Parkland Manufacturing has steel fabrication in its blood that goes back to the 1960’s in rural Saskatchewan with a young trades apprentice taking sheet metal and the welding trade certifications and working hard to support his young family. Eventually he worked his way up the ladder to manager and then partnered to start Parkland Manufacturing in 1992, a small fabrication shop servicing the local mining industry and community in southeast Saskatchewan.
In the 30 years under the Parkland Manufacturing banner, there have been significant changes. A second generation working for the company; new equipment; industry booms and busts; generational change in industry; Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion; and climate change, just to mention a few.
It hasn’t always been easy as the company have fought not only the changes of time, but we have pushed through some of the toughest times our world has seen, including global pandemics, international conflicts, and political headwinds.
We found ourselves unprepared to deal with the issues of a changing world.
Just like family households, we have found a way to adapt and overcome these challenges by being innovative and progressive in our decision-making process.
Sometimes it is difficult to explain to our founder the changing needs of a business. Conversations often go “No dad, a complex program to tell us when to start a project is valuable”, or “honestly dad, human resource software that analyzes people to improve team collaboration will greatly improve the effectiveness of our fabrication teams”. The reply is regularly, “that’s not how we used to do it”.
As we change, so do our customers’ needs and expectations. They have evolved to include purchasing from a global market, quality assurance measures, and Environmental, Social and Governance initiatives.
Progressive progress is difficult to keep up with. Many changes in AI, CNC, ESG, and regulations have prompted us to change our practices. We have adapted our thinking to include technology-based approaches to our practices such as analytical hiring processes, environmental tracking of carbon footprint, robots, and our new research and development team, which provide the best solutions for our clients’ needs.
The changing workforce has been difficult to navigate but has been one of our flagship priorities in 2023. Parkland has implemented the four Support Beams Hiring Policy (Young Workers, New Canadians, Women, and Indigenous) as we believe in our ability to provide quality employment and training opportunities to our surrounding neighbours.
Parkland’s service line includes structural steels, miscellaneous metals, custom steel fabrication, OEM fabrication and linings/coatings, and the ability to transport our product from coast to coast.
Our customers are now bigger than ever, with ever-changing and sometimes complex needs. Parkland has not only been able to keep up with the complex needs and changes, but we welcome the changes to provide a better product for our client base.
Parkland Manufacturing is poised to innovate and excel through another 30 years with diversification, teamwork, integrity, and commitment.
