Thunder Bay Metal Fabricators: New Name For Success
by Scott A. Sumner
www.thunderbaybusiness.ca
The Thunder Bay Oil Sands Consortium has changed their name. “The original initiative is now 3 years old and we have undergone economic changes as Gordon Pitts, the Globe & Mail writer and author of Stampede so nicely said last week indicated the immerse opportunities happening in western Canada. The new organization has new opportunities,” said Steve Demmings, CEO of Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission. “ They now realize there are emerging opportunities in Saskatchewan ( Saska Boom). That province has a 100 year supply of enriched uranium and the largest supply of potash that China and India want. Also they have shale oil. The Saskatchewan companies will all need steel, which Thunder Bay can supply.”
“ We will also be in province of Manitoba with whom we have had an historical arrangement for grain and where 40 or 50 years of development for hydro will happen which also requires steel products. The market has expanded and the new Thunder Bay Metal Fabricators Association are a marketing force of 21 companies focussed on western Canada,” said Demmings. “ They have done $ 50 million dollars of work jointly or individually in the last 3 years. The Thunder Bay Metal Fabricators association together have numbers in strength with 800 employees. When you are one larger brand you get the attention of the big guys, say in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It has awesome potential. In the last three years they learned to work together. Their recent participation in a national buyers forum in Edmonton was just outstanding where they developed 14 excellent prospects, 8 of which were introduced by the CEDC and they are getting the results. I would stay tuned this summer for more good news.”
“ This is an excellent example of business retention in Thunder Bay,” said Demmings. “ The group can do mods or pipe fabrication or really anything that the customer needs in a manufacturing requirement. They developed an aggressive marketing campaign including one on one meetings. The Thunder Bay Metal Fabricators have matured as an organization and are poised to take advantage of the upswing in the market. The CEDC meets with the Thunder Bay Metal Fabricators Association each Tuesday in the CEDC offices. Our role is to create
jobs, investment and help them introduce to new markets.” said Steve Demmings.
