TEL: 306.543.4777 FAX: 306.545.0661 WEB: www.otfarms.ca

THE OMEGA-3 SOURCEO&T Farms Ltd manufactures Omega-3 feed components,

providing functional food solutions globally for both

animals and humans.


FCM Municipal Expo 2010Date: May 28 - 31, 2010

Location: Toronto, OntarioSTEP will organize a business develop-ment mission that will involve a group display at the show, pre-arranged meet-ings with buyers, and representation of non-attending members.Contact: Donovan Swinnerton, Director,

Technology & Professional ServicesTelephone: (306) 933-6531

[email protected]

STEP Member Education Event - Vendor

Opportunities with Wheatbelt, Inc.Date: May 2010 (TBC)

Location: Saskatoon, SaskatchewanWheatbelt, Inc., a stockholder-owned distributor works primarily with drop ship programs direct to the retailer. Wheatbelt specializes in the retail farm and home market with programs geared to the independent retailer who has a niche within the agriculture area making up a complete retail source for hardware, automotive, clothing and do-it-yourself supplies. Wheatbelt works with over 300 retail locations across the Midwest USA. The member education event will bring a key buyer from the organization to Sas-katchewan to share knowledge on how to do business as a vendor.

Contact: Rob Ziola, Director, Manufacturing


Master of International Trade Move to Change“I found the online Master of International Trade (MIT) program to be an excellent way to prepare graduate students for the world of international trade, both domestically and internationally.”

Chad SwanCe, MIT Graduate

aPPLY nOwFor more information about the MIT program, visit: www. schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDMurray Daku, Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerHitachi Canadian Industries Ltd.

VICE CHAIRCory Furman, Partner MacPherson Leslie & Tyerman, LLP

Jim Engdahl, President & CEO Great Western Minerals Group Ltd.

Ngee Cau, Chief Executive Officer Marketel

Keith Brown, CEO Trailtech

Dale Lemke, President Display Systems International Inc.

Tim Wiens, President & CEO O & T Farms

Greg Larson, CEO The Larson Group of Companies

Shannon Jakes, Senior Manager CIBC Commercial Banking

Greg Menzies, President & CEO Wigmore Farms

Sandra Purdy, President Prairie Berries Inc.

Paul Degelman, Sales & Marketing Manager Degelman Industries Ltd.

Doug Matthies, Deputy MinisterMinistry of Finance

Alanna Koch, Deputy MinisterMinistry of Agriculture

Dale Botting, CEO Enterprise Saskatchewan

STEP Board of Directors


Mainstream’s BioFiltration SCOR Water Treatment System in the Town of Fleming.

SAFE, AFFORDABLE WATER FOR RURAL SASKATCHEWAN

Providing customers with affordable, chemical-free water treatment systems is sat-isfying work for the staff at Mainstream Water Solutions Inc. The clean, safe drink-ing water their systems produce plays a key role in both improving their custom-

ers’ quality of life and the sustainability of the rural communities in which they live.


BY TRILBY HENDERSON

Chemical-Free, Low Cost Water Treatment Systems Perfect

for Rural Communities


“Good quality water in a rural com-munity is a fundamental need for the growth, expansion or, in fact, longev-ity of the community,” says Doug Price, president and CEO of the Regina-based business.

Price says Mainstream Water Solu-tions essentially got its start in the mid 1980’s when David Keet began looking for an effective way to recycle the water on his fish farm. Working with several organizations including the National Re-search Council, Saskatchewan Research Council, and University of Saskatch-ewan, Keet developed a chemical-free water treatment system and began using the product on both his fish and chicken farms with great success. By 1989, Keet had begun selling his water treatment system to other rural residents.

Price says the company has grown and evolved significantly since those early years. In 2002, Mainstream amalgam-ated with two other companies, adding an ozone component to the treatment system and a water-testing laboratory to the business. However, the company later closed the laboratory in order to focus solely on providing water treat-ment solutions.

Following the amalgamation, Main-stream decided to expand its business to small municipalities. They started by completing a 15-month pilot project in Osage, Saskatchewan, where they con-structed a system to treat the surface water from a dugout located in a nearby field.

“That is about the most challenging water you can find to treat,” says Price.

Mainstream was able to use the proj-ect’s successful results to sell their treat-ment system to other municipalities and has since built up a “pipeline” of cus-tomers across Western Canada. Small municipal customers currently make up 95 per cent of Mainstream’s sales, al-though they continue to sell to individu-al rural residents, as well as agricultural and commercial businesses.

Mainstream’s water treatment system is comprised of several different compo-nents, each of which can be customized

The Town of Craik’s SCO625 BioFiltration Drinking Water Treatment System created by Main-stream Water Solutions. Photo Credit: National Research Council Canada, 2009

to treat the specific contaminants found in the customer’s raw water. Accord-ing to Price, all components are usually required in a system designed to treat surface water, such as from a dugout or lake. Ground or well water, on the other hand, can be easier to treat and only some system components may be needed.

In addition to testing the raw water and identifying its contaminants, Price says the company needs to consider the volume of treated water required by the customer before a treatment system can be built. Mainstream offers two stan-dard water treatment systems for indi-vidual residential customers – a 200 gal-lon per day system and a 400 gallon per day system – but the company can cus-tomize their product to meet the needs of communities that require as much as 400,000 to 500,000 gallons per day.

Initially, the raw water is run through an ozonation process. Ozone is a power-ful disinfectant and oxidizing agent that breaks contaminants into smaller piec-es, making them easier for the bio filters to digest. Next, the water moves into a

roughing filter made of a coarse medi-um (i.e. gravel) that removes the larger particles such as algae. From there, the water moves through the BioSand and BioCarbon filters, which remove any re-maining organic and inorganic contami-nants.

The treated water is stored in an aer-ated storage tank until it can be pumped through the residential or municipal distribution system. Once the treat-ment process is complete, the water is continually aerated and re-circulated through the BioCarbon filter to make sure the quality of the water does not deteriorate.

“It just gets better and better as a re-sult,” says Price.

He adds that the treated water is also used to backwash the system. This means running clean water back through the bio filters to dislodge any excessive biological build-up. Price says periodic backwashing is the only maintenance required to keep the system operating smoothly.

In addition to its simplistic operation and low maintenance, Mainstream’s wa-



Mainstream’s SCOR50 BioFiltration Drinking Water Treatment System used by the Village of Dunrea.

ter treatment system has many other attractive features. First among these is the quality of the drinking water pro-duced.

“The quality of the water coming out of one of our treatment systems is ex-tremely good and people just love it,” says Price.

Another important feature is the fact that Mainstream’s system is environmen-tally friendly, as no chemicals are used in the treatment process. In keeping with provincial regulations, municipalities are required to add chlorine to treated water to disinfect any contaminants the water has picked on its travels through the distribution system. A Mainstream water treatment system can reduce the amount of chlorine needed by up to 75 per cent.

Mainstream’s treatment system also produces a minimal amount of wastewa-ter, equaling only five to seven per cent of the total water used, as compared to up to 35 per cent produced by other sys-tems. This feature is particularly enticing for communities dealing with limited wastewater storage space.

Price says the capital costs of install-ing a Mainstream system tend to be lower than other options, as are the power and energy costs associated with its operation. This makes it a very attrac-tive choice for small municipalities with limited funding.

Mainstream’s total service package is also very competitive. The company offers training to residential customers and municipal operators, and sponsors an annual operators’ seminar, which pro-

vides continuing education credits to participants. They also assist municipali-ties with grant applications for federal and/or provincial funding.

The Mainstream Water Solutions system is “universally applicable,” says Price. He expects the company will ex-pand into national and international markets in the future; however, for the time being, Price says there is still plen-

ty of room for growth across Western Canada and the company will continue to focus its efforts here.

“We intend to continue to grow. There is a lot of opportunity for us in our current market and there are other markets that will provide us opportu-nity. From our perspective, we have a unique product which is very adaptable in the size of market we serve.”


306.296.2297 www.honeybee.ca • [email protected]

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THE BEST IN THE EXPORT BUSINESS

Tim Marshall has been selected by

the Saskatchewan Pulse Grow-

ers (SPG) as the 2009 BASF Pulse

Promoter of the Year. Marshall, Senior Di-

rector of Saskatchewan Trade and Export

Partnership (STEP) for Asia and Africa,

was selected as the 2009 recipient for his

contributions to improving trade within

Canada and across the world.

“Tim has spent a lifetime devoted to

agriculture, not just in Canada, but across

the world,” said Garth Patterson, Execu-

tive Director of SPG. “It is that kind of

dedication, passion and commitment that

makes him deserving of this award.”

Marshall was born and raised in War-

wick, England. After graduation, he

moved to Zambia where he volunteered

as a Farm Management Research Officer,

working on resettlement projects for in-

digenous farmers. He continued to work

in both the United Kingdom and Africa,

at one time as the General Manager of

Commercial Motors, the Peugeot Car

Distributor for Zambia. In 1985, Marshall

moved to Saskatchewan to assume the

responsibility of the Pulse Crop Trading

Division for Agdevco as Vice President.

Today, as a Senior Director with STEP,

Marshall dedicates his time to promoting

Saskatchewan products in the Eastern

Hemisphere.

Along with his professional position,

Marshall is also Fellow of the British Insti-

tute of Agricultural Engineers (FIAgEng)

and is a member of the European Society

of Agricultural Engineers (EurAgEng). As

well, he is a Certified International Trade

Professional (CITP) and the Honorary

Consul for Mongolia in Saskatchewan.

The annual Pulse Promoter award is

sponsored by BASF Canada and is pre-

sented at Pulse Days in Saskatoon each

January. Mark Kuchuran, Senior Technical

Development Specialist for BASF Canada,

who presented the award, says, “Tim is

the perfect recipient for this award. His

experience has been used to aid many

countries, and it is having a very positive

effect on the industry here at home. With

Tim’s contribution, products that we are

so proud of here are being recognized all

over the world.”

BASF is the world’s leading chemical

company. Its portfolio ranges from chem-

icals, plastics and performance products

to agricultural products, fine chemicals

and oil and gas. More information about

BASF can be found at www.basf.com.


Tim Marshall Named BASF Pulse Promoter of the Year


Young’s Equipment

The ability to succeed despite ad-verse conditions and challenges, while providing high quality cus-

tomer service and excellent working con-ditions for its employees, is what makes Young’s Equipment Inc. stand out against its competitors. Their success has earned them the title of 2009 North American Farm Equipment Dealership of the year by the newspaper, Farm Equipment, and the 2003 Business of the Year Award from the Regina Chamber of Commerce.

However, their success did not come easily. In fact, the owners of Young’s Equipment – Lloyd, Tim, Bill and Ron Young – faced numerous challenges after purchasing the Regina dealership in No-vember 1988 from receivership after the previous owners were convicted of fraud and sent to prison. Although others were sceptical that the dealership could regain

consumers’ trust and become profitable once again, the Young family felt that it was an ideal opportunity to start their Case IH dealership in Saskatchewan.

The company initially employed nine individuals, who worked to rebuild the company’s reputation with consumers, and it experienced modest growth for several years. Then, in May 2000, the company suffered a significant setback when it was forced to rebuild its Regina operation after a massive fire destroyed the 39,000 square foot building just days before the company was set to acquire a new dealership in Moose Jaw. Young’s Equipment managed to transform this setback into a major milestone for the company as it followed through with the Moose Jaw acquisition and built a new 67,000 square foot facility in Regina to

meet the future needs of the company.Today, Young’s Equipment encom-

passes five Case IH locations in Regina, Moose Jaw, Weyburn, Windthorst and Assiniboia, a Livestock Equipment divi-sion in Regina, 132 employees and sales that reached over $106 million in sales in 2009.

“Our most successful product is Case IH high wheel sprayers where the market share has been as high as 60 per cent,” says Tim Young, General Manager of Young’s Equipment.

Case IH four-wheel drive, self-propelled combines and Bourgault seeding and tilling equipment are among the other top selling equipment lines offered by Young’s Equipment. However, the com-pany’s high quality equipment is only one of the reasons that it is the dealer-ship of choice for farmers and ranchers in Saskatchewan. Young’s Equipment is also known for its commitment to customers through its on-the-farm equipment dem-onstrations, top quality service depart-ments and technicians, and large inven-tory of in stock parts.

“We invest a tremendous amount of money in our inventory of wholegoods and parts, this contributes to increased customer satisfaction. We strive for supe-rior parts availability and provide a high fill rate from the counter for our cus-tomers,” says Young. “We have approxi-mately $9 million worth of parts in stock throughout our dealerships, so that we have the parts on hand when farmers need them to minimize their down time in the field.”

The dealerships also retain a few spray-ers, combines and tractors on-site in case a farmer needs to rent one if their ma-chine breaks down during the season. In many cases, the rental unit will be operat-

BY NICOLE WILLIAMS

Young’s Equipment Dealership of the Year - 2009. From left to right: Tim Young, Lloyd Young, Bill Young and Kirby Engele.


Young’s Equipment Inc. is your authorized CASE IH Dealer carrying the full line of Case Agricultural Equipment, including Case High Clearance Sprayers.

We also represent other quality equipment manufacturers, including Bourgault, Apache Sprayers and Versatile Tractors.

Young’s Equipment Inc. is proud to be recognized as the Farm Equipment Magazine 2009 Dealership of the Year!

Assiniboia Moose Jaw Regina Windthorst Weyburnwww.youngsequipment.com

ing on the farm roughly 90 minutes after the call comes in to Young’s Equipment.

Their service departments are also on call seven days a week year round and 24 hours a day during the seeding, harvest-ing and spraying seasons to ensure farm-ers are not kept out of the field waiting for their equipment to be repaired.

Of course, no business would be able to maintain this level of customer service without the dedication of its staff, and Young’s Equipment works throughout the year to recognize them for their efforts. The company routinely holds apprecia-tion days and events for employees and their families and encourages profession-al development opportunities, investing between $150,000 and $200,000 a year in training for its staff.

Despite the global economic recession, Young’s Equipment saw an eight per cent increase in sales in 2009, and they antici-pate a 10 per cent sales increase in 2010.

As a forward-looking company, Young’s Equipment is constructing a new 40,700 square foot building in Weyburn this year, and they would like to expand to five ad-ditional locations in the next five years to double the size of the company.

Uncovering new export markets will also be focused on in the coming years as Young’s Equipment works to increase its exports, which have been limited to date.

“We currently do very little exporting right now, with our sales mainly in Aus-tralia,” says Young. “But we are interest-ed in working with STEP to investigate potential new business models that will boost our agriculture export market op-portunities.”

The future of Young’s Equipment is positive, and Tim is looking forward to working with his oldest son, who gradu-ated with honours from the Queen’s Uni-versity School of Business. He is set to join the company on September 1, 2010. Over time, his son will learn about the business and will eventually take over the reins when Tim retires.


“Everyday is a highlight here,” says Brad Nelson when asked about the recent highlights

he’s seen as General Manager of Honey Bee Manufacturing.

One of the greatest highlights lately, says Nelson, is that Honey Bee – a lead-ing agricultural equipment manufactur-er based in Frontier, Saskatchewan – has been growing its market base over the past three to four years.

This growth has been made possible because of the strength of Honey Bee’s core products, which include a variety of combine and swather headers compat-ible with most tractors and combines.

“The draper platform technology con-tinues to prove itself in many countries of the world and in a wide variety of crops and conditions,” says Honey Bee on its website. The various platforms work with a wide range of crops, from cereals to peas and mustard.

They also feature some of the leading technology in the industry. Honey Bee draper heads are designed to maximize combine performance, virtually elimi-nating the feeding restraints associated with auger headers. The basic design

features and options include a tubular steel frame, lateral leaf spring float sys-tem, skid plates, hydraulic reel drive, draper speed control, canvas tension and tracking, a step-up gear box, header tilt, Schumacher cutting system, and an independent hydraulic system, all of which contribute to a low maintenance, high field performance product.

The products are providing a solid foundation for Honey Bee to pursue new markets and establish itself in existing ones. Honey Bee’s main customer base is in Western Canada, with some clients in the grain-growing parts of Ontario and Quebec. The company is also in the marketplace in Australia, China, Ger-many, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, and the United States.

Also backing the company as it grows is Honey Bee’s solid 30 year history. The family-owned business was started in 1979 by brothers Greg and Glenn Honey at their farm in Bracken, Saskatchewan. Among their debut products were a rod weeder attachment for tillage equip-ment and a 67 foot self-propelled swather, followed by a tract-mounted swather series.

After only eight years in business, Honey Bee moved to a larger facility in the nearby village of Frontier, found in the southwest corner of Saskatch-ewan. In 2001, the Frontier facility was expanded to its current size of over 100,000 square feet of warehousing and production space.

Expansions are happening again at Honey Bee, not only in its market base, but also with a new on-site research and development centre expected to be completed by the end of April 2010. The new research centre stems from a cor-porate vision to continue to be innova-tive – a vision that has been with Honey Bee since it started.

“We have, in terms of market develop-ment, participated in innovative product ideas in the past. It’s what drives us to-day to better suit customer needs,” says Nelson.

“It comes down to value. Corporately, we made a conscious decision that we wanted to be the best we can be. We feel we have a core product and knowl-edge and we’re going to continue to build on that. We know where our ex-perience lies.”

DRIVEN TO SUCCEED

Honey Bee Manufacturing Builds on the Strength of its Core Products

BY KATIE BOYCE


The goal now, says Nelson, is to “spend research time and dollars,” to build on its strengths.

One of these strengths is Honey Bee’s employees. Although the company is located outside of a major centre, Nel-son does not see this as a disadvantage, explaining that Honey Bee is “very di-verse in terms of employee base,” with personnel experienced in engineering, sales, purchasing, administration, CAD, and the shop floor process. “We also rely on outside consultants in different areas of expertise.”

Since moving to Frontier in the late 1980s, the company has grown from a dozen staff to over 260 employees.

Unlike other Saskatchewan business-es, it was only in 2009 that Honey Bee started to feel the labour shortage that has been an ongoing trend in the prov-ince.

“We’ve certainly had our staffing chal-lenges. We’ve been challenged to hire the right people and enough of the right people, even more so in 2009 than any other time in our history.”

“Another challenge for us, like every-one else, is the world economic crisis,” says Nelson. “Agriculture is not immune to it. Neither are the areas where we’re trying to develop our markets. These ar-eas have seen challenges not seen two to three years ago.”

But, Honey Bee is ready to take on the challenge, not only because of its qual-ity products, but also because of its cus-tomer service.

“The human side of what we do is im-portant to our customers. We still try in an old-fashioned business way to put a face to the company. We consider that important. We don’t have a protocol that certain people in our company can’t be talked to.”

It’s this human dimension that will carry Honey Bee into new markets.

While the company has been operat-ing for three decades, Nelson says that the past three to four years have been the right time for the company to pursue exporting opportunities, whereas this scope was beyond them in the past.

“Our customers are not just found in own backyard, although that market is critical to us,” says Nelson. He explains that in recent years, “we’ve become a lot more interested in what the interna-tional export opportunities are.”

Now that Honey Bee is at the export ready stage, Nelson says the company has been taking advantage of its mem-bership with Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP).

“STEP has definitely assisted us, no question. We were early participants with STEP. But, we didn’t have the ca-pacity, time, and people [for interna-tional exporting]. In the last three years, we’ve joined up again and are seeing the benefit of it today.”

He adds that STEP has helped Honey Bee to attend and successfully make connections at trade shows, including Agritechnica in 2009 in Hanover, Ger-many, one of the world’s largest agricul-tural exhibitions.

“The show in Hanover, Germany opened doors to us that we did not an-ticipate at the time,” says Nelson.

Besides Agritechnica, Honey Bee has also been reaching out by attending the 2010 Crop Production Show, AgConnect Expo, Manitoba Ag Days, International

The Honey Bee plant in Frontier, Saskatchewan covers 100,000 square foot of space and will grow even more this spring with the addition of a research centre.

Crop Expo in Grand Forks, North Dako-ta, the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show in Memphis, Tennessee, and the Ag Expo in Lethbridge. Also in 2010, Honey Bee will be attending the Western Canada Farm Progress Show this June, and the 2010 Agri-trade Exposition in Red Deer in November.

Besides opening doors to trade shows, “there’s also a lot of Market Intelligence at STEP at our disposal, and it’s available immediately,” says Nelson.

For Honey Bee, the support from STEP has been significant because the compa-ny simply doesn’t have all the answers.

“We don’t have it all together. We’re learning; we’re a growing company. We make product errors, like everyone else, and market choice errors from time to time,” says Nelson.

Instead of viewing the mistakes as failures, Nelson looks at them as step-ping stones to improve the business.

“We want to become better at what we do by learning from the mistakes,” says Nelson. “We want to become the best at what we do.”

Backed by the strength of its core products and its solid history, Honey Bee is set to continue to be a leader in the agriculture manufacturing sector.

The Grain Belt Plus 3655 is one of Honey Bee’s solid core products.


Saskatchewan people are experi-enced exporters. We understand that the path to prosperity is

paved by trade. This path, however, is changing. Many of the markets that pres-ent a business opportunity also present a risk. The commodities we have come to rely on increasingly come from political unstable jurisdictions, and much of the global economic growth emanates from emerging markets.

For centuries, traders and merchants have understood the art of political risk analysis or have contracted practitioners skilled in the trade. The analysis is em-ployed to judge the potential impact and likely outcome of human political deci-sions that affect the economic climate of a market.

Political risk is described as “the like-lihood that political activity, economic events and socio-cultural realities in a market will cause financial, human or strategic losses to a company.”

In order to mitigate the risks associ-ated with political risk, decision makers must have an in-depth understanding of the geo-political, economic and socio-cultural intricacies in their prospective markets. In other words, they must un-derstand the political risk.

From Canada to Latvia, every country maintains its own unique level of political risk. Some states are more vulnerable to economic risk while others may have a propensity to fall victim to societal inse-curities. The strategies for most compa-

nies engaging in political risk mitigation are informal and unfocused. Often, this is because of inexperience or the high costs of utilizing qualified consultants. Gener-ally, companies will send a senior execu-tive to the market; monitor in-market publications; contact the local Canadian Embassy; and perhaps hire a local consul-tant.

While these steps are important, more must be done.

First, engage in a political risk analysis early. Once your business has invested in the market it can be too late. An objec-tive and dispassionate approach is often only realistic at the outset.

Next, examine the political connec-tions of your business partners and cul-tivate relationships with elected and unelected officials from all sectors and all major parties. Avoid the temptation to make monetary donations to political parties.

Third, adopt a firm open and transpar-ent policy for all business activities.

Fourth, engage civil society leaders from journalists to schools to reputable NGOs. These are the opinion influencers who can emerge as valuable assets. You must maintain a strong social license to do business. While paying taxes and roy-alties may be enough in Saskatchewan, internationally it is essential to foster and sustain respectful relationships in the communities where you do business.

Whether you’re doing business in

Alberta or Venezuela, political and se-curity intangibles exist that will affect your business. Because of this, STEP of-fers members a political risk analysis reporting service. At STEP, we combine an acute and unique understanding for international trade, the culture of global commerce and the political economy in which we do business. STEP’s custom po-litical risk analysis reports will ensure you have a comprehensive understanding of the market in question. Risk is an inevi-table part of life and business. However, with information and knowledge comes the ability to mitigate risk.

STEP’s political risk analysis covers all scenarios which have the potential to adversely or positively affect your busi-nesses investment. In order to under-stand the political risk of a particular investment or market, we help you first to understand issues ranging from politi-cal and security considerations, such as political dissonance, terrorism, civil war, and weak political institutions, to socio-cultural aspects, including social/ethnic stratification, labour unrest, and condi-tions of the labour market.

Political and security intangibles will affect your business. To the extent that you empower your decision making pro-cesses with knowledge, you can mitigate these risks. If you are planning to do busi-ness in an emerging or unstable market, contact STEP to discuss how a political risk analysis might benefit you.

Understanding the Art of Political Risk Analysis

BY DAVID FROH Trade Specialist, STEP


Reach Your Company’s Full Exporting Potential With STEP...Saskatchewan companies seeking to expand or enhance their current marketing activities need look no further than a membership with Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP). A unique global service provider, STEP provides its 400 members with services and benefits essential to international marketing. Featuring access to global contacts in 100 countries, qualified trade leads, and market research, STEP core services include:

• MarketIntelligence-customizedmarketintelligenceforyourproducts or services in markets of interest to you.

• TradeDevelopment-adviceandguidanceonopportunitiesin the market and assistance for companies with outgoing and incoming trade missions.

• InternationalFinance-customexportfinancesolutionsviaone-on-one consultations.

• InternationalProjects-relevantinformationonSTEP’scurrentprojectportfolioandpotentialmemberopportunities,as well as information on STEP’s overall policy, direction and interestininternationaldevelopmentprojects.

Join STEP today and open the door to exporting success.

Spread your wingsand fly with us

For more information or to become a member, contact STEP at 1-877-313-7244 or log on to www.sasktrade.sk.ca.


The last 18 months have been a roller coaster ride for many Sas-katchewan businesses working in

domestic and global markets. That’s why Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partner-ship (STEP) launched the new STEP Market Access Program (MAP) this January.

“The Market Access Program was cre-ated as a tool to support STEP members as they enter new markets or develop in the markets they are already in,” says Angela Wasylynka, STEP’s Acting Executive Direc-tor, Export Services.

The program provides financial support for STEP members who are participating in STEP-led trade events or missions, or exhibiting at trade shows on their own. Once approved through the MAP applica-tion process, STEP members may be re-imbursed for up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, including travel, accommodation, trade show expenses and the translation of marketing materials for the specific trade event.

STEP created the program for two main reasons, says Wasylynka.

“The last 18 months have been a real pull on our members with the global recession. But, now is not the time to retreat, it’s the time to get out into the marketplace.” She explains that with help from the pro-gram, STEP members can overcome the financial barriers of marketing and pursue new opportunities.

Plus, MAP fills an important gap in the province in terms of support for market-ing, says Wasylynka. “There is not a multi-sector program like this in Saskatchewan, although many individual sectors have their own financial support programs

similar to this one. However, the Market Access Program is open to all STEP mem-bers; it’s not just sector specific.”

Many Saskatchewan companies are al-ready tapping into the opportunity that MAP provides.

“The initial response to the program has been tremendous. To date, we have had more than 20 applicants, the bulk of which are from the Technology and Pro-fessional Services sector because this is a busy time for that sector in terms of trade shows and missions,” says Wasylynka.

STEP has also received applications from companies in the agri-value and manufac-turing sectors.

These applicants are attending trade events in Canada, including in B.C. and Ontario. They are also spreading out around the world to places such as Brazil, China, Germany, Honduras, and across the United States.

Some of the shows they have attended are the New Products Show in California in March, the BioFach Organic Show in Germany in February, and an Asian STEP Trade Development Mission in February. With support from MAP, several compa-nies will be attending upcoming informa-tion technology shows, such as Microsoft Convergence 2010 in April.

For these companies, funding from MAP has made their marketing goals pos-sible. “Many STEP members have iden-tified events they would like to attend, and have had these projects on their radar for a long while, but the resources weren’t there to make it happen. Now, with sup-port from MAP, they are able to achieve some of their marketing goals and ulti-

mately open doors to new business op-portunities,” says Wasylynka.

The program is open to regular STEP members that are exhibiting in a trade show, trade event, or trade mission in a new export market outside of Saskatch-ewan. Applicants must produce an export-able product or service to markets outside of the province. Also, the products and services should have at least 50 per cent Saskatchewan content.

Applications must be received no later than 45 days prior to the proposed visit to the specific trade show, trade event or trade mission. The applications are re-viewed by the MAP Adjudication Commit-tee to determine whether: the submitted costs are reasonable and in accordance with program guidelines; the proposed activity is clearly identified and directly related to new market development; and the majority of benefits accrue to Sas-katchewan.

Funding applications for the program must have an overall cost of $1,000. The maximum contribution to any applicant in each fiscal year is $5,000. The program is administered on a reimbursement basis; funding advances are not provided. To receive reimbursement, applicants must provide required documentation within 30 days of returning from the trade activ-ity.

For complete details relating to costs eligible under the MAP Program, qualifi-cation criteria, or to apply, contact STEP’s Program Administrator at (306) 787-3223 or [email protected]. More infor-mation and application forms can also be found online at www.sasktrade.sk.ca.

STEP Market Access Program Helps

Exporters Showcase their Business


Staff Profile: Donovan Swinnerton Adds

Experience and Expertise to the STEP Team

BY KATIE BOYCE

From making executive decisions to handling the small details involved in business administration, Dono-

van Swinnerton has had a diverse career experience in freight forwarding, trans-portation, sales, operation and manage-ment. He’s now bringing that solid expe-rience to his position as Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership’s (STEP) Director of Trade Development in Tech-nology and Professional Services.

“My job responsibility is to make sure that STEP members are represented. I aim to understand what our members’ objectives are and what their services and products are so that I can find op-portunities for them outside of Saskatch-ewan borders,” says Swinnerton.

He explains that STEP’s services in-clude counselling, as well as participat-ing in trade missions and in virtual trade missions, where the buyer and seller meet via videoconference as an easy and efficient alternative to the cost and time spent for travel.

Ultimately, Swinnerton’s job is all about STEP members. “I want to make our members happy. I want to make sure that, in the services we offer as a mem-bership, our members are getting their value back.”

It’s this focus on Saskatchewan busi-nesses that attracted Swinnerton to a career with STEP. He joined the organiza-

tion in September 2009, moving on from 13 years in the transportation industry, including 10 years at RSB Logistic Inc., where he managed the transportation of nuclear products around the world. He holds a Business Administration degree with majors in both marketing and man-agement from Minot State University.

“I wanted to explore how to get in-volved with Saskatchewan businesses,” says Swinnerton about his decision to seek a position with STEP. He adds that besides a provincial focus, his new career also allows him to remain in touch with the global marketplace.

The individualized work with members is one of Swinnerton’s favourite aspects of his position.

“I enjoy brainstorming with members on how to find new markets, and the op-portunity to be a sounding board. I like seeing the excitement in our members’ eyes as they look at building their com-pany from the ground up.”

Due its vast array of members, each with their own niche markets, STEP strives to work with companies on a one-on-one basis. The Technology and Professional Services sector alone covers a wide cross-section of industries, including energy, mining, environment, health sciences, in-formation and communications technol-ogy, government procurement as well as the arts, culture, and film industry.

STEP’s expert staff helps all of these sectors by opening doors to the world through trade missions. In 2009, Swin-nerton attended the GTEC Trade Show and Conference in Ottawa in October, followed by the E3 Trade Show and Con-ference in Minneapolis, which focused on the environmental sector.

In the first half of 2010, he will be lead-ing trade missions to the CTIA Wireless 2010 Conference and Expo in March and to CleanTech 2010 in June, where 40,000 people in the environmental sector will gather from 80 countries.

Both the CTIA Wireless and CleanTech shows are new to STEP, says Swinnerton. CTIA Wireless is a great opportunity for the emerging technology sector in Sas-katchewan, while CleanTech is designed for the strong environmental sector in the province.

In addition to attending trade shows, Swinnerton helps members enter the market on the right footing through STEP’s varied programs.

“Our Market Intelligence program re-ally gives businesses a head start on the market. If they are thinking of growing and expanding, the program is a great way to put feelers out to see if there are opportunities are in that market,” says Swinnerton, adding that through the program, STEP can directly link compa-nies to buyers.



For companies looking to attend trade shows, STEP’s newly launched Market Access Program may provide a financial boost.

“The Market Access Program is an opportunity for businesses to recover some associated costs used to attend trade shows,” says Swinnerton, adding that STEP started the program because “with the down turn in the economy, STEP wanted to do our part in assisting our members to get out and explore new markets. These funds will help companies make those new sales they may not have received otherwise while cash flows are tight.”


Request for Stories from MembersWhen STEP introduced Global Ventures, a bi-monthly publication in January 2009, we wanted to ensure that we carried a message both on behalf of and to the business community at a provincial, national, and international level. Based on the feedback we have received, this has proven to be an appropriate medium to relay timely messaging to both the local business community as well as the network of international contacts that this organization has developed. The articles featured identify STEP members who are making a strong economic impact to the province. The publications offer provincial business leaders, stakeholders, provincial and international media as well as a host of international contacts with timely information pertaining to Saskatchewan

and the markets we serve. As a STEP membership benefit, you can be part of this initiative by sharing your business venture as we continue to highlight business development in the province with a focus on exports in the agri-value, manufacturing, technology and professional services sectors. For further information, please contact Heather Swan, Manager - Corporate Services, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) at [email protected] or (306) 787-7942.

8 GLOBALVENTURES • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

“Think Green, Reclean” is more than just a catchy phrase for the staff at Failure Prevention Services (FPS). In fact, their dedication to this motto, combined with a self-sufficient attitude and innovative spirit, has led the company to become a leading manufac-turer of environmentally-friendly, clean-

able stainless steel filtration products. Today, FPS is positively impacting both the environment and their customer’s bottom lines by “putting a green footprint on fil-tration.” Dan Beuker, CEO of Failure Preven-tion Services, says the company’s line of stainless steel filters offers customers “a

long-term solution with tremendous envi-ronmental benefits.” Currently, FPS’s prod-ucts are sold world-wide to companies spanning the refining and mining, chemi-cal, food, pulp and paper, and oil and gas industries, to name a few. “Basically, any industry out there that requires some form of filtration, they’re a

PUTTING A GREEN FOOTPRINT ON FILTRATIONFailure Prevention Services Offers World Class Filtering Solutions

BY TRILBY HENDERSON

8 GLOBALVENTURES • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 • GLOBALVENTURES 9

potential customer that we can help,” says Bob Pitzel, COO for FPS. FPS was established in 1987 by Gary and Debbie Schuler. The two owners solely ran the company for the first several months, working out of a 1,700 square foot facil-ity and putting in long hours pounding the pavement to build up their business. Beuker joined FPS eight months later, fol-lowed by Walt Oancia in 1989. In 2007, af-ter Gary Schuler passed away, the Beuker and Oancia families purchased the Schul-ers’ shares in the business.

Originally, FPS focused on distributing disposable filtration products to the oil and gas industry; however, they quickly recognized a growing demand for reus-able filtration products. Although there were reusable filters on the market at that time, Beuker says they were lacking in sev-eral areas: they had a low capacity, they were difficult to clean, and they could not be incorporated into an existing system without modification.FPS believed they could manufacture their own superior product by tackling each of these issues. “Our Saskatchewan mentality said that we can get there. We just have to keep working till we achieve it,” says Beuker. In 1994, the company launched a line of stainless steel filters that not only outper-formed their disposable counterparts, but could easily replace them in any system.Today, the company employs 22 staff in a 35,000 square foot facility, from which they operate both their distribution and manufacturing sectors. Although FPS feels that stainless steel filters are the way of the future, they continue to offer dispos-able filters to clients through their distri-bution side.

“We want to be able to supply our cus-tomers with a full variety of options. The ‘Think Green, Reclean’ scenario offers a long term plan for a lot of customers” says Beuker.All FPS stainless steel products are manufactured at the company’s facility in Watson, Saskatchewan. By manufactur-ing all components of their products on site, FPS is able to retain complete quality control over production. The company ad-heres to an extensive quality management system and has achieved and maintained ISO9001-2008 certification.

FPS currently offers more than 800 dif-ferent configurations of their stainless steel filters. The company also provides in-house, custom-designed filtration solu-tions. The company believes in supporting its products throughout their life cycle.

“It’s more than just selling the stainless filter. It’s kind of ‘holding the filter’s hand’ through its whole life to make sure it’s be-ing treated properly, being serviced prop-erly, and remains as effective five or fifteen years down the road as it was on day one,” says Pitzel.Each stainless steel filter comes with a leak-proof shipping and storage case to protect it during transport. FPS has also developed a series of high pressure, ul-trasonic cleaning stations that effectively clean the filters without damaging them. The long lifespan of the stainless steel filters is one of their biggest selling fea-tures. Each FPS filter lasts anywhere be-tween five and fifteen years, depending on the industry in which it is used. This compares quite favourably to the two to three month lifespan of the disposable variety, and although the initial cost of a stainless filter is higher (about $300 com-pared to around $20 for a disposable), Beuker notes that the long-term savings are significant.

Each filter is manufactured with a serial number that classifies it as equipment, meaning it can be leased to allow the customer to spread their capital costs out over a period of time.Other money-saving benefits of FPS stainless steel filters include the fact that they can be used for longer intervals be-tween servicing; they provide better flow through; and they work well in high tem-peratures or corrosive environments, such as those characteristic of mining. The environmental benefits of the products are equally important. In addi-

FPS creates custom filters in its manufacturing facilities in Watson.

tion to drastically reducing the number of filters that are discarded, the FPS closed system cleaning process enables most of the waste collected in the filters to be re-claimed, virtually eliminating anything go-ing to a landfill or being disposed of on site. “In a lot of cases, the cleaning costs turn out to be less than the environmental fees for buying and getting rid of a disposable filter,” says Pitzel.Beuker and Pitzel predict a solid future for the company. Sales have remained sta-ble despite the economic recession and slowdown in the oil and gas industry. This is a testament to both the quality and val-ue of their products, as well as their staff. “I think our biggest strength is our peo-ple,” says Pitzel. “This company is popu-lated by people that look for solutions.”“We’ve got a young management team that’s involved in the company and we see their excitement because we’re really do-ing something for the environment,” Beu-ker adds. ”Reducing waste dramatically, and having a long-term plan for it, is re-ally doing something for the environment rather than just talking about it.”FPS recently joined Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership as part of their plan to take the marketing of their prod-ucts to a new level.

“I think we’ve done our due diligence to get the product and the service to where it is now. We’re ready to take it to the mar-ketplace and let it do its job,” says Beuker. “We want to grow the business; we want to show the world what we can do.”

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009 • GLOBALVENTURES 9

By providing all of these STEP programs, Swinnerton has all the tools at his disposal to meet his goal of working with businesses to help them reach new markets and achieve new heights.

“It’s a real honour for me to be working for Saskatchewan businesses. I value the time and the opportunities to speak with them,” he says, adding, “I encourage more businesses to use STEP’s services. Engaging with STEP can make a real difference in the success of their business around the globe.”

24 GLOBALVENTURES • MARCH/APRIL 2010bourgault_STEP_2010_outline.indd 1 12/9/2009 8:42:59 AM