Mining Local Relationships Sustains Community
In 1967, Gary and Barb Porter started Standard Machine in Saskatoon, SK with just a small milling machine and a lathe. Today, the company has grown from two employees to more than 100, and is a full-service machine shop specializing in gear manufacturing.
"Because of our remote location, getting replacement gears could take up to a year. So we learned to do it ourselves. In Saskatchewan, businesses learn to innovate," explains Gary and Barb Porter's son, Greg Porter, now CEO & President of Standard Machine. "PotashCorp has a reputation for working with local vendors. Our mutually beneficial relationship with PotashCorp spans yesterday, today and, I'm confident, tomorrow as well," he says. "They are growing here and we plan on growing right along with them."
Currently, PotashCorp has a multi-billion dollar capital improvement program under way to nearly double its potash capacity over the next eight years. The company plans to go from actual production of 9.2 million tonnes in 2007 to a potential of 17.2 million tonnes by 2015. More than 80 percent of the increased output will come from expansion of the company's Saskatchewan operations. For Standard Machine, that meant a 25 percent increase in employees in the last five years, Porter said.
"We know we're affecting the local economy and we try to communicate our plans to local vendors so they can prepare to grow along with us," explains Clark Bailey, Vice President, Technical Services, PCS Potash. "We understand that every dollar we spend has ripples that reach further into the community, so we focus on local spending that is strategic to both the company and the economic sustainability of Saskatchewan."
"Greg and I both have adolescent children," explains Trevor Nixon, Vice President of Sales at Standard Machine. "This province used to be recognized only for agriculture. Now there's a shift and people are realizing the potential of the mining industry. Through its expansions, PotashCorp has demonstrated that the future is here. The new career opportunities emerging with Saskatchewan's growing potash industry are very attractive to our young people. More than ever, there are good reasons to keep Saskatchewan as your home."