SPOTLIGHT ON MINING

GLOBALS A S K A T C H E W A N’ S E X P O R T R E S O U R C E

VENTURESVOLUME SIX ISSUE FOUR • WINTER ISSUE 2014PM# 42591019

SPOTLIGHT ON MININGS A S K AT C H E WA N A W O R L D L E A D E R

M E E T T H E

NEW CEOOF STEP

S T E P

agmHIGHLIGHTS

M E A T I N G T H E C H A L L E N G E

BLAIR’S HAS STEERED

IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

C R E A T I N G A

green footprintFPS FOCUSES ON QUALITY, SERVICE AND INNOVATION

T H E P O T A S H C O N S U L T A N T S

NORTH RIM EXCELSIN NICHE MARKETPLACE

WINTER ISSUE 2014 • GLOBALVENTURES 2

inside VOLUME SIX ISSUE FOURWINTER 2014

GLOBALVENTURESis the official quarterly publication of the 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.ca | http://exportnews.sasktrade.comRegina: P.O. Box 1787320 - 1801 Hamilton Street, Regina, SK S4P 3C6Regina 306.787.9210 / Toll Free: 1.888.XPORTSKSaskatoon: 400 - 402 21st Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0C3Saskatoon 306.933.6551 / Toll Free: 1.888.XPORTSKBenchmark Public Relations: 2260 McIntyre Street Regina, SK S4P 2R9306.522.9326 / [email protected]

EDITOR: Pat Rediger 306.522.9326 / [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Nicole Williams 306.522-1422 / [email protected]

WRITERS: Jonathan Hamelin, Judy Bird, Pat Rediger, Nicole Williams, David Froh, Yvette Battistolo, DonnaLyn Thorsteinson, and STEP staff

SALES MANAGER: Don Shalley306.545.6606 / [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Nicole Williams306.522.1422 / [email protected]

PRINTING: Western Litho Printers/Regina, SK Canada

DISTRIBUTION: Prairie Advertising Ltd./ Regina, SK Canada

Publication Mail Agreement # 42591019Return undeliverable mail to Administration Department, Benchmark Public Relations, 2260 McIntyre Street, Regina, SK S4P 2R9.

PRINTED IN CANADA

special report on mining15 Saskatchewan Mining

Industry a World Leader

17 The Potash Consultants North Rim excels

in niche marketplace

19 Mining Goods and Services: Why Export? Understanding international demand for mining resources

features13 Meating the Challenge In a tough industry, Blair’s has

steered in the right direction

21 Creating a Green Footprint FPS focuses on quality, customer

service and in-house innovation

departments3 Message from the CEO An interview with new CEO Chad Fleck

5 BizNotes Members making news, spotlight

on SREDA and RROC, Market Access Program

11 Upcoming Trade Events Your guide to international events

27 STEPNotes AGM update, incoming buyers,

MI milestone

29 Staff Profile Meet Mortoza Tarafder

Cover photo: North Rim Exploration Ltd.; Saskatchewan flag cover photo: ©Ruskpp|Dreamstime.com; page 4 photo: ©Alexei Novikov|Dreamstime.com.

3 GLOBALVENTURES • WINTER ISSUE 2014

“We live by the mantra, ‘When our members succeed, we at STEP will suc-ceed.’ We will make sure we’re doing whatever we can for our members to en-hance their ability to succeed,” he said.

“Beyond that, we’ll also continue to serve as a voice for the Saskatchewan export community, doing our best to tell Saskatchewan’s story whenever we get a chance. And it’s a great story to tell. We’ll also make sure our voice is heard when it comes to various negotiations that might be taking place. Those would largely be led by our friends and col-leagues at the federal government level, but again there is a place for STEP to en-sure Saskatchewan’s export interests are appropriately represented.”

Fleck has the education and hands-on experience to help Saskatchewan busi-nesses navigate the global stage.

Fleck earned his undergraduate de-gree at the University of Saskatchewan, Edwards School of Business. He also holds an M.B.A. in Marketing, Organiza-tional Strategy and International Busi-ness from the Kellogg School of Man-agement at Northwestern University and Schulich School of Business at York University, as well as an Executive Cer-tificate in Strategy and Innovation from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Prior to joining STEP, Fleck was em-ployed by the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo as the Commercial Counsellor and Senior Trade Commissioner. His other previous positions include: Chief of Staff, G8/G20 Summits Management Office; Representative, Central America and the Caribbean; International Busi-ness Development Group, Export De-velopment Canada and Deputy Director (Japan, Korea, Taiwan); and North Asia Commercial Relations, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

“I’ve lost track of the countries I’ve worked with or in – probably 30-40. You learn very quickly that every country has its own way,” Fleck said. “You have to be

cognisant of that and try to understand those surroundings – how that can translate to the relationship you need for whatever business you’re hoping to transact. Twenty years of that gives me a pretty good background in terms of being able to read and react as some hockey or football coaches might say to their players.”

The fact that Fleck is also fluent in Spanish, French and Japanese further helps him navigate the international business world. “I do my best to be able to converse and exchange information in the languages in which I’ve had the opportunity to do business in. You get that training, but then you’ve got to get out to the street and speak and learn and make mistakes,” Fleck said.

“When I was in South America, I was talking to this person about this beach and how wonderful the oats were. The words for sand and oats are very similar there. They found that quite humorous because they realized where I was mak-ing a mistake. These are mistakes you don’t repeat because you always remem-ber them. It’s just exposure to the world and realizing that people use sounds dif-ferently than we use them here.”

Fleck plans to spend his free time with his family, be active in sports (he was a hockey player growing up), fol-low the Saskatchewan Roughriders (he’s a double shareholder), and of course, have conversations about improving Saskatchewan’s business environment.

“I like to stay close to the communi-ty,” Fleck said. “I think the province is in good stead because of the sense of co-operation and responsibility people feel toward their fellow citizens. I feel very comfortable in that environment.”

Chad Fleck, President & CEOSaskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP)

hese days, Chad Fleck has some dif-ficulty separating work from home.

“At home my family is easily my top priority, but I often get teased about the fact that even at home I enjoy talk-ing about business, trade and commerce and how it all fits together – what we can do to improve the lives of people,” said Fleck, the new president and CEO of Saskatchewan Trade and Export Part-nership (STEP). “It’s something that I’m passionate about, so even though I’m working, I do really enjoy the work.”

Fleck officially assumed his duties with STEP on August 1, 2014 and couldn’t be more excited at the opportunity presented to him. Fleck was born and raised in Saskatchewan. After receiving his primary and secondary education in the province, Fleck spent more than 20 years in the international trade field.

“My heart never left Saskatchewan,” said Fleck. “When I joined the world of, in my mind it was only going to be for a short period of time to gain some expe-rience and then I would come back and build a life here. One year turned into two decades. But I always made a point of coming home once a year, if not two or three times. My family and friends are still in southeast Saskatchewan where I grew up. It was always just a question of finding an opportunity that would allow me to leverage my set of skills. When this opportunity came up, it seemed like a great way to make a contribution to the province and people that I love.”

Still early into Fleck’s term with STEP, he said the company is still working on a strategic review to refresh the organiza-tion. One thing Fleck made clear is that under his leadership STEP will continue to maintain its core values.

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Message from the President & CEO

BY JONATHAN HAMELIN

BOARD CHAIRTim Wiens

President, O & T Farms, Regina

BOARD VICE-CHAIR Craig Bailey

CEO, Transport Services & Logistics Canada Ltd., Saskatoon

Chair of the Audit & Finance CommitteeRon Brown

Partner, MNP LLP, Saskatoon

Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee

Anthony KulbackiChief Operating Officer

Legumex Walker Inc., Saskatoon

Chair of the Human Resources & Compensation Committee

Kent AndersonSenior Vice President of Operations, Norseman Structures Inc., Saskatoon

BOARD MEMBERSThomas G. (Casey) Davis

CEO, Morris Industries Ltd., Saskatoon

Kevin Dow VP Business Development, Prairie Agricultural

Machinery Institute, Saskatoon

Monique Haakensen President & Principal Scientist, Contango Strategies, Saskatoon

Jason Klassen Vice President, Sales & Marketing,

Brandt Industries, ReginaSandra Purdy

President, Prairie Berries Inc., Keeler

Ricardo Silva CEO, Quickthree Solutions Inc., Saskatoon

Ryan Lejbak CEO, zu, Saskatoon

GOVERNMENT OF SASKATCHEWAN APPOINTMENTS

Alanna Koch, Deputy MinisterSaskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture

Regina

Chris Dekker, Associate Deputy MinisterMinistry of the Economy

Saskatoon

Doug Moen, Deputy Minister to the PremierExecutive Council and Office of the Premier

Regina

VisionProsperity through trade.

MissionTo work in partnership with Saskatchewan

exporters and emerging exporters to enable commercial success in global ventures.

Save The Date September 25 - 26, 2012

The STEP Trade Conference will bring together some of the most successful leaders in global business to exchange ideas and network with like minded enterprises. The STEP Trade Conference will provide conference delegates with focused, relevant information pertaining to the trends and obstacles con-

fronting Saskatchewan exporters during this exciting time of growth. For upcoming conference developments visit:

www.sasktrade.sk.ca

Trade Conference 2012 Radisson Hotel, Saskatoon

www.sasktrade.com

BOARD of Directors


STEP members who have noteworthy news are invited to share that information with Global Ventures for our BIZNotes section. For further information or to submit content, please contact Heather Swan, Manager - Corporate Services at (306) 787-7942 or [email protected]. BIZ NotesFCC’s 2014 Look at Global Trade report takes the combined

value of all agriculture exports and imports from each of the ma-jor agriculture trading countries and divides that number by each country’s respective population.

In 2013, the value of Canada’s agriculture imports and exports was more than US$2,100 per person, followed by Australia at about US$1,900 per person. While China and India don’t rank high on the per capita agriculture trade spectrum, the signifi-cance of these emerging economies should not be ignored, Ger-vais cautioned.

“The combination of rising household incomes and population growth in India and China present major market opportunities for Canadian exports of beef, pork and pulse crops,” Gervais says. “Canada appears well positioned as an important agriculture trader and the expansion of trade relations will only help build on that.”

The report shows Canada as the fifth largest agriculture ex-porter – behind the European Union, United States, Brazil and China – and the sixth largest agriculture importer. Canada’s im-ports are mainly driven by relatively high household incomes and a year-round demand for fresh fruits and vegetables, which is partly met by foreign exporters.

“This report confirms that agriculture is and will continue to be a major contributor to Canada’s growth and prosperity,” Ger-vais said.

To read the full report, visit www.fcc.ca/GlobalTrade.

A Top Female Entrepreneur The CEO of Hillberg & Berk, Rachel Mielke, was included in the W100 ranking of Canada’s Top Female Entrepreneurs, produced by PROFIT, Canadian Business and Chatelaine. Ranking Canada’s top female entrepreneurs on a composite score based on the size, growth rate and profitability of their businesses, W100 profiles the country’s most successful female business owners. Published in the October issue of Canadian Business, the November issue of Chatelaine and online at PROFITguide.com and chatelaine.com, W100 is Canada’s largest annual celebration of entrepreneurial achievement by women.

ABEX Awards FinalistsSTEP congratulates the following members who were among the finalists in various categories for the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX Awards.

• Community Involvement Award – Wiegers Financial Ben-efits – Saskatoon

• Growth and Expansion Award – Bioriginal Food Science Corp. – Saskatoon

• Innovation Award – Bioriginal Food & Science Corp – Saska-toon; Quickthree Solutions – Saskatoon

• New Business Venture Award – Quickthree Solutions – Sas-katoon

• Service Award – Three Farmers Products – Saskatoon• Environment Award – Three Farmers Products – Saskatoon • Export Award – Finalist and Awarded - Push Interactions Inc.

– Saskatoon

FCC report shows Canada is world’s top per capita ag trader Canada is the world’s top agriculture trader compared to all other countries on a per capita basis, according to Farm Credit Canada’s (FCC’s) annual report on global trade.

“When viewing Canada’s agriculture trade numbers through the lens of this country’s population, a clear picture emerges,” says J.P. Gervais, FCC’s Chief Agricultural Economist. “It shows the agriculture sector is more important to Canada than all other countries, including the United States, Australia and the Euro-pean Union.”


Registration for CropSphere 2015 Now Open CropSphere, an industry-leading agricultural conference, is re-turning for a second year from January 12-14, 2015 at TCU Place in Saskatoon. Registration for the event opened October 1, giv-ing attendees the opportunity to register for the early bird rate of $150 (available until January 5, 2015). Also, if you are a grower registering more than one person from your farming operation, a discounted registration fee of $125 is available for additional family members, farm partners and farm employees.

This year’s event boasts presentations on a wide array of top-ics related to agriculture, including a look at the future of Canada as told by Globe and Mail journalist John Ibbitson, as well as an engaging discussion on challenges related to generational differ-ences within farming operations from Curt Steinhorst, a member of the Center for Generational Kinetics.

“We are thrilled about the line-up of engaging and informative speakers we are able to provide for growers as part of our second annual CropSphere conference,” says SaskFlax Executive Director Wayne Thompson. “Our hope is that those who attend will leave this event feeling that they have learned something new, and are better able to make decisions for their farming business.”

CropSphere 2015 is a joint conference hosted by SaskCanola, SaskFlax, the Saskatchewan Oat Development Commission, Sas-katchewan Pulse Growers, SaskWheat and SaskBarley. In addi-tion to the keynote topics, the event will also host presentations on topics such as pest and weed management, market outlooks, drone technology and new crop opportunities for Saskatchewan.

For more information, or to register for CropSphere, please visit www.cropsphere.com. Follow CropSphere on social media: Facebook (www.facebook.com/CropSphere) and Twitter (@crop-sphere).

CanMar Grain Products expands into Mexico with help from the Market Development Program For Ilona Beck, technical resources and marketing manager at CanMar Grains Ltd., expansion into new markets is part of the natural progression of a growing business.

“To ensure that our workers remain employed and produce at capacity, it’s important for us to go out into the world, expand our export possibilities and seek out new markets for our prod-uct,” she said.

CanMar Grains recently received funding through the Market Development Program, a Growing Forward 2 program that sup-

ports industry’s efforts to market agri-food products outside the province, improve market access and build capacity to develop markets.

The funding they received allowed the company to undertake an ambitious, multi-year expansion strategy into Mexico, Europe and South Korea. The first phase focuses on penetrating the Mex-ican retail market with the company’s premium flaxseed product.

“The Market Development Program made it so much easier for us to go full power into Mexico and to hit the market with a solid promotional strategy,” said Beck.

CanMar Grains produces a unique, roasted yellow flaxseed product, which Beck says is 20 to 24 per cent higher in omega-3 fatty acids than other common flaxseed products. The roasting process results in a nutty taste and crunchy texture. These quali-ties make CanMar’s roasted flaxseed appealing to Mexican con-sumers, a country where 70 per cent of the population is consid-ered obese.

“As Mexicans’ purchasing power increased, so did their de-mand for pre-packaged products that require less cooking time. This new consumption preference had a negative effect on their health,” said Beck. “Our idea was to access that market and pro-vide a product that has a positive impact on people’s health, while also taking advantage of that higher spending power.”

With funding from the Market Development Program, Beck travelled south to meet with Mexico’s trade commissioner, who put them in touch with key contacts in the retail distribution in-dustry. The meetings that followed resulted in CanMar’s products being accepted by Costco, one of the largest grocery retailers in that country. The company is now focusing on developing pro-motional materials and setting up in-store food demonstrations to show consumers how they can incorporate healthy flaxseed into their diets.

The Market Development Program is funded through Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial cost-sharing initiative. To find out how you can grow your business with the Market De-velopment Program, visit Saskatchewan.ca/GrowingForward2, or email [email protected].


iving across the water for many of his teenage years, Alex Fallon truly felt

like a foreigner. Fallon was only 13 when his family moved from his hometown of Saskatoon to England. It was the early 1990’s, and Fallon’s father struggled to find work due to the city’s weak econo-my.

“I quickly realized that most people in England had never heard of Saska-toon. That was the story for many, many years,” said Fallon, who said Saskatoon was a “great place to grow up.”

“I thought to myself, ‘One day it would be great to come back and be involved in promoting the city,’ because it’s obvi-ously a fantastic place to live.”

Fallon indeed came back to Saskatch-ewan in 2006, going on to work for Ca-meco Corporation (Manager, Marketing), Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Economy (Director of Investment Attraction) and Rainmaker Global Business Development (Vice-President of Investment Attraction and Managing Director, Saskatchewan).

In Fallon’s new position, he has taken another step forward toward fulfilling his goals for the Saskatoon region. On August 26, 2014, Fallon was named Presi-dent/CEO of the Saskatoon Regional Eco-nomic Development Authority (SREDA). At the same time, Jim George was named Chief Operating Officer after serving as the interim President/CEO.

“I remember the days when there weren’t jobs in Saskatoon,” said Fallon. “For me, it is a bit of a passion to be able to promote the Saskatoon region, and at the end of the day, that’s all about creat-ing jobs and economic growth so people can stay here or move back to the Saska-toon region from wherever they may be. It’s an opportunity I’m really enjoying.”

Guiding a staff of only 12 people, Fal-lon will be a key force driving SREDA to carry out its goals: 1. Attracting business and investment; 2. Retaining and grow-ing existing companies; 3. Conducting economic forecasting to help businesses make decisions; 4. Marketing the Sas-katoon Region; 5. Planning for regional economic growth; and 6. Supporting en-trepreneurs.

One way Fallon is hoping to meet these goals is by creating solid partnerships.

“For example, one of my team mem-bers is in the UK promoting the Saska-toon region. Traditionally, maybe SREDA would have gone on their own and done that mission, but in this case we’ve tak-en a partnership approach with Innova-tion Place and Innovation Saskatchewan where the three of us are working to-gether on this project,” said Fallon.

“We’re connecting with 100 plus com-panies spread across different innova-tion and science parks in the UK, and we’re going to come back and introduce these companies to Saskatoon compa-nies based at Innovation Place in the

hopes that several of them will be able to partner on research and development projects or do business together. We’re a relatively small organization and trying to get attention internationally is always hard, but when you can do it together with other partners, it makes your job a lot easier.”

In recent years, Fallon feels organiza-tions like STEP, along with the Govern-ment of Saskatchewan, have done a great job of increasing Saskatchewan and Saskatoon’s profile on the international stage. With that being said, he still feels Saskatoon is still a “relatively small player on the global stage.”

Fallon hopes to change that by setting some measurable goals and providing stability to SREDA.

“For an organization like SREDA that’s been around since 1992, there’s always periods of change. I am really focused on looking at the long-term here and a lot of that is increasing the accountabil-ity around our six core service areas,” he said. “We will soon be releasing a 2015 strategic plan that focuses on measuring our performance on how our activities have created economic growth.”

“For example, instead of reporting on and measuring how many foreign compa-nies we’ve met with, we want to get a bit more specific measurable in that area, so that the target is how many companies did we meet with that followed through with an investment in the Saskatoon re-gion? What was the size of the invest-ment? How many jobs did it create? I think that will really help SREDA explain to people what we do. At the end of the day, we want to show how SREDA works to grow the Saskatoon region economy. By doing so, there will be more jobs and more prosperity for all.”

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BY JONATHAN HAMELIN

SREDAspotlight on:



BY JUDY BIRD

he vision for Regina Regional Oppor-tunities Commission’s (RROC) 2015

Business Plan truly stems from a philoso-phy change in 2013.

In October 2013, RROC’s Board of Di-rectors instructed management to ad-dress the following challenges and oppor-tunities: 1. Creating value that builds an even stronger base of support for the fu-ture impact RROC can have in the Regina region; 2. Seeking out gaps RROC can fill to support growth, creating a compelling value-proposition and garnering support to proceed; 3. Engaging the tourism sec-tor to activate and re-energize support for value-adding collaborative action; and 4. Position RROC as a leader in advancing collaborative regional economic develop-ment that creates outcomes to benefit all stakeholders.

Amidst these new challenges, John Lee was hired as RROC’s new President/CEO.

“It’s been a really exciting ride and an amazing opportunity,” said Lee. “To be part of playing a small role in helping the region grow and develop and leave a legacy for our kids is incredible. There is significant momentum building within RROC and its partners. We have devel-oped a number of partnerships; have a really engaged board and a supportive vi-sion. The City of Regina has been a great partner and supporter.”

With a new philosophy, Lee and the RROC team set out to create an effective

business plan. The organization’s 2015 Business Plan focuses on “growing the Regina region through tourism and in-dustry development” and aims to deliver on a number of key areas.

RROC plans to identify industry sec-tors with the greatest growth potential in an effort to support smart growth. A strong focus will also be placed on value-added industry, growing from within by looking at how existing companies can expand and prosper, while also work-ing to attract new industries to the city. RROC has also created a multi-stakehold-er group in the tourism industry that is focused on bringing events, trade shows and conventions to the region over the next couple of years.

One of the core strategies of the plan involves providing businesses with the information to succeed.

“In order to understand where you want to go, you must know first where you are,” he said. “We’ve done signifi-cant research into economic develop-ment authorities across the country and the United States, and one of the things we’ve come to realize is you need to have good information and intelligence on what your current situation is within your region, but also what is happening elsewhere.

“Part of our core strategy in 2015 will be to develop and become an aggregator for market intelligence and research that

we’ll make available to the community to help others make good, smart decisions in terms of where their future growth will come from. That will include doing things like supply chain analysis.”

Another part of RROC’s plan deals with long-term economic development. The City of Regina anticipates a population of 300,000 by 2040, along with 50,000 new jobs. It is RROC’s responsibility to be a driving force behind this expansion, with its vision for 2020 supporting the city’s Official Community Plan: Design Regina.

“Overall our economy is very strong, one of the fastest growing in the coun-try. There are lots of examples where that holds true. Regina is one of the four fastest growing cities in Canada, building stats have more than tripled and person-al income per capita ranks amongst the highest major cities. In 2015, fundamen-tal to our success will be establishing a strong foundation from which the region can grow,” said Lee. “RROC is building a business model that is heavily reliant on partnerships, collaborations and working with other leaders and organizations in the community in order to be successful. Our relationship with STEP is a perfect example of that model. Recognizing the importance of opening up new markets for the region and province is key to our shared growth strategies.

“The challenge and opportunity be-fore us is putting those building blocks in place to become a community with a long-term steady growth pattern, diver-sification and ultimately one that is a greater place to live, work and visit. With growth comes challenges, but I think most of those challenges are opportu-nities. 2015 is going to be a year about evolving and setting our foundation, hit-ting some home runs going forward into 2016 and beyond.”

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BY JONATHAN HAMELIN

RROCspotlight on:Challenges viewed as opportunities

Photo credit: Ron Garnett

FALL ISSUE 2014 • GLOBALVENTURES 15


Seminar – Canadian Retail Boot CampDate: December 2-4, 2014

Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan companies are invited to attend the seminar with a focus on how to successfully launch a product into the Canadian retail market. Seminar topics will include product pre-launch consider-ations, go-to-market strategies, pricing, and choosing the right packaging and distribution.

Contact: Jennifer Evancio, Senior Director - Agri-ValueTelephone: 306 787 [email protected]

Trade Mission – Food Ingredients:

Human and Animal Date: January 25-31, 2015

Location: Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City, Mexico

STEP members are invited to attend this mission where there are food manufactur-ing and feed processing hubs in Mexico. By attending the mission, STEP members have the opportunity to connect with buyers, importers, and manufacturers in the market and potentially connect with the research and development of major food processors and manufacturers in Mexico.

Contact: Lindsay Brumwell, Trade Specialist - Agri-Value

Telephone: 306 787 [email protected]

Seminar – Sales Techniques &

Strategies for Going into a Sales Meeting

Date: January 2015 (TBC)Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

As an exporter, constantly meeting with potential sales prospects, it is important to have the right tools, techniques and strategies. STEP members are invited to attend this seminar to understand that selling is about solving a customer’s problem, about asking the right ques-tions, listening to the answers, and es-tablishing a relationship. This seminar is for experienced sales staff and for those new to sales.

Contact: Stacey Sauer, Trade Specialist - Manufacturing

Telephone: 306 933 5239 [email protected]

Trade Mission – Saskatchewan and Asia

Trade Forum Date: January/March, 2015 (TBC)

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia or Toronto, Ontario

The increase of Asian immigrants en-tering the trade and export business in Canada has created new platforms and opportunities for Saskatchewan export-ers. Recognizing this trend, STEP is or-ganizing the Saskatchewan Trade Forum to expand its network in the Asian com-munities and businesses in Canada and further cultivate the opportunities with this new group of potential buyers of Sas-katchewan products.

Contact: Yi Zeng, Director, Trade Devel-opment - Asia

Telephone: 306 787 2194 [email protected]

Trade Mission – Gulfood 2015

Date: February 8 -12, 2015Location: United Arab Emirates,

Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh

STEP will lead a trade development mis-sion to this region and organize booth space for members in the agri-value sec-tor. This region presents an ever-growing market opportunity for Saskatchewan agri-food products and a growing inter-est for Saskatchewan products from oth-er sectors. During the mission, a return visit to Riyadh, Qatar and Bangladesh is planned to strengthen the existing busi-ness relationship and develop new op-portunities in the region. In addition to meeting companies and site visits in Bangladesh, STEP will also participate in Showcase Canada organized by the High Commission of Canada in Bangladesh.

Contact: Mortoza Tarafder, Director, Trade Development -

South Asia & MENATelephone: 306 787 9687

[email protected]

Trade Mission – BioFach Organic

Trade Show – Germany & Market Outreach –

United Kingdom Date: February 10-17, 2015

Location: Nuremberg, Germany & United Kingdom

The yearly Biofach Organic Trade Show attracts approximately 2000 exhibitors from 62 countries. The event is of in-terest to organic and natural products’ producers and processors including raw materials, convenience foods, grains, seeds, pulses, herbs, spices, flavorings, consumer goods, organic farming associ-

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FALL ISSUE 2014 • GLOBALVENTURES 17WINTER ISSUE 2014 • GLOBALVENTURES 12

ations, processor associations and heath food suppliers. BioFach provides a posi-tive venue for STEP members to examine information pertaining to current market figures and developments, marketing trends, and strategies. STEP will organize a business development mission that will involve a group display at the show, meetings with buyers, and represent non-attending members.

Contact: Jeff Cooper, Trade Officer - Agri-ValueTelephone: 306 933 [email protected]

Trade Mission – Saskatchewan Showcase

– Building Products & Secondary Wood Products

Date: February 23-26, 2015Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

STEP will lead a business development mission to Minneapolis with a focus on developing new export markets in the

Midwest US and increase the sale of sec-ondary wood products to the US market. STEP is targeting a group of secondary wood product manufacturers from Sas-katchewan to participate in the mission. The four day program will include a mar-ket/industry education session, one-on-one matchmaking meetings, group tours to retailers and wholesalers as well as a networking reception.

Contact: Stacey Sauer, Trade Specialist - Manufacturing


Trade Mission – Commodity ClassicDate: February 26-28, 2015Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Commodity Classic is America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show. It brings together pro-ducers from the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Produc-

ers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers and the National Sor-ghum Association. The mission goal is to increase Saskatchewan exports of agricultural machinery to the US market through an outgoing trade mission and show comparable to the Western Cana-dian Crop Production Show. This show attracts a smaller number of attendees but includes influential leaders in the industry. STEP will organize a display of Saskatchewan agricultural machinery and technology manufacturers at this event.

Contact: Rob Ziola, Senior Director, Trade Development - Manufacturing


trade events

© Andreea Stefan|Dreamstime.com

Meating the ChallengeBY JONATHAN HAMELIN

In a tough industry, Blair’s has steered in the right direction


ife may be a highway, but sometimes you’ve got to take the grid road. It’s

a piece of advice that was passed down to Kevin Blair by his grandfather, Sandy.

In 2006, Kevin took the grid road. Around this time there wasn’t a lot of hope for the beef industry, with a steady cash flow needed to succeed and diffi-culties in determining the market. That didn’t stop Kevin and his cousin, Darren, from making a major purchase to enter the Red Angus business. Levi and Carmen Jackson of the Jackson Cattle Company in Sedley decided to disperse, and Kevin and Darren bought 38 elite females and one herdsire from them. It was the start of Blairs.Ag Cattle Company in Lanigan.

“My grandfather had always told me that when times are tough, opportuni-ties present themselves,” said Kevin. “We wanted to see if we could make a differ-ence in the long-term quality and viabil-ity of the beef industry, particularly the Angus breed.”

Like most people in the agriculture in-dustry, the Blairs.Ag owners are from a family that started at the grassroots farm level. Their family homesteaded to Sas-katchewan in the early 1900s. In 1948, brothers Sandy and Lindsay Blair became interested in using fertilizer on the farm, so they brought in Elephant brand fertil-izer from Cominco – the first rail car of fertilizer that was brought into Saskatch-ewan – and formed Blair’s Fertilizer Ltd.

In the 1970s, the business was sold to Sandy’s sons, Dale and Ron, who operat-ed the business for nearly three decades before Dale’s son, Darren, and Ron’s son, Kevin, took over. Over the years, the busi-ness has expanded to include Blair’s Crop and Livestock Solutions, Blair’s Sports-Master Pro, TexCana Logistics and Blair’s Real Estate Solutions – under the Blair’s Family of Companies.

The desire to enter the beef industry came from Kevin and Darren growing up raising Simmental cattle, and Kevin developing a herd of high quality Maine Anjou cattle.

From the beginning, their philosophy was to “Produce Predictable Offspring with Predictable Matings” – getting the

right type of bulls to the commercial sec-tor to deliver the right type of calves. They also strove to deliver high quality seedstock and genetics to positively im-pact the commercial cattle sector and provide great tasting beef to customers.

“Our goal was to purchase females for our nucleus herd which epitomized ef-ficiency – being loose-made, big-ribbed, big-boned, good-haired and tanky with strong maternal traits,” Kevin said. “We also have an extremely aggressive em-bryo program to maximize our genetic advancement from our nucleus herd of donor females.”

Since starting the business, the expan-sion has been “aggressive.” Blairs.Ag’s herd now consists of 450 purebred Red Angus and Black Angus cows, 50 pure-bred Horned Hereford cows and over 200 commercial cows.

Blairs.Ag attends various events every year, such as the Canadian Western Agri-bition and the National Western Stock Show in Denver, with their cattle winning many times, and they have been able to effectively market their genetics. Cus-tomers are also now enjoying Blairs.Ag’s meat products at the supper table with the launch of their branded beef busi-ness, Blair’s Premium Angus Beef.

“In this day and age people want to buy from a brand, and when people hear Blairs.Ag Cattle Company there’s some-thing that resonates with them. We in-vest a lot of resources through traditional and non-traditional means to reach our customers,” said Kevin. “People come back to us because of the quality of prod-uct and quality of people. We want to en-sure that we have a quality product, so the consumers have a great eating expe-rience every time.”

The business is enjoying international growth. Blairs.Ag continues to explore business opportunities in the United States, Mexico, South Africa, Australia and Argentina. The company has also hired a director of international market-ing who lives in Dallas, Texas.

“We’re involved as a shareholder in an international company called Angus-Breeder.Net,” said Kevin. “It has helped

L us expand our geography, our footprint, internationally. There’s a huge require-ment for sharing genetics globally. But it takes time and, more importantly, it takes effort, so we’re trying to be one of those players, one of those operations that’s prepared to make large amounts of embryos, year-round. A lot of countries come looking for large volumes of semen and embryos at a lower cost, so you have to decide where you fit into that.”

Another factor helping increase Blairs.Ag’s international presence is the compa-ny’s membership in STEP. The company has been a member for three years.

“We have had very good communi-cation with STEP staff; they ask us to provide information about our livestock genetics for various trade missions they attend, whether it’s to South America, Mexico or Asia, and we have had a num-ber of inquiries from international buy-ers,” said Patty Smith, Blair’s Director of Business Development and Human Resources. “None of those inquires have led to sales at this point, but that’s sim-ply because the logistics didn’t work out. We’re hopeful that as we continue our relationship with STEP we will continue to benefit from the programs they offer.”

Thanks to the dedication of its owners, Blairs.Ag Cattle Company is a brand cus-tomers can trust. And that’s no bull.


Saskatchewan mining industry a WORLD LEADER

askatchewan’s mining industry continues to be a leader on the national and international stage. The industry is also

recognized as one of the most technologically advanced in the world.

The key to Saskatchewan’s mining success stems from two re-sources: potash and uranium.

Saskatchewan hosts almost half of the world’s potash reserves and eight per cent of the world’s known recoverable uranium re-serves. In 2013, the province continued to be the world’s largest producer and exporter of potash – supplying almost 30 per cent of the world’s supply – and the second leading uranium producer, providing almost 16 per cent of the world’s supply. In 2013, Sas-katchewan produced 100 per cent of Canada’s primary uranium from two mines at McArthur River and Eagle Point. It also pro-duced 90 per cent of Canadian potash.

All told, mining companies operating in Saskatchewan ac-counted for 16.4 per cent of Canada’s total mineral production value in 2013; it was the third leading mining jurisdiction with mineral production of $7.2 billion. Provincially, the mining indus-try generates an average of $1.5 billion in revenue to the pro-

vincial government each year, supporting programs and services such as health care, education and infrastructure development. In 2008, for example, mining accounted for $7.7 billion in GDP, or 12 per cent of the total provincial economy.

Saskatchewan has over 25 operating mines. In addition to potash and uranium, the province mines for coal, gold, salt, meta-kaolin, silica sand, sodium sulphate, clay and bentonite. Saskatchewan coal, mined in Estevan, Bienfait and Coronach by Westmoreland Coal Company, accounts for over 40 per cent of the province’s available power capacity and the majority of its base load capacity. The province also has a large supply of de-veloping mineral resources including diamonds, platinum and palladium, rare earth elements, copper, zinc, nickel, sodium and potassium sulphates and mineralized brines.

Pamela Schwann, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Min-ing Association, said the industry is currently “at the tail end of a significant expansion phase in terms of both potash and uranium production.”

“Over the last handful of years, from around 2008-13, we had about $13 billion in capital investments, but right now most of

SBY JONATHAN HAMELIN

the expansions are winding down or done, and we’re moving more into an operational and maintenance phase,” said Schwann. “We’re seeing somewhat of a reduction in activity from the expansions as we move into operation. That’s been compounded by the down-turn in the global commodity prices.”

As Schwann is quick to point out, however, there are several major projects and developments underway.

Mosaic Potash’s Esterhazy K3 project is scheduled for completion in 2017 and will provide capacity growth for the company’s Esterhazy operations, serv-ing as a satellite mine for Mosaic’s K1 and K2 facili-ties. The new facility will include a service shaft, mine and surface facilities, and the service shaft headframe will stand as the tallest structure between Calgary and Winnipeg. Similarly, Agrium’s VAULT potash expansion at their Vanscoy potash mine recently reached peak construction.

K+S Potash Canada is building the first new green-field potash mine in Saskatchewan in nearly 40 years. It’s called the Legacy Project: a potash mine and pro-duction facility being built near Moose Jaw. Commis-sioning is targeted for the summer of 2016 and K+S projects to reach the two-million-tonnes-mark of pro-duction capacity by the end of 2017. As well, BHP Bil-liton continues work on their proposed Jansen potash mine.

The initiation of uranium production from the Cam-eco-operated Cigar Lake Mine and milling or the ore at AREVA’s McClean mill in October 2014 marked a signif-icant milestone for the Saskatchewan mining industry that has been a long time in the making. While initially slated for one million pounds of production in 2014, the Cigar Lake mine will be ramping up to full produc-tion rate of 18 million pounds by 2018. It will be the second largest and highest grade uranium mine in the world, after Cameco’s McArthur River Mine.

Projects like these, and the many others underway in the province, will provide great employment oppor-

tunities, helping maintain the industry’s impressive employment record.

Saskatchewan’s mining industry creates direct and indirect employment for approximately 30,500 people spread across 120 different occupations. The mining industry attracts top employees by offering attrac-tive salaries; the weekly salary of an employee in the mining industry is almost twice that of employees in other sectors. The industry also prides itself on being a leading employer of Aboriginals. In 2013, the com-bined company and contract workforce at the north-ern mine sites totaled 1,630 northerners of the total 3,146 workers at sites, for a 51.8 per cent northern representation.

And the proper steps are taken to ensure all employ-ees will work in a safe environment. As Schwann ex-plained, “Saskatchewan’s mining industry has a strong commitment to safety and consequently is one of the safest industries in the province.” For the past 17 years, the industry has averaged about one lost time accident for every 200,000 hours worked. Cameco’s McArthur River mine was awarded the prestigious John T. Ryan National Safety Trophy for the best safety performance in the metal mine category in 2013.

“A CEO of one company knew safety had been in-stilled in his organization when he was going under-ground and one of his employees stopped him and said, ‘Excuse me, you’re not wearing your safety glass-es. You can’t go underground,’ ” Schwann said. “To him that was a really positive sign that people are taking safety seriously and looking out for each other. It was a positive moment for him.”

Saskatchewan’s mining industry environmental stewardship and sustainability practices are also in-grained into operational practices. The industry direct-ly employs dozens of dedicated environmental profes-sionals at mine sites throughout the province whose responsibility is to ensure that all operations meet or exceed federal and provincial environmental standards and regulatory limits. Additionally, the industry invests considerable human resources and millions of dollars every year in environmental stewardship activities, including the monitoring of environment stations at sites, prevention and mitigation of environmental im-pacts and in decommissioning and reclamation efforts.

Saskatchewan’s mining industry is always looking ahead to the future, ensuring it identifies new resourc-es to replace those that are currently being mined. With existing world-class deposits of potash and ura-nium and the world’s first commercial-scale carbon capture, coal-fired generating station, “Saskatchewan mining has a strong future in providing food and en-ergy security for the world and our province,” said Schwann.

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hen companies look to capture the potash-of-gold under the rainbow in Saskatchewan, they often turn to North

Rim Exploration Ltd. Potash is the major source of the primary nutrient potassium.

It’s mainly used as a fertilizer, but it has some industrial appli-cations and can be used as an animal feed supplement as well. Saskatchewan has the largest reserve of potash in the world and, with more than 180 countries using potash and only 12 countries producing significant amounts, it’s a valuable commodity.

Before companies can stake their claim and mine the potash, however, there’s a lot of pre-preparation involved. That’s where North Rim comes in. Established in 1984, Saskatoon-based North Rim is the only potash-focused consulting firm in Canada, but it also works in the uranium, coal, gold, oil and gas fields as well.

“We decided many years ago that we were going to strive to be the most knowledgeable potash geologists in Saskatchewan, and I would venture to say the world,” said North Rim Business De-velopment Manager Tabetha Stirrett. “In Saskatchewan, potash is such an important part of our industry, so we’ve always had a foot in the potash world. It’s a very niche market. We have two other major competitors: one in the U.S. and one in Germany.”

When a company is undergoing a potash project and utilizes North Rim’s services, Stirrett said they can help co-ordinate all of the consultants or services the company will need, which is called full procurement. For example, many junior companies don’t have the administration staff to help them pay bills.

North Rim’s geologists can help a company decide where they’re going to put their drill hole and run a mineral resource calculation, which calculates the amount of potash in the ground. In addition, North Rim is one of the few companies in the world that can complete NI 43-101 compliant technical reports for pot-ash. These reports ensure mining companies are following the proper industry guidelines.

Throughout the whole process, North Rim always keeps the client involved.

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BY JONATHAN HAMELIN

The Potash ConsultantsNorth Rim excels in niche marketplace

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“Given our extensive knowledge of the geology and experience with drilling for potash in Saskatchewan, we provide very reliable drilling cost estimates to our clients. It’s a big trust factor. We’re all very passionate about geology, and we’re all really passionate about Saskatchewan. We want to see these companies suc-ceed in our province.”

Due to North Rim’s talent in this niche marketplace, it has been able to work with major companies such as Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan, Mosaic Potash, Yancoal Canada Resources Co. Ltd. and BHP Billiton Inc.

For North Rim, business has grown significantly since an ownership change in 2009. That year, Stirrett, Karri Howlett (President and CEO), and six other em-ployees bought out the company’s former owner and founder. North Rim now has an entirely female man-agement team. Stirrett said this certainly wasn’t by design – they were simply the best people for the job – but she has found the management structure is really conducive to a collaborative working environment.

Since taking over, the owners have been able to put more focus on business development and hiring a di-verse group of employees, rapidly growing a business that has always had a great reputation. At North Rim’s peak, they may have worked on 15 different projects at once, and this doesn’t just include local work.

North Rim is develop-ing an impressive global reach; it has done con-sulting work in the Unit-ed States, Africa, South America, Indonesia and Thailand. Stirrett said a lot of the company’s in-ternational work involves completing due diligence studies and ensuring min-ing companies are follow-ing the high standards practiced in Canada.

As North Rims contin-ues to build its business, the company has benefit-ed by becoming members of STEP in 2013.

“It’s been great because we can give them a task, and they can assess a mar-ket before we go into it,” said Stirrett. “That’s really invaluable because they

have so many connections in the country that we’re looking at. They get to do all of that footwork for us, which is great.

“The other part of STEP I really like is the pavilion they set up at different mining shows. It’s great to be lumped with other Saskatchewan groups because we work so closely with some of the different engineering firms. I think we’ll continue to use them more as we realize the different opportunities they can provide.”

As fast as North Rim is growing, it doesn’t mean the company is forgetting its roots. For three years, North Rim has supported Ronald McDonald House Saskatch-ewan, which provides accommodation for families of sick children traveling to Saskatoon to receive medi-cal treatment. By hosting an annual golf tournament, North Rim has raised almost $50,000 for the charity, which has helped it construct a new building.

“Most everyone that works here is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan or University of Regina, so we’re very passionate about giving back to the com-munity,” said Stirrett. “It’s been great to have a golf tournament because it’s been an opportunity for us to unwind with the clients.”

As Stirrett explained, the potash industry has its ups and downs, like any other resource-focused busi-ness. But with a true passion for the job, North Rim will continue to ride the wave, always ready to offer their consulting services to their clients as they meet the strong, long-term demand for Saskatchewan com-modities.

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Saskatchewan’s mineral resources fuel and feed the world. Whether it is potash or uranium, the province’s commodities are in high demand. With over $50 bil-lion expected to be invested in capital mining projects in Saskatchewan over the next 20 years, why should mining service and supply companies look to export, and with limited time and resources, where should they go? STEP works daily to help members answer this question.

The first question most small businesses ask is why should we export? This is particularly relevant when our domestic mining industry is strong. Exporting of-fers reduced vulnerability to fluctuations in the domes-tic mining market, greater economies of scale, and a larger sales base with which to offset investments in research and development. It is inevitable that our do-mestic industry will experience fluctuations and firms which complement their domestic sales with exports are better positioned to withstand periods of slow lo-cal demand.

Our provincial mining industry has flourished, in part, from the world class mining products manufac-tured in Saskatchewan and the innovative services of-fered by experienced mining professionals. We have particular expertise in underground soft rock mining techniques; exploration services and equipment; spe-cialized capabilities in fabrication (metal and plastics), machining, and electronics/instrumentation; continu-ously running machinery; remote-controlled under-ground mining equipment; and applied research and design. Knowing this, where are these goods and ser-vices in demand?

The short answer is to look at markets that have strong exploration spending, mineral output, and ide-ally, have a track record of doing business with Canadi-ans with a Free Trade Agreement being the ideal safe-guard. STEP has led trade missions to and prioritized the following South American markets:

South AmericaIn South America, estimated overall mining invest-ments will be more than $240 billion over the next five years, with Peru and Brazil both enjoying over $50 bil-

lion in investment. In Chile alone, annual operational spending by large mining companies will surpass $7.5 billion; annual spending on machinery parts, mining equipment and plant and mine consumables will be over $2 billion and annual contract services are valued at $1.25 billion. Chile imports 76 per cent of its mining equipment and local manufacturers satisfy only 24 per cent of Chile’s demand in this sector.

Canada is a major player in extractive industries in Colombia with 70 per cent of foreign investment in the hydrocarbon sector and 60 per cent of mining explo-ration investment in Colombia being Canadian. Heavy oil, oil field recovery, geological, geophysical, and seis-mic consulting services are all in demand and can be met by Saskatchewan firms. STEP has led multiple mis-sions to Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Chile, but what is next?

Kazakhstan and Indonesia In the coming weeks, STEP is leading trade missions to Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Kazakhstan is a mining leader and has set a goal to double its mining outputs with an emphasis on modernizing mining equipment and adopting leading mining solutions. The country has 28 per cent of the world’s uranium production, 30 per cent chrome ore and hundreds of millions in mine site exploration.

The Republic of Indonesia has extensive mineral re-serves and has become the world’s largest exporter of thermal coal as well as second in tin, third in copper, and fourth in nickel. The Indonesian mining industry value of production is expected to almost double from $82.6 billion USD in 2010 to $143 billion USD in 2016. So how can STEP help you access these markets?

STEP can provide customized market intelligence to analyze your potential; identify local partners and buy-ers; assist with logistical and financial considerations as STEP leads trade missions to the aforementioned markets. If diversification and growth are in your plans, contact a STEP trade professional. The path to prosperity is paved by trade, and STEP is here to help. For more information, contact David Froh, Director - Technology Services and Resources, at 306-787-7928.


Mining Goods and Services: Why Export?Understanding international demand for mining resources

BY DAVID FROH


ased in Watson, Failure Prevention Services (FPS) in is a leader in ad-

vanced filtration technology, manufactur-ing environmentally friendly, cleanable stainless steel filters for use in the oil and gas, mining, water and other industries.

They have trademarked their catch phrase, “Think Green, Reclean. Putting a Green Footprint on Filtration,” but it’s more than just a slogan; it’s a mindset and a commitment to helping their customers have a positive impact on the environ-ment and their bottom line.

“Our goal is to help customers put in a long-term plan for their filtration needs, and that long-term plan involves reduc-ing waste and improving efficiencies. We give that as an option to customers,” said Dan Beuker, President and CEO, FPS.

Founded in 1987, the company began distributing disposable filtration prod-ucts to customers in the oil and gas in-dustry. FPS continues to distribute these products today, along with their own stainless steel filters to accommodate cli-ents in various stages of embracing this technology. Helping an industry change its practice from disposable to reusable filtration systems sounds simple, but change rarely happens easily.

“Essentially, the disposable product gets you in the door. Once you’re in, you can introduce the other product. It’s more money, but it lasts longer, so in the long-term, it’s a good investment. This is a long-term process, and trying to drive

change in the industry is not easy. They are used to a process where they take that filter out every short period of time, dig a hole and bury it or throw it away. You have to change the whole ‘this is the way we’ve done it’ mindset,” said Bob Pit-zel, Chief Operating Officer, FPS.

“It is encouraging that the younger group that’s coming up ask the question, is it sustainable environmentally? Yes, that’s what this product does. It gives you a plan for not only your performance, but also your waste,” noted Beuker.

“It’s been a fun challenge. You can ap-proach customers with the notion of a green approach to filtration, but what re-ally gets their attention is it relates to a better bottom line in equipment perfor-mance and less down time for servicing. You grab their attention when you tell them that the re-cleanable filtration pro-cess cuts your waste by up to 97-98 per cent. It’s fun to watch their eyes get big. Then, they start to do the mental math real quick,” added Pitzel.

FPS has been making headway. In the past five years, the company has expand-ed its facility twice to create more manu-facturing space, purchased more equip-ment and added employees, bringing the total to 26.

“[Each filter we produce] is a piece of equipment that has a serial number, so it can be put on a leasing plan, and the life expectancy is 15-20-plus years if taken care of properly,” said Beuker. “We have one customer with some of our older fil-ters, and they’ve been cleaned in excess

of 400 times. Properly maintained and cared for, the filter does a great job. How much waste has been saved? It would be huge, probably semi-trailer loads that have not been sent to a landfill.”

Every piece of the stainless steel filter is made in-house. Having full control al-lows them to create custom designs, removes reliance on subcontractors and gives them the ability to serve clients in a timely fashion.

“Our ISO program is so strong we know there are numerous checks and points along the way, so when a filter goes out, we know it’s 100 per cent FPS made,” said Leanne Weiman, Business Manager, FPS.

FPS is ISO 2001:2008 certified. “We’re very excited about our ISO program. It’s great how the staff has embraced the program and take pride in their area and stations. They help write the procedures, and they get involved with our ISO,” add-ed Weiman.

Open communication with staff and valuing their input has not only helped the company flourish, but has also made it a fun place to work.

“Our quality system has helped us communicate so that our staff wrote the procedures. They know what we’re try-ing to achieve and that’s customer satis-faction, so we can keep building on the quality system and our communication system,” said Beuker.

FPS works hard to build its relation-ships. They call their customers friends, and they can’t let their friends down.

Creating a GREEN FootprintFPS focuses on quality, customer service and in-house innovationBY JUDY BIRD

B

“We pride ourselves on customer ser-vice,” said Weiman. “When customers phone and say they have to shut down a plant or can we help them figure this out, we get excited to help them. Everybody’s building filters in the evening to get their plant up and running again,” she added.

Customers have also inspired FPS to develop new products. “Some of our best research and development has come from our customers’ input,” said Beuker.

“It’s pretty exciting to do what we do, and to build the relationships with our staff, customers and vendors. We know

we’re doing something very cool for the environment, and we know we’re helping people create good solutions to address their problems,” said Weiman.

Building strong relationships not only helps them provide the best products and services to their clients, but it also helps them thrive in a competitive in-dustry. A few years ago, they considered expanding to other markets. Through STEP contacts, they approached interna-tional companies, but their efforts didn’t receive a strong response. As many suc-cessful business managers know, this

exercise was not a failure but one that helped determine their focus.

“Through our network and talking to different manufacturers in STEP, we learned that their market is a little differ-ent than ours. We can’t mass market our products, so we have to focus on a small-er group of individuals,” said Beuker.

“STEP introduced us to a network that we didn’t have access to before,” added Pitzel. “Being a member has a number of benefits, and although it didn’t result in any sales contacts, it helped us refocus our approach, and that is valuable.”



The Money Factor:Is Your Compensation

Package Working?

f you’re struggling to find and keep top talent, you’re not alone. Attract-

ing and retaining talent continuous to be a priority for Saskatchewan businesses.

Many of us blame external factors, and we’re right to do so. The highly competi-tive business environment and skilled la-bour shortages do make it hard to find good people. But chalking attraction and retention problems up to bad luck does not solve the problem. Businesses that want to continue to be successful need to proactively deal with the issue by ex-amining their compensation packages and determining whether the offer is still appropriate for today. Gone are the days when you could make sure the base pay was sufficient and people would stay. That’s not the case anymore. Things have changed in terms of what compensation packages need to look like in order to re-main competitive and in order for you to attract and keep top talent.

Today’s compensation packages in-clude more variable pay components,

I

such as cash bonuses and incentive plans. Once a perk in executive level positions, variable pay plans are seen as very desir-able by highly motivated employees and are increasingly being offered to all levels by businesses large and small.

To assess whether your compensation plan is well positioned to attract and retain the top talent it needs to be suc-cessful, MNP recommends the following review process:

Get to the Bottom of Issues:Your business is only as successful as the people working in it. Don’t ignore high turnover or unhappy employees and at-tribute attraction and retention issues to factors outside of your control. Instead, get to the root of the issue.

How do you find out if your compen-sation package is to blame? Sometimes, the fastest way is to ask your employees outright, but such discussions must be handled with care.

In any type of HR discussion, whether it’s an informal chat or formal employee satisfaction survey, you have to be care-ful that you don’t raise the expectations of employees and then not be able to deliver. The key is to position your dis-cussion and questions as exploratory. Ex-plain that you want to hear staff concerns and you’re committed to discovering the causes of problems but aren’t yet sure what form the solution will take.

Evaluate Your Current Offering: If you determine your compensation package is more of a turn-off than a tal-ent magnet, it is time to take a cold, hard look at what you’re offering and how it stacks up in the marketplace.

Your first step is to perform a job anal-ysis to define the roles of each job. Accu-rate job descriptions are the foundation for many human resource components, including compensation plans. If you haven’t clearly defined what the roles of each job are, you haven’t built that foundation. Job descriptions should de-tail the most important features of a job, including the duties and responsibilities that must be performed, as well as the knowledge, skills and effort required for someone to perform those duties.

With accurate job descriptions in hand, you can evaluate each job in or-der to determine the internal worth of

BY YVETTE BATTISTOLO

Photo credit: © Frbird|Dreamstime.com


the positions. A number of evaluation techniques and tools can be used for this task, but essentially you’ll be looking at factors such as the level of complexity in the job, the amount of judgement re-quired, the level of decision-making, the work environment and so on. Your goal is to develop a hierarchy, or rank order, of positions that allows you to quickly see how valuable each position (not person) is within the organization.

Lastly, determine the external value of your key talent by examining what other organizations are offering in terms of compensation and benefits packages. To do this effectively, you must ensure you are comparing apples to apples. The comparator organizations you look at may be different depending on the level of position you are comparing. For exam-ple, if you are looking at an executive po-sition, you may want to compare yourself to different organizations, than if you are reviewing a receptionist position.

There are several ways to learn about comparator organizations’ compensa-

tion packages. Phone surveys work well if there are two or three specific posi-tions you are focusing on. Other options include purchasing survey information or obtaining third-party assistance to carry out a customized compensation survey.

Variable Pay Plans: The Wave of the FutureIn an increasingly competitive business climate, organizations of all sizes are of-fering incentive plans for entry-level and junior positions. Here are things to watch for when working out the variable com-ponents of your compensation package:

• Ensure a line of sight. If employees can’t see how they can impact the objective you’ve set for them, then they won’t be motivated to try, and your incentive plan won’t work.

• Watch for double dipping. Don’t re-ward employees for achieving the same goal twice. The objectives in your variable pay plan must be dif-ferent from those employees should achieve as a regular part of their job.

• Make it measurable. Any objective set must be measurable. Employees should be able to track their perfor-mance on their own.

Putting It All TogetherGoing through the above process will help you create a solid, defensible and fair salary program by developing a base salary structure. Although the creation of a salary structure is fairly technical, requiring statistical analysis to integrate the internal and external values of the positions, it’s easy to maintain once in place. You should review your compen-sation package annually to ensure it re-mains competitive. A wholesale review should be carried out when economic conditions warrant.

If you would like more information on compensation planning, contact:

Yvette Battistolo, BHRD CHRP CCPPartner & Compensation Practice LeaderMNP Consulting Services306 751 [email protected]


STEP’s Booth at the 2014 Toronto Gift Fair

What are some common guidelines when preparing a good business plan? Define your business objectives: Consid-er who will read the plan. The objectives can help you decide how much emphasis to put on various sections of your plan.

Research your business plan: A busi-ness plan is only as good as the research used to produce it. Research your indus-try, potential customers, competitors, sales and costs of doing business.

Show drafts of your plan to others: It can be very useful to get feedback from various people, including those associ-ated with the business.

Write your own business plan: A com-mon mistake is to copy too much infor-mation from a sample business plan. Your plan must reflect your objectives and should flow like a story, with the sections working together to demonstrate why the business will succeed. Business plans that borrow too much information from other business plans tend to be disjoint-ed, with some sections contradicting oth-ers and key issues being overlooked.

Ensure your financial projections are believable: For many readers, the finan-cial section is the most important be-cause it identifies your financal needs and shows your business’ profit poten-tial. A good financial plan will also give the reader confidence that you under-stand your business, so test how reason-able each of your expectations are. If you are overly optimistic or fail to take into account the full costs of running your business, your business plan will not be considered credible.

hat is a business plan?A business plan is a written docu-

ment that describes your business, its objectives and strategies, the market you are targeting and your business’ financial forecast. It will assist in setting realistic and timely goals, help secure external funding, measure your success, clarify operational requirements and establish reasonable financial forecasts. It is never too late to write a business plan and, once written, it becomes a living docu-ment that should be updated regularly. It is important that you examine and antici-pate any relevant factors early in the pro-cess, so you’re not taken by surprise later.

Why do I need a business plan?Getting financial assistance to get your business up-and-running is directly tied to your business plan. To be considered a viable candidate to receive funds from financial institutions or investors, you must fully demonstrate your grasp of ev-ery aspect of your business, particularly its ability to generate profit. Beyond cre-ating a business plan for the sake of lend-ers and investors, it is also a necessary exercise to help you map out the growth and progress of your business.

Who should write my business plan? Your business plan should be prepared by you, the entrepreneur. It is your business and therefore your business plan, so you should take the lead in writing it. How-ever, don’t hesitate to seek outside assis-tance from your management team, con-sultants, accountants, bookkeepers, copy editors and/or other experienced people.

Write the executive summary last: The executive summary can be the most important section because people will read it first and may not read the other sections. The keys to a good summary are that it should be short (two pages at most), highlight what is important in your plan and get the reader excited about your business.

How long should my business plan be?There is no rule on length. The impor-tant thing is the research and then writ-ing a plan that covers every aspect of your business. The following categories are generally included in a business plan:

• Executive summary• Identify your business opportunity• Industry analysis• Marketing, sales and competition

analysis and strategy• Your team• Management• Operations• Financial forecasts• Implementation/target dates• Appendices

Square One: Saskatchewan’s Business Resource Centre is managed by the Saska-toon Regional Economic Development Au-thority (SREDA), a member of the Canada Business Network and funded by Western Economic Diversification. For more details on business plans, market research and ad-vice on starting or growing your business in Saskatchewan, contact us toll-free at 1-888-576-4444, email [email protected] or visit our Saskatoon office at 250-3rd Ave South. Resources are also available on our website, www.squareonesask.ca.

W

The basics of

BUSINESS PLANNINGBY DONNALYN THORSTEINSON Executive Director, Square One: Saskatchewan’s Business Resource Centreadapted from: www.canadabusiness.ca Photo credit: © Palinchak|Dreamstime.com



STEP Notes STEP members who have noteworthy news are invited to share that information with Global Ventures for our BIZNotes section. For further information or to submit content, please contact Heather Swan, Manager - Corporate Services at (306) 787-7942 or [email protected].

Exporter of the Year AnnouncedThe 2014 Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP) Ex-porter of the Year Award was presented to Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. at the STEP Trade Conference. Based in Saska-toon, Bioriginal is a global leader in delivering omega solutions to the food and nutraceutical industries. The company has es-tablished itself as a pioneer in the industry, developing propri-etary methods and innovative science-based omega solutions with both plant and marine-based omegas.

Bioriginal began working directly with regional producers to develop its first omega ingredient: borage oil. In time, the company expanded, adding new ingredients to its portfolio and entering new market segments and markets. Today, Bioriginal has a globally integrated supply chain, with offices and facilities in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia.

“Bioriginal has successfully developed and executed a unique export business model, which combines scientific, business and industry expertise to successfully create market-focused omega products,” STEP President & CEO Chad Fleck notes. “STEP is proud to profile their achievements knowing they are a strong testament to the success of our members through their innova-tion and commitment toward quality science-based products.”

Also recognized were the two other award finalists: Agrocorp International (Moose Jaw) and POS Bio Sciences (Saskatoon).

“The strength and calibre of our finalists speaks volumes to the highly competitive nature of the STEP Exporter of the Year Award,” says Fleck. “The award finalists represent a strong cross section of STEP member companies, each of whom are worthy recipients and who continue to successfully make their mark in international markets.”

Sponsored by Export Development Canada, the STEP Export-er of the Year Award recognizes excellence in company achieve-ments and success in tackling export markets. Reviewed by a selection committee of Saskatchewan business leaders, STEP member applicants demonstrated a high level of performance in introducing new products and services into world markets, significantly increasing their export sales, achieving a high ratio of export sales to total sales and leaving a positive impact on the provincial economy through job creation.

Incoming Buyers Program Held During 2014 STEP Trade ConferenceAs part of the STEP Trade Conference, 45 delegates from around the world toured the province’s agricultural scene. The delegation received hands-on experience and heard from some of Saskatchewan’s premier processors. Many delegates raved at the quality of crops, with one participant commenting, “We have heard of the high quality in Saskatchewan, but today we saw this firsthand, and we now know that the talk is very true.”

Overall, the conference welcomed more than 56 delegates/buyers from 14 countries. The incoming buyers that travelled to Saskatchewan represented sectors in the food value-added, raw ingredients, bulk agricultural commodities, manufacturing and professional services. In addition to the buyers, STEP welcomed

Information about STEP and international trade

Karen Shaw, Export Development Canada, and Chad Fleck, Saskatch-ewan Trade & Export Partnership, present the 2014 STEP Exporter of the Year Award to Bioriginal Food & Science Corp.

Growers and Pulse Canada, to develop a variety of activities to be held in India in celebration of IYOP. The province is looking to support activities aimed at increasing demand and knowl-edge of the benefits of pulses, as well as supporting the Global Pulse Conclave 2016.

India is one of Saskatchewan’s most valued trading partners, with sales of peas, lentils and chickpeas to that country exceed-ing $689 million in 2013. Support of IYOP is an opportunity to strengthen Saskatchewan’s agricultural trading relationship with India and expand the province’s market share in the re-gion.

Thanks to Trade Conference SponsorsSincere appreciation is expressed to STEP members who helped sponsor the 2014 STEP Trade Conference. With this support, STEP delivered an event that provided Saskatchewan enter-prises with timely information, tools to strengthen their global business efforts and various networking opportunities.

The success of the 2014 STEP Trade Conference, the response from delegates – partnered with our member’s commitment to support the event – made the event an occasion of value to members, incoming buyers and partners. We express our sin-cere appreciation to the following members who committed their resources and sponsored this event.

Gold LevelFarm Credit Canada (FCC)Ronco Freight International Inc.

Silver LevelAg-West Bio Inc.Canada’s Farm Progress Show (CFPS)Hanlon Centre for International Business StudiesMacPherson Leslie & Tyerman, LLPMinistry of the EconomySaskTelTransport Services & Logistics Ltd.

Bronze LevelNational Bank

Trade Show SponsorNatural Resources Canada

Conference SupporterCanadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)Global Trade Credit Inc.

Coffee Break SponsorSaskatchewan Chamber of CommerceTD Bank Commercial Banking

Delegate Kit SponsorMobo Promotional Products

Lanyard SponsorBenchmark Public Relations


three trade commissioners representing regions in Mexico, Ja-pan and Pakistan, and provided support to lead the buyers from their respective markets to Saskatchewan. The event also al-lowed the commissioners to experience the opportunities Sas-katchewan has to offer for the buyers in their networks.

The remainder of the STEP Trade Conference was filled with information sessions, seminars and networking opportunities. In total, STEP facilitated over 220 one-on-one meetings with Saskatchewan exporters plus dozens of other networking op-portunities. In the end, one of the incoming buyers stated, “The STEP Trade Conference was a perfect blend of buyer and seller” and many more noted their excitement for future opportunities and business collaborations with Saskatchewan exporters.

Market Intelligence UnitMarks MilestoneSTEP has built a strong repu-tation and brand by serving and supporting various market expansion initiatives for Sas-katchewan exporters, both abroad and close to home.

In this past quarter, the Market Intelligence team delivered the organization’s 5,000th Market Intelligence Report. This mile-stone highlights a long history of providing information and in-sight to Saskatchewan exporters. Through this service alone, STEP has helped hundreds of Saskatchewan exporters explore and develop opportunities in markets across the globe.

Offered since STEP’s inception over 18 years ago, the Market Intelligence service option has a high consumption rate among members and receives strong ratings from members who partic-ipate in the annual membership survey. The Market Intelligence Unit benefits by having access to a wealth of research resources and having an ear on the ground courtesy of STEP’s trade team staff. The Market Intelligence Unit is also dedicated to bringing members information that is current, reliable and actionable. The work undertaken is further supported by a strong staff of certified international trade professionals (CITPs) who work to achieve and exceed members’ expectations.

The STEP Market Intelligence team thanks Saskatchewan ex-porters for their continued support of this service. As this orga-nization enters a new chapter of the STEP story, the staff looks forward to continuing to work with the province’s exporters to identify and analyze new opportunities, wherever they may lie.

STEP members and exporters interested in the Market Intel-ligence Unit can contact Jeff Thackeray, Director of Market Intel-ligence, at 306-787-4103 or [email protected].

New Pulse Marketing InitiativeThe provincial government recently announced $100,000 in funding to support activities for the United Nations’ Interna-tional Year of Pulses (IYOP) in India in 2016.

The Ministry of Agriculture will work with the Indian Puls-es and Grains Association, as well as the Saskatchewan Pulse


Mortoza Tarafder recently celebrated his first anniversary as STEP’s Director of Trade Development, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa (MENA). However, he was familiar with STEP long before as STEP was one of his clients in a previous job.

“I had a connection to STEP for a long time when I worked for the Canadian federal government in Bangladesh as a Trade Commissioner. My role then was to promote business from Can-ada, and STEP was one of my clients. I was working with STEP to promote their members’ business in Bangladesh, and now I am working with trade commissioners in other countries where we are generating leads, receiving delegations and working with incoming buyers. We are successfully bringing business opportu-nities from these countries,” said Tarafder.

Born and raised in Bangladesh, Tarafder has completed two post graduation degrees: Business Administration from the Uni-versity of Dhaka and Applied Physics and Electronics from the University of Rajshahi. He has over 17 years of management and business development experience with the Canadian and British governments in Bangladesh and is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP), a designation he attained in 2011. He joined STEP in November 2013 and moved here with his family.

“We arrived in Canada on November 23, 2013, and I started working in Regina three days later. The initial transition for our family was excellent. We have two children who go to school here, and it has been a very good experience so far,” he said.

Although he had been to Saskatchewan before, it was during the summer. Aside from the shock of enduring his first prairie winter and never seeing snow before, Tarafder has had a smooth transition into his new position. “It has been a great experience because of the welcome we received and the extraordinary sup-port from my colleagues,” he said.

STEP members directly benefit from Tarafder working on their behalf. He has many business contacts from his previous jobs, and he continues to nurture those relationships in his new role.

“Agriculture is big in Bangladesh and the countries I repre-sent. I know a lot of people there and colleagues in the past from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the UAE. I am now in direct contact with the companies and speaking to the producers and processors. I work closely with our members to promote them in various markets. The province’s strength is in the agriculture and agri-equipment areas, and about 40 percent of the province’s ex-ports are agricultural in nature. We are working with agricultural companies, but we are also working to promote value-added ag-riculture products in different markets,” he said.

Tarafder recently led a trade mission to India and will lead another in February 2015 to the Middle East. He is excited that STEP is expanding opportunities globally and in untapped markets.

“I had an opportunity to go to Myanmar and explore that mar-ket, which is a new market for Canada. I spent four days trying to identify areas where there will be some opportunities for STEP members, and what I found was exciting. Myanmar is becom-ing a powerful pulse exporter, and they consume more rice than wheat, however; there is a lot going on in the oil and gas sector. The region holds excellent opportunities for our members in the oil and gas sector – services, equipment, drilling and technolo-gies, and we expect to continue to work on this new market.”

He discovered that almost all of the world’s big oil and gas companies are present in Myanmar, but he did not find any Cana-dian companies. “There was just Manulife and a food company. The food company is working with a local company to open their business, but the story of Manulife is a bit interesting as they returned to Myanmar after an absence of 70 years. They started working in Myanmar in 1903 and left after the start of World War II. Right after most of the economic sanctions were withdrawn in 2012, they returned to Myanmar. They are there because they know there will be business there. The uniqueness is that the Government of Myanmar does not allow foreign companies to operate insurance businesses in Myanmar, but Manulife is there providing consulting services and helping local insurance com-panies build and develop. They know that eventually the market will open up to international insurance companies, so they want to take advantage of being there. Companies must consider this.”

“STEP is unique in terms of identifying opportunities and ways of working with members. We can always bring opportunities and trade leads to members, but the way we pursue it is unique. I think members enjoy dealing with us because we make friends, we make relationships and then we work with companies.”

In this world of fast-paced life and instant communication, the art of building relationships can often be sacrificed to save time, but Tarafder knows the true value of this effort. “In my profes-sional work of 17 years, this is the only thing that I have learned: build the relationship first if you are going to do anything be-cause that gives you the advantage. I have worked with both pub-lic and private sectors closely, but I always set up the relationship first before actually working with them.”

Mortoza Tarafder BY JUDY BIRD

Staff Profile

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