Success Stories
There are plenty of businesses to brag about in Airdrie. From home-grown entrepreneurs to multi-national players, Airdrie is home to a wide-range of successful businesses.
One common thread? They've come to Airdrie for our location and competitive business environment and stayed because of our people and superior quality of life.
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Kohler Composites
Sector: Advanced Manufacturing
Year Established in Airdrie: 2002
www.kohlercomposites.com
Kohler Composites of Alberta Inc. has more than 25 years in the aerospace composite manufacturing business. From its operation in Airdrie, the company creates fibreglass drone air frames, as well as custom mouldings for the military. Kohler Composites specializes in building target drones and U.A.V. airframes used in military operations, and is one of only a handful of companies in Canada that manufactures these products.
"We chose Airdrie because we wanted that small town feel, while still having the proximity to the highway and Calgary," says President Klaus Kohler.
Condillo Foods
LOCATION"At the time we chose Airdrie, we were also considering a location - Derek Walker |
Sector: Advanced Manufacturing
Year Established in Airdrie: 1980
Condillo Foods Ltd. is a subsidiary of Old Dutch Foods Ltd., a major manufacturer of snack foods that includes potato chips and corn chips. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and facilities are located across Canada and the United States and include a production facility in Airdrie.
Condillo has been an Airdrie mainstay for almost 30 years. Today, the 130,000 square foot Airdrie operation employs approximately 120 workers and has one of the most modern production lines in the industry.
"In our experience, the workforce is reliable and motivated and we have been able to attract a high quality of worker to our operation," says Derek Walker of Condillo Foods.
Kootenay Wood Transport
Sector: Transportation & Logistics
Year Established in Airdrie: 1986
www.kootenaywood.com
Kootenay Wood Transport Ltd is a family owned operation that began in 1986 with one truck and trailer. Since then, the company has expanded to include 21 trucks and four office staff.
Today, the company is active in all western provinces, and with the US border less than three hours away, they also operate in all states west of the Mississippi.
"For us, there is no better location than Airdrie, " says Ken Bilben, President and Owner. "Its proximity to the Calgary airport, Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and east Calgary industrial areas is a definite advantage."
With a growing client base, Kootenay is shipping a wide range of building and industrial products as well as servicing Alberta's oil patch.
Costco
Sector: Transportation & Logistics
Year Established in Airdrie: 2008
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates an international chain of membership warehouses. Costco's state-of-the-art merchandise distribution facilities are key to their operating efficiencies. The company's worldwide depots handle 80% of the product throughput, and occupy more than 6.5 million square feet of space, providing a significant competitive operating advantage.
In 2008, Costco spent approximately $150 million upgrading and expanding a number of depot operations, and opened a new Western Canada distribution facility in Airdrie. The 260,000 square foot facility is located in the city's northeast and has the potential to expand to almost 400,000 square feet on a 46 acre site, as needed. While initially employing 100 people, there is an expectation the depot will expand its workforce year over year, drawing many of its employees from Airdrie and area.
"Transportation access was key to our selection of Airdrie. We will be loading 60-70 outbound trucks daily, so proximity to the highway was essential," says Airdrie Depot Manager Max Lupton.
FortisAlberta
COMMUNITY"The City's mayor and senior staff made us feel very welcome in the community. That was backed up by the level of effort that was put into ensuring our timely move to the community." - Karl Smith |
Year Established in Airdrie: 2008
www.fortisalberta.com
FortisAlberta is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortis Inc., Canada's largest investor-owned distribution utility.
The company owns and operates over 60% of Alberta's distribution network, focusing on safe and reliable delivery of electricity to 453,500 customers in 175 communities.
In 20078, the company recently relocated the majority of its operations from Calgary to a newly-constructed 84,000 square foot building in Airdrie.
The new facility accommodates 300 office and field staff including jobs in engineering, procurement, project management, contact centre and information technology—making FortisAlberta one of Airdrie's largest employers.
"The decision to move to Airdrie was an easy one," says Karl Smith, President and CEO of FortisAlberta. "It allowed us to get out of the volatile leasing market in Calgary and put us closer to our customers. Once we got to know the community though, we were impressed with the quality of the local labour force and the ease with which we have been able to attract and retain our workforce."
Cutforth Technologists
Sector: Professional, Technical & Scientific Services
Year Established in Airdrie: 1972
www.cutforth.com
Cutforth Technologists Limited began its operations in 1972 expanding on the success of Cutforth Drafting Services. Today, the firm provides architectural drafting services for medium to large scale commercial and industrial projects, as well as custom residences, multi-family projects, small building designs, space planning, church layouts, and renovations projects.
"While the digital revolution enables us to work from anywhere," explains company President Rob Lavigne, " Airdrie's strategic location allows us to provide quality service across Southern Alberta."
Over the years, the firm of six employees has established a high standard of technical competence in the disciplines of architectural design and technology. While their location in Airdrie has them well positioned and within reach of a large client base, it's the Alberta lifestyle that President Rob Lavigne really appreciates.
eCycle Solutions
Sector: Environmental Industries
Year Established in Airdrie: 2005
www.ecyclesolutions.com
eCycle Solutions, founded in 2005, operates one of North America's most technologically advanced secure electronics recycling facilities. 99% of material arriving at eCycle is diverted from the landfill. Being located in Airdrie has helped spur eCycle's incredibly fast growth, expanding from a handful of staff to more than 50, and from a 13,000 square foot space to over 100,000 square feet in just a few years.
"Airdrie is perfectly situated for a logistics-based service provider," says Gary Powers, President of eCycle Solutions. "In addition, a business can certainly leverage zero business tax, lower rent and a captive work force."
Vitreous Glass Inc.
Sector: Environmental Industries
WORKFORCE"We have always been impressed with the quality of the Airdrie workforce and the high rate of staff retention we've had over the years." - Pat Cashion |
Year Established in Airdrie: 1995
Vitreous Glass Inc. opened in Airdrie in 1995, and annually collects 90,000 tonnes of post-consumer waste glass from Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. The glass is cleaned, crushed, and sold to three fibreglass insulation manufacturers who use it as a raw material in their production facilities. These Alberta based firms produce all of the fibreglass building insulation made in Western Canada.
Vitreous' process results in their clients using less energy to reheat the waste glass compared to using conventional raw materials, which ultimately reduces overall manufacturing costs.
Pat Cashion, President of Vitreous Glass Inc., says his staff know they're making an environmental change for the better. "We chose this community because of the accessibility to both Calgary and Edmonton and its proximity to the Trans-Canada Highway," says Cashion. "The City's administration is very well run, very accessible and there is an obvious culture of efficiency and customer service."
Global Pet Foods
Sector: Retail
Year Established in Airdrie: 2007
When local entrepreneur James Froese saw an opportunity in a growing community, he seized it.
"The Global Pet Foods franchise was ready to expand into southern Alberta and I saw what I thought was a good business opportunity in Airdrie," he explains. Froese opened the store on Airdrie's Main Street in 2007.
The store provides premium dog and cat foods, plus toys, accessories, and treats for small animals, birds and fish.
Owning a business was very appealing to Froese: "There is a sense of pride that comes with owning your own store."