In January 2009, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) introduced Global Ventures, a bi-monthly publication designed to carry a message both on behalf of and to the business community at a provincial, national, and international level. For STEP, this publication is an appropriate medium to relay very timely messaging to both the local business community as well as the network of international contacts that this organization has developed over the past twelve years. STEP has a proven track record of building local and international relationships that are vital to the success of exporters. For more information, please go to http://www.sasktrade.com/.
HARNESSING NATURE’S ENERGY Koenders Windmills turn wind power into clean pond water Reducing Global Carbon Emissions HTC Purenergy offers a complete carbon capture package Attracting the World’s Best Minds The University of Saskatchewan is a hot spot for international grad students Innovators in Augmented Reality Talking Dog Studios takes front stage in the emerging AR industry PHOTO CREDIT: Tourism Saskatchewan/J.F. Bergeron/ENVIRO FOTO VOLUME TWO ISSUE THREE • MAY/JUNE 2010 GLOBAL A STEP PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTING SASKATCHEWAN BUSINESS V ENTURES
Transcript
HARNESSING NATURE’S ENERGY Koenders Windmills turn wind power into clean pond water
Reducing Global Carbon EmissionsHTC Purenergy offers a complete carbon capture package
Attracting the World’s Best Minds The University of Saskatchewan is a hot spot for international grad students
Innovators in Augmented Reality Talking Dog Studios takes front stage in the emerging AR industry
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4 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
“Saskatchewan has everything it needs for the high-tech entrepreneur. It’s hard to imagine a place with more opportunity.” Dr. Darryl Jessie, PhD, PEngPresident & CEORaum Energy Inc.Residential Wind Turbine Manufacturer
Be part of a growing economy that supports and celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business lists five Saskatchewan cities in the top 10 most entrepreneurial cities in Canada, with Saskatoon taking top spot. We’re showing the world that in Saskatchewan opportunity is only limited by your imagination.
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1403 Global Ventures Ad v2.indd 1 10-04-30 10:40 AM
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 5
insideGLOBALVENTURESis the official bi-monthly publication of
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.caRegina Office:P.O. Box 1787
320 - 1801 Hamilton Street, Regina, SK S4P 3C6Regina 306.787.9210 / Toll Free: 1.877.313.7244
Toll Free: 1.888.XPORTSKSaskatoon Office:
400 - 402 21st Street East, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0C3Saskatoon 306.933.6551 / Toll Free: 1.877.313.7244
Toll Free: 1.888.XPORTSK
Concept Media2629 Angus Boulevard, Regina, SK S4T 2A6
Publication Mail Agreement #41786012Return undeliverable mail to Circulation Department,
2629 Angus Boulevard, Regina, SK S4T 2A6.
ON THE COVERLegislative Building, Regina, Saskatchewan. Photo credit:
Tourism Saskatchewan/J.F. Bergeron/ENVIRO FOTO
PRINTED IN CANADA
VOLUME TWO ISSUE THREEMAY/JUNE 2010
cover12 Harnessing Nature’s
Energy Koenders Windmills’ low-cost, highly efficient pond aeration solutions are leaders in the green technology field.
features16 Reducing Global
Carbon Emissions HTC Purenergy turns Saskatchewan- made technology into global clean energy solutions.
18 Attracting the World’s Best Minds The University of Saskatchewan achieves success through its
international graduate recruitment program.
20 Innovators in Augmented Reality Talking Dog Studios’ innovation opens door to an emerging industry.
STEP notes 6 Message from the
President and CEO 8 Where in the
World is STEP? Upcoming international trade events.
25 Staff Profile Stacey Sauer: Discovering new markets for Saskatchewan manufacturers.
9 STEP Journalism Fellowship Barbara Woolsey named 2009 recipient.
market info 23 Survey of the
Labour Market An in-depth look at STEP’s recently released survey of the Saskatchewan manufacturing sector.
18 Western Canada Farm Progress Show The 2010 show promises to be better than ever.
STEP services24 Boosting Export Readiness
STEP’s new Program helps companies move beyond the borders.
6 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
All of these buildings unto themselves do little – we understand that – but what goes on inside is really what matters. In multiple disciplines and across a broad cross-section of sectors, Saskatchewan’s economy is moving forward. The build-ings send a clear message to our visitors; the echo that we hear over and over again from those guests is “we just did not know . . . we just did not realize that you had this kind of competency and ca-pacity.”
On a different front, I am pleased with how our partner views our efforts. Many Saskatchewan residents focused on the budget address in March and there were numerous comments made on the gov-ernment’s belt tightening initiatives.
STEP’s presentation to our partner, the Province of Saskatchewan, was differ-ent. Instead of a funding retraction, we focused on the global economy, the com-petitive influences that exist and, most importantly, the resources STEP is able to leverage. It is well understood that exports are the economic engine of our province. We were able to articulate a strategy that was focused, detailed, and, most importantly, one that defined a se-ries of objectives where our initiatives could easily be benchmarked.
With the strong endorsement of our 2010-11 Business Plan, we were able to provide members with enhanced servic-es, such as the recently announced Mar-ket Access Program (MAP) and the Export Readiness services. We are confident that with the launch and delivery of these new programs, coupled with our core service
delivery; we will see further growth in the export sector in Saskatchewan.
The 33rd edition of the Western Can-ada Farm Progress Show is just about upon us and STEP is ready, willing, and able to work with global customers from every walk of life and from every geographical location. The show, which takes place from June 16 – 18, has many new additions, including the addition of “Demo Days.” Each morning at 7:00 a.m., attendees will be transported to a field demonstration where they will witness the newest technology in agriculture manufacturing at work in the field where it really matters.
This is always an exciting time for me as it represents my roots and what I love about Saskatchewan. Clean air, the most beautiful sky in the world, and a chance to work with nature to grow a new op-portunity every year. I cannot wait and I hope to see you there.
Lionel LaBelle, President & CEOSaskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP)
Message from the President & CEOTaking Pride in Saskatchewan
In this issue, we have featured a photo of the Saskatchewan Legislative Build-ing. Constructed in 1912, this building
set a tone that at the time was bold and some would say visionary. If a building can emulate the pride of a population 100 years ago, can it still do so today?
As part of the work we do at STEP, we continually travel to all corners of the world, but, interestingly enough, we also do the opposite. From April to Septem-ber, STEP plays a very active role in host-ing incoming missions to our province. We invite, host, and connect with count-less business delegations that come to our province. Ironically, one of our pro-motional tools during such visits is the grand buildings of Saskatchewan – the old, the historic, and the new. The grand-est of them all is, of course, the Legisla-tive Building. It truly does show well and, in the work that we do, it also sets a tone about our cultural beliefs, our work ethic, our pride, and just as important, our be-lief in a future that is full of opportunity.
That same pride in ownership is easily exhibited in Saskatoon when we tour the facilities at the University of Saskatch-ewan. These are indeed grand buildings, but here is one of the many examples where the old complements the new. Once we have marshaled our delegates through the oldest building on campus, the Administration Building, we quickly move to the Agriculture Building, Nation-al Hydrology Research Centre, Agricul-ture Building, the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron and, finally, the many global leaders that reside at Innovation Place.
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 7
Barbara Woolsey receives STEP Journalism Fellowship
League of Poets Annual Poetry Contest.
This sparked submissions to other publi-
cations, such as What If? Magazine, Sas-
quatch Newspaper, and the “Minus 20”
section of the Regina Leader-Post.
Currently, Barbara is the opinion edi-
tor of the University of Regina’s student
newspaper, The Carillon. Her work has
been syndicated to other publications,
including The Sheaf, The Brock Press, and
The Other Press through the Canadian
University Press.
As the recipient of the new STEP Fel-
lowship, Barbara will work for The Bang-
kok Post in Bangkok, Thailand for a three-
month term commencing in September
2010. The Bangkok Post is Thailand’s
leading English language daily and is
known for its strong business, social, and
political reporting. Operating in a free
press environment, the paper is a leader
in newsgathering, analysis, and opinion
throughout Southeast Asia.
New Opportunities – New Beginnings
We are here to serve you& guide you!
Burnett Immigration Services Inc.#1 - 2072 McIntyre Street
Elaine F. Burnett, CCIC, FCMI Christall Beaudry, CCIC, FCMI, CITPPresident & CEO Immigradtion ManagerMO41635 MO095409
Barbara Woolsey, a Canadian jour-
nalist and current events enthu-
siast, is the recipient of the first
year of STEP’s three-year commitment to
the University of Regina School Of Jour-
nalism.
Woolsey, currently in her third year at
the University of Regina’s School of Jour-
nalism, is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in
Journalism with a minor in political sci-
ence. She has been an avid reader and
writer since a very young age. In 2003,
she won second place in the Canadian
8 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
Where in the World is STEP?
8 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 9
MAYCICILS/IPTIC 2010 -
International Pulse Trade & Industry Confederation
Date: May 1 - 4, 2010Location: Brisbane, Australia
CICILS is the international meeting place for the pulse trade. This year’s event will have a particular emphasis on importers and exporters from Western Europe, Can-ada, United States, Indian Subcontinent, and Middle East and Asia. The conference provides an excellent networking oppor-tunity to meet with international buyers who do not attend the CSCA conference.
Date: May 9 - 12, 2010Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
For this event, STEP will focus on mem-bers across all sectors that offer products or services to the mining industry with special attention given to the Technol-ogy, Services & Resources team for a strong Saskatchewan delegation. STEP will organize a business development mission that will involve a group display, meetings with buyers, and represent non-attending members.
Contact: David Froh, Trade Specialist, Technology, Services & Resources
Business Development Mission - Johannesburg, Cape Town & Bothaville,
South AfricaDate: May 12 - 22, 2010Location: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia
Following the CICILS Conference in Aus-tralia, STEP will visit South Africa with a focus on the pulse and agriculture equip-ment sectors. Visits to Zimbabwe and Zambia will be part of this mission, as
well as a visit to the NAMPO Harvest Day Show. An event considered to be one of largest of its kind in the world, the NAM-PO Harvest Day Show is highly regarded by both local and overseas farmers and businessmen alike. STEP will work with participating agri-value members to es-tablish contacts, trade leads, sales, and distribution networks/partnerships/alli-ances.Contact: Tim Marshall, Senior Director,
Location: Regina, SaskatchewanSTEP will partner with The Saskatche-wan Chamber of Commerce and Export Development Canada to bring you the most up-to-date information available on the global economy and how it impacts your business. Join EDC’s Peter Hall, Vice President and Chief Economist, to find out what you can expect in the next year regarding interest rates, currency fluctuations, how to minimize risks and maximize opportunities, the export out-look for your industry, and how you can succeed in the global marketplace. Each attendee will receive access to EDC’s sought-after Global Export Forecast 2010 Spring Edition. To register online, visit www.saskchamber.com.
SaskatchewanDate: May 26, 2010 - North Battleford,
SaskatchewanSTEP will partner with Enterprise Sas-katchewan and The Saskatchewan Min-ing Association to present a workshop for manufacturers interested in doing business with the mining industry. It is projected that there will be $43 billion in-vested in capital mining projects over the next 20 years in the province. At these
workshops, you will learn how your com-pany can participate in the mining supply chain, what it will take to be successful, and how to stay competitive in the global marketplace.
Using Social Media to Maximize Trade Show Effectiveness - Seminar
Date: May 19, 2010Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
STEP will partner with Saskatchewan Ad-vanced Technologies Association to con-duct a lunch-hour educational seminar. Ryan Lejbak, CEO and Albert Jame, Cre-ative Director with zu.com will provide an overview of social media tools, tips on how to use them in preparing and ex-ecuting a trade show strategy and ideas for post-show follow-up.
Contact: Pat Chobot, Administrative Coordinator, Trade Development
Saskatoon, SaskatchewanThe US Retail Farm and Home Market is roughly a $10 billion market per year in the US. At this seminar, Wheatbelt Inc. will present how to do business as a vendor with the Wheatbelt Group. Participants will also hear from the Vice President of ASA Associates, a leading representative agency who services Wheatbelt Inc. by representing vendors from across North America. If your company manufactures or markets products in the areas of live-stock supplies, animal feed, veterinar-ian products, pet products, agricultural implements, fencing, automotive, hard-ware, recreation, toys, seasonal or lawn and garden, this is an educational event of interest to you. One-on-one meetings will be offered to seminar attendees.
Contact: Rob Ziola, Director, Trade Development, Manufacturing
Location: Toronto, OntarioSTEP will focus on the members of the Technology, Services and Resources sec-tor and reach out to other sector groups to help this event have a strong Saskatch-ewan delegation. STEP will organize a business development mission that will involve a group display, arrange meetings with buyers, and represent non-attending members.Contact: Donovan Swinnerton, Director,
Technology, Services and ResourcesTelephone: (306) 933-6531
Representatives - WorkshopDate: June 2, 2010 - TBC
Location: Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSTEP will host a half-day seminar focused on how to effectively work with an inde-pendent manufacturer’s representative. Guest speakers include the President/CEO from the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA) and a sales representative from the mid-west United States. Seminar topics will include what is a sales representative, benefits, when to use, establishing a contract, and how to get the best results.
- Saskatoon, SaskatchewanThe 9th Annual STEP Golf Tournament is an opportunity to network with fellow ex-porters and industry professionals in the province. This year’s golf tournament will see a portion of registration proceeds go-ing to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. Space is limited and early registration is encouraged. Tourna-ment fees include a round of golf, power carts, steak dinner, and an afternoon of networking while raising money for a worthy cause.
STEP will focus on members across all sectors that offer products or services to the oil and gas and environment sectors with special attention to the Technology, Services and Resources team to ensure a strong Saskatchewan delegation. STEP will organize a business development mission that will involve a group display, arrange meetings with buyers, and repre-sent non-attending members.
Contact: David Froh, Trade Specialist, Technology, Services & Resources
Date: June 15 - 16, 2010Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
This annual event provides a forum for all AMC members to converge in one city in the Canadian prairies to do business, consult on pressing industry issues, at-tend business seminars and workshops, participate in a trade show, and meet with colleagues in this industry.
Contact: Rob Ziola, Director, Trade Development, Manufacturing
Location: Regina, SaskatchewanSTEP will host the annual Saskatchewan Reception prior to the opening of the Western Canada Farm Progress Show. This reception has grown in popularity and is viewed as a valuable opportunity for Saskatchewan exporters to meet and network with incoming buyers.
Location: Saskatoon, SaskatchewanSTEP offers FITT Skills International Trade Training, a unique international trade training which was formed from an expressed interest by Saskatchewan companies to make international trade
THE OMEGA-3 SOURCEO&T Farms Ltd manufactures Omega-3 feed components,
providing functional food solutions globally for both
animals and humans.
10 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 11
Master of International Trade Move to Change“I found the online Master of International Trade (MIT) program to be an excellent way to prepare graduate students for the world of international trade, both domestically and internationally.”
Chad SwanCe, MIT Graduate
aPPLY nOwFor more information about the MIT program, visit: www. schoolofpublicpolicy.sk.ca
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDMurray Daku, Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerHitachi Canadian Industries Ltd.
Location: Anaheim, CaliforniaSTEP will focus on the members of the Environmental sector to attend Clean-Tech 2010 and will plan a business de-velopment mission that involves a group display at the show, meetings with buy-ers, and representation of non-attending members.Contact: Donovan Swinnerton, Director,
Technology, Services and ResourcesTelephone: (306) 933-6531
Date: June 22 - 25, 2010Location: Manila, Philippines
STEP is recruiting member companies to attend the Clean Energy Forum as poli-cymakers, private sector firms, and non-governmental organizations across Asia gather to promote best practices in pol-icy and finance. The forum will focus on
meeting the challenges of the new era of clean energy by exploring how to scale-up the technology transfer and diffusion processes and measures to effectively link energy efficiency and renewable en-ergy projects to finance sources.
Contact: Angie Wojcichowsky, International Projects OfficerTelephone: (306) 933-6553
Koenders Windmills Provide a Clean, Green Aeration Solution
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 13
BY KATIE BOYCE
age the aerobic decomposition to con-tinue. The wind driven air compressor sends oxygen through tubing to a dif-fuser on the bottom of the pond which is continually released as tiny bubbles.”
Even low wind speeds of only three miles per hour can power the windmills, which range in price between $1,000 and $3,000.
Besides its standard windmills, Koenders also manufactures dual dia-phragm windmills for ponds over two acres in size, as well as reliable and servicable electric aerators, solar water pumps, air driven water pumps, freeze control units, pressure release valves. They also sell airstone diffusers and pond conditioner.
From farmers and cattle producers to golf courses, rural communities, parks services, and fish farms, many sectors are discovering the potential that wind-mill aeration has for clean, safe water with little maintenance and high effi-ciency. Some of Koenders’ newest cli-ents are municipalities looking to clean up their waste water reservoirs.
“Our traditional market has been farmers who want clean dugout water. In recent years, we have been in part-nership with Zirkon Research of Ed-monton, who are experts in waste wa-ter and landfill remediation. Windmills have been installed in several commu-nity waste water lagoons and landfills, the addition of oxygen accelerates the decomposition process. The results are
very encouraging and we see real poten-tial for growth,” says Goode.
Koenders constantly receives rave cus-tomer reviews for its easy-to-set-up and low maintenance products, which only need minor maintenance every five to seven years.
Goode explains that one of the first things customers notice about the wind-mills is the return on their investment.
“Wind costs nothing. It can save farm-ers and ranchers thousands per year in energy, maintenance and filter costs. It can save thousands more per year in pre-venting livestock and farm animal loss or sickness. Environmentally friendly wind-mills also eliminate the need for costly electric power or oil-based fuels.”
“Another reason for the popularity of windmill aerators is how long they last,” he adds. “Windmills only have three mov-ing parts and will last decades, whereas some electrical aeration devices are of a disposable, short-life nature.”
The advantages of wind-driven aera-tion were recently realized by the City of Muldrow, Oklahoma in their waste wa-ter pond, which is located next to a high school and a community baseball field.
“When the weather started changing, the water would start getting septic,” says David Taylor, Muldrow City Man-ager. “The smell would become pretty bad.”
After learning about windmill aeration from a nearby farmer, the City of Mul-drow teamed up with Koenders Wind-
A fish farm in Jamaica with aeration from Koenders Windmills.
Like many Saskatchewan compa-nies, Koenders Windmills got its start when a local entrepreneur
created a product to address a local problem.
“The story began in 1988 when Wilf Koenders started manufacturing wind-mills to help local farmers improve the quality of their standing water,” says Alan Goode, General Manager, Koenders Windmills Group of Companies.
And, following the tradition of many other Saskatchewan start-ups, Koenders Windmills’ small beginning soon turned into something big.
Goode says that the company has grown over the past 20 years to become a dominant force in the manufactur-ing and selling of aeration windmills around the world. He also explains that Koenders’ success is due in part to the fact that it has been far ahead of its time in producing environmentally friendly products.
“The market for aeration windmills has expanded exponentially as the search for environmentally friendly, re-newable energy sources becomes an ever increasing part of our daily life. Koenders Windmills was part of that ‘green movement’ even before it was cool to be green,” says Goode.
The aeration windmills made by Koenders – which come in 12, 16, 20 and 24 foot towers, and a 25 foot uni-pole – harness the power of the wind to turn algae-filled, nutrient-rich ponds into clean and clear water sources by cir-culating oxygen into the water.
“As plants die and sink to the bot-tom, aerobic bacteria decomposes the organic matter. In so doing, it burns up the supply of oxygen in the water,” ex-plains Goode. “When the oxygen is used up, anaerobic bacteria continue the de-composition, but at a much slower rate, and in the process produce hydrogen sulphide gas which eventually contami-nates the water. We recognize it as black smelly water.”
Goode adds, “Aeration works with nature by simply boosting the natural cleansing cycle which already exists. By adding oxygen to the water, we encour-
Turn your John Deere haying windrower into a high-efficiency swather.
Grain Belt Header
Grain Belt Header
mills to use two 20ft windmills on a trial basis, with positive results.
“The oxygen level is well up in the pond,” Taylor says. “The smell has gone way down. We have lots of turtles out there; when you’ve got a lot of turtles in a holding pond that indicates your wa-ter is in pretty good shape. We’ve got lots of ducks and geese landing on it, too.”
The health of Muldrow’s waste wa-ter pond has attracted the attention of other municipalities interested in cost-effective and environmentally safe meth-ods of treating waste water lagoons, including the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, says Goode.
He adds that many ranchers are also discovering the benefits of windmill aeration, including Jim Barret, owner of Barrett Ranch in Venus, Florida.
“Our windmill pond aerator paid us back in ten days and is saving us $30,000 a year by avoiding water hauling and energy costs,” says Barrett. “We could add hundreds of thousands of dollars to our bottom line by keeping our herds healthy and preventing catastrophic loss with good water. We’re expanding now.”
Barrett chose Koenders’ windmill aer-ators to clean up the first of his twelve ponds on his 88-acre ranch.
“Within 30 days, the water was clean enough to put catfish in,” says Barrett. “Not long after that we had the water tested, and it was fine for our animals. Now it’s crystal clear and I could drink it.”
As with many businesses, Koenders has felt the global economic crisis during these past 18 months. Goode explains that in 2009, “Our greatest challenge
was maintaining sales while our biggest market (the US) was deep in recession.”
But, the ever-rising demand for their products is reason to be positive.
“The growing environmental concerns have created increased levels of interest in our products, not only in the US, but worldwide as well,” says Goode.
Koenders Windmills is well situated to step into international markets. The company has a manufacturing plant at Englefeld, Saskatchewan, as well as a 10,500 square foot warehouse and dis-tribution centre in Regina, and another warehouse in New York.
Koenders is also taking advantage of its membership with STEP to expand further.
Windmill aeration can be used for all types of ponds, including this community pond, which is aerated by a Koenders windmill.
“Our first experience with STEP was at Agribition in 2008 when they arranged a series of appointments for us with Australian and New Zealand buyers,” says Goode. “We have also used STEP’s market intelligence services in the past, and we are very excited about their new Market Access Program.”
With the world turning towards greener, more efficient energy sources and looking for sustainable and safe wa-ter supplies, Koenders Windmills is set to continue to grow.
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 15
With the opportunity to meet potential and existing clients from around the world, as well
as gain the attention of radio, print, and television media to launch new products, the Western Canada Farm Progress Show is the perfect event for businesses in the agricultural and agri-value industries to show off their services with promising results.
Known as Canada’s largest dryland farm technology show, the 2010 Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina from June 15-18 will feature over 700 exhibitors from 30 countries, as well as the latest innovative ideas, products and industry trends.
During its 32 year history, the show has gained an international reputation as “where the world of agriculture comes together.” It is the place to find the best technologies, state-of-the art equipment, and information in the industry.
The show also boasts the International Business Centre (IBC), a full office service meeting area for Canadian manufactur-ers and registered exporters to connect
with international business delegates. An ever-growing part of the show since 1988, IBC is known today as one of the premiere networking opportunities in North America.
Through IBC, all details for internation-al visitors can be taken care of, from hotel reservations, to transportation, meeting rooms, and business services. New this year, businesses can pre-book appoint-ments online to ensure that they meet with the buyers they want to target at the Show.
Another benefit of IBC is access to on-site trade specialists who can provide ad-vice and guidance, and introduce buyers and trade delegations.
IBC is a joint initiative of the provincial governments of Saskatchewan and Mani-toba along with the national Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Saskatche-wan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT), Ag-riculture Manufacturers of Canada (AMC) and the Western Canada Farm Progress Show.
In addition to the International Busi-ness Center, the 2010 Western Canada Farm Show will include the Renewable Energy Center, which highlights the posi-tive impact of green fuel on agricultural practices. The New Inventions Showcase is another main feature at the Show, high-lighting the most innovative products on the market. Plus, there’s equipment dem-onstrations and the Livestock Manage-ment Program.
Another highlight of this year’s show will be the new Demo Days feature, offer-ing farmers and buyers from around the world an opportunity to see new prod-ucts at work in the field. The demonstra-tions will be held at a local farm near the Show site. Transportation to the demon-stration site will leave Evraz Place at 7:00 a.m. and return at 10 a.m. Demo days is an opportunity for exhibiting companies to present scheduled and unscheduled demonstrations of its products.
For more information about the West-ern Canada Farm Progress Show, visit www.myfarmshow.com.
PROMISES to be BETTER than ever
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 15
2010 FARM PROGRESS SHOW
16 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
REDUCING THE WORLD’S CARBON
EMISSIONSBy using Saskatchewan-made
technology to provide global solutions for carbon capture
and storage, HTC Purenergy Inc. is playing a leading role in reducing the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions and helping to solve the challenge of energy security.
“Saskatchewan is recognized as having significant innovation in many areas, and one of those areas is clean energy technologies,” says Lionel Kam-beitz, CEO of HTC Purenergy Inc.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), a common by-product of the production and use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, creates the greenhouse gas emis-sions that are widely believed to con-tribute to global warming and climate
change. By capturing CO2 emissions and storing them in geological forma-tions inside the earth through Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), many in-dustries can effectively reduce the amount of greenhouse gas they emit.
Established in 1997, HTC Purenergy uses clean energy technologies, li-censed from the University of Regina and developed in-house, to provide industry emitters with practical solu-tions that significantly and economi-cally reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
The company has used its strong partnerships and unparalleled research and technical capabilities to establish itself as a global leader in Carbon Man-agement Systems. In fact, HTC is cur-rently one of the only companies in the world that provides a full offering of products and services in the carbon management value chain – from CO2 capture, transportation, and storage, to using CO2 for enhanced oil recov-ery, and managing the collection and distribution of carbon credits.
In working towards its goal to of-fer customers a complete line of CCS technology and services, HTC recently acquired Carbon Capital Management Inc. (CCM) from Toronto-based Front Street Capital, and are now working to transform CCM into the largest car-bon credit management company in Canada.
“Our view is that there will be a car-bon economy in front of us and what we’re going to need are companies that will be arbitrating, trading and managing the inventory of these car-bon credits,” says Kambeitz. “CCM is one of Canada’s most recognized companies in doing this, which is why we’ve acquired a majority interest in that company and are really planning on expanding it significantly into the remainder of the Canadian market.”
HTC has developed key partnerships with several industry leaders, includ-ing Doosan Power Systems, which Kambeitz says is one of the world’s largest OEM supply, engineering, pro-curement and construction companies dealing with energy infrastructure. “They’re a very large global player and we’re delighted to have them as a partner.”
Kambeitz adds that the two com-panies compliment each other, with HTC providing the technology and sys-tem designs and Doosan taking care of the engineering, OEM supply and construction aspects. Working with Doosan Power Systems, HTC recently announced a world-leading carbon capture project with the United States utility Basin Electric Power Coopera-tive.
Kambeitz says the power industry – in particular, power generated by coal and natural gas – is currently the larg-est CO2 market, followed closely by the oil and gas industry. The goal of the Basin Electric project is to use cap-tured CO2 to enhance oil recovery at
BY TRILBY HENDERSON
Lionel Kambeitz – CEO, HTC Purenergy.
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 17
locations near the power plant, with the CO2 subsequently being stored underground. Kambeitz says the proj-ect is currently in the design and engi-neering phase; once this is completed, Basin Electric will make a final decision to proceed with the project in 2011.
The Basin Electric project marks an important milestone for HTC.
“Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a globally recognized leader in CO2 management through its high profile CO2 capture and enhanced oil recov-ery/storage project in Weyburn, Sas-katchewan,” says Kambeitz. “In this new project, Doosan Power Systems and HTC will provide and integrate world leading commercial-ready car-bon capture technology, developed at
HTC Purenergy creates global solutions for carbon capture and storage
the University of Regina, into the Basin Electric Antelope Valley Station coal fired power plant.”
HTC also recently announced anoth-er major business development – the launch of their new commercial initia-tive in Calgary. In addition to their Re-gina headquarters, the company also operates offices in Sydney, Australia, and Montgomery Center, Vermont.
From Calgary, HTC’s new business development and engineering team will market the company’s complete line of Carbon Capture and Storage technology and enhanced oil recovery services to the oil and gas industry, as well as other industries located across Western Canada and the Western Unit-ed States.
“The Alberta government is embrac-ing Carbon Capture and Storage and CO2 solutions for their energy infra-structure, and certainly we’ve been welcomed both by industry and by the government of Alberta in terms of bringing a commercial solution for CO2 capture to Alberta’s oil industry,” says Kambeitz.
The Calgary office will be led by two seasoned veterans in the CO2 energy business – Jessie Inman, Executive Di-rector of Corporate Development, and Allan Hart, Head of Strategic Business Development. Kambeitz says the Cal-gary-based executive team will posi-tion HTC as a leader in capturing CO2 for enhanced oil recovery or for long-term geological storage in the Western Canadian and United States markets.
According to Kambeitz, oil sands
left to right: Lionel Kambeitz (CEO, HTC Purenergy) welcoming the Honourable Ron-ald Liepert, Minister of Energy, Government
of Alberta in Calgary.
Jessie Inman, Executive Director of Corporate Development for HTC
Purenergy; Alberta office.
production has a reputation of having a large CO2 footprint. By demonstrat-ing how CCS technology can reduce CO2 emissions and increase output in oil sands production in Alberta, HTC will establish a template for exporting the technology elsewhere, including the southern United States, Europe and China.
While the Canadian government works on developing climate change legislation for the country, HTC will continue to lead the way in providing real solutions that industries can use to meet current and future regulations and reduce their overall environmen-tal impact. As environmental issues attract greater global concern, HTC holds a prominent position as a com-pany building a more promising future for the energy industry in Canada and the world.
18 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
BY TRILBY HENDERSON
ATTRACTING THE WORLD’S BEST
International graduate students are heading to the University of Saskatchewan
By working to attract the world’s best and brightest graduate stu-dents, the University of Saskatch-
ewan is expanding its global reputation as a leader in research and innovation, and building a name for itself as a world-class educational institute.
“The more and the better graduate students we attract here, the more the world knows about us and the more highly they regard us,” says Lawrence Martz, Dean of the University of Sas-katchewan’s College of Graduate Stud-ies and Research.
While the College of Graduate Studies and Research is responsible for all of the
graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), it exercises that responsibility by working closely with the other departments, schools and col-leges on campus, which provide the fac-ulty and facilities for graduate training.
The College registers students in pro-grams to place them in areas where they will receive the right research experi-ence and mentorship. The College also monitors the overall graduate activity of the University, sets policies, and manag-es scholarships for graduate students.
“We’re sort of the clearing house – the hub – for all of the graduate student activities on campus,” says Martz.
Lawrence Martz (right), University of Saskatchewan, signs an inter-university international student agreement with six Chinese universities.
There are currently about 2,800 grad-uate students at the U of S, accounting for roughly 13 per cent of the total stu-dent population. Martz says this num-ber has grown steadily in recent years, by an average of five to 10 per cent per year over the past decade. This puts the university on track to reach their goal of growing the graduate student popula-tion by eight per cent per year for the four-year period ending in 2011-2012.
Martz estimates that nearly half of the university’s graduate students come from outside of Saskatchewan, with around 25 per cent consisting of inter-national students who have transferred from locations outside of Canada. He says many of these students remain in Saskatchewan after they have completed their Masters degrees or PhDs, becom-ing part of the Saskatchewan economy.
“In one way, we might think of it as our best and most-effective highly-skilled workers immigration program.”
Working with other departments on campus, the college plays an important role in attracting and recruiting interna-tional students to the university. In fact, Martz says the U of S recently entered into an agreement with six of China’s top universities. Through the agree-ment, top students from each of the Chinese universities will be able to com-plete their PhDs at the U of S, with fund-ing provided by the Chinese Scholarship Council. Martz says the agreement will bring 20 new PhD students to the U of S this upcoming year, and in each of the next four years, bringing the number of Chinese-funded PhD students at the U of S to 80.
Martz says the six universities were tar-geted for specific reasons. “We wanted
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 19
A delegation from the University of Saskatchewan during a recent visit to China.
to find strong partners – those that have good reputations internationally for their research, for their training programs.”
The University of Saskatchewan has long-term partnerships with each of the Chinese universities, many of which are research partnerships that stemmed from initiatives by U of S faculty members. Other connections were made through U of S alumni. Regardless of how the con-nection was made, Martz says the central idea was that there was someone on site who was familiar with the University of Saskatchewan and could promote it to the local community.
Martz expects the Chinese agreement will be the first of many inter-university partnerships for the U of S. The univer-sity is currently looking at opportunities to recruit international students from countries such as India, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia.
“I think that these are win-win partner-ships,” he says. “These other countries are looking to provide a high calibre edu-cation to their citizens so that they can contribute to their economies, and we get to help Saskatchewan build a global network of experts.”
Martz says that continuing to attract graduate schools to the university will be vital to Saskatchewan’s future growth and success.
“With the global knowledge economy that’s emerging, the training of highly qualified individuals in graduate schools, and increasing the number of those folks in our labour force is going to be critical to us maintaining a high quality of life and a strong economy in Saskatchewan,” he says. “Even as we try and move ourselves from a resource extraction economy to a more value-added economy that value is going to be added quite often by the highly trained researchers that graduate schools produce.”
Recruiting international students to study in Saskatchewan and Canada as a whole adds billions of dollars to the Canadian economy, but there are also many benefits to the U of S campus it-self. For one, graduate student programs are tightly connected to the university’s research agenda, with graduate students taking part in virtually all of the research that takes place on campus.
“Graduate students are everywhere on campus,” says Martz. “They are tremen-
dous contributors to the research agenda and are often strong supporters of the teaching agenda of the university.”
In addition to working as research assistants, graduate students at the U of S also serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate classes, and some of the more senior students – particularly PhD students – even teach undergraduate classes themselves.
Of course, the University faces its share of challenges in attracting the best stu-dents in what has become a very com-petitive field, including competition from a number of top universities and colleges in Europe and the United States, as well as other Canadian schools. Funding re-mains one of the biggest roadblocks fac-ing international students, with a lack of support programs and scholarship op-portunities available.
Still, Martz says the U of S, and Sas-katchewan itself, has many great features that enable it to successfully compete for the world’s top graduate students.
“We’re a world-class university with an internationally recognized faculty and unique and outstanding research facili-ties.”
The university boasts a faculty member and an alumnus that went on to receive a Nobel prize and it is the site of 35 nation-ally funded research chairs. Additionally, it is home of the Canadian Light Source, Canada’s biggest science facility, the In-terVac level two research center, and one of the premier bio-resource institutions in the world. All of this means an abun-dance of opportunities for students to learn and participate in cutting-edge re-search projects.
“Fundamentally, what we have to offer international students is a high quality education,” says Martz.
Lawrence Martz (left) and a delegate from China shake hands after signing an international student agreement.
20 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
BY KATIE BOYCE
INNOVATORS IN AUGMENTED REALITY Talking Dog Studios takes the lead in emerging Augmented Reality industryTalking Dog Studios is finding it-
self at the head of a new wave in computer programming. The Re-
gina-based company, which specializes in music and sound for film and televi-sion, is diving into Augmented Reality, an exciting new technology through which computer users can see and manipulate 3D images in real time on their computer screen.
“Over a year ago, we began delving into Augmented Reality,” says Rob Bry-anton, President of Talking Dog Studios. “Prior to that, this technology was really only available in university labs or dedi-cated installations, and it required spe-cially-designed hardware and software. Now, new tools have been released that allow anyone with a computer capable of displaying a YouTube video to take part. In other words, we’re using Flash, which is on 98 per cent of the comput-ers in the world.”
With only a webcam and a printed marker, people can use Augmented Re-
ality to see how a flat screen television looks in their house; morph their face to look like a movie character; or many more possibilities that are only just be-ing thought of with this new technol-ogy.
Bryanton says that although Augment-ed Reality is still a fairly new enterprise in the marketplace, the estimated growth for the industry is staggering. According to a study released by the University of Singapore, Augmented Reality will grow to a $14 billion industry worldwide in 2011. By 2012, when the gaming indus-try is expected to take hold of the new technology, it will jump to a $68 billion industry.
For computer users, part of Augment-ed Reality’s draw is the entertainment factor. “It’s an immersive experience, and it seems like magic. It’s just fun,” says Bryanton.
But businesses are also discovering that the programming can be used for retail and commercial purposes, and they are heading to Talking Dog to get in on the new technology.
Last December, Talking Dog created an Augmented Reality holiday greeting card for Sous Les Etoiles, a New York photo-retouching company. Intrigued by the studio’s Augmented Reality web-site “How Big is the Baby?”, Sous Les Etoiles asked Talking Dog to rescue their project, which because of a delay with another supplier had to be completed in four days.
The short deadline was not a problem for Talking Dog. “We had already spent one year at that point refining our tool-set,” says Bryanton, who adds that the studio’s work with a New York-based
company is the “best example so far of what we’re seeing as a growing market-place.”
“How Big is the Baby?” (www.how-bigisthebaby.com) – the website that intrigued Sous Les Etoiles – is one of Talking Dog’s initial examples of Aug-mented Reality (others are at www.how-bigisthetv.com and www.talkdogstudios.com/ar). On this educational website, computer users hold a paper marker and press the numbers one through nine on their keyboard. What they see on their screen is a 3D image floating in front of the marker – an embryo which grows to a full term baby.
Besides its quirky creativity in the use of this new technology, Talking Dog has other major advantages going for it.
“Over the past year, we’ve developed modifications to make our Augmented Reality work well even in difficult light-ing situations. We’ve also developed specialized versions which don’t require the printed marker, or which allow the marker to be hundreds of feet away from the camera for generating images of very large structures,” says Bryanton.
While other developers are creating versions of Augmented Reality that re-quire extra plug-ins, Talking Dog’s Flash-only format eliminates concerns about downloading viruses along with plug-ins, and also prepares for the growing wave of Flash-compatible Smartphones.
This is not the first time Talking Dog has been an innovator in its field.
When the post production company was formed in 1989, the studio was one of the first in the world to go digital, and among the first to use ProTools software – now an industry standard. Also, dur-ing the first decade of its history, Talking Dog became the only studio between Vancouver and Toronto to be authorized by Dolby for 5.1 theatrical mixing.
The future of commercial Augmented Reality could include previewing a flat screen
television on your wall.
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 21
With expert staff and state-of-the-art equipment, Talking Dog has composed music and produced audio for some of Canada’s most well-known television shows and films, including all six sea-sons of Corner Gas and The English-man’s Boy.
One challenge the studio has recently faced is the downturn in the film and television industry in Saskatchewan. Bry-anton reports that, across Canada, film and television revenues dropped 17 per cent in 2009. The downturn was even more drastic in Saskatchewan, whose film and television revenues dropped by 70 per cent.
Talking Dog is not letting this limit its capabilities.
“At one time, our core business was the film and video industry. Now, we are making efforts to diversify into other initiatives,” says Bryanton. “One of these is a high definition green screen studio with teleprompter for corporate videos and live-to-the-web productions. We’ve also had great success using social me-dia to promote our projects, including a website that has attracted almost six million unique visitors.”
Whether the studio is creating corpo-rate videos or Augmented Reality, all of its components come together for a suc-cessful project.
“We’re not just about web program-ming and Flash coding. We also have composers, sound designers, and 3D object designers. Having them together creates a cohesive, complete package,” says Bryanton. “We’re able to offer the unique blend of a creative full-service company with a unique product be-cause of the underlying code we’ve de-veloped.”
He adds that the studio is currently working on several retail applications using Augmented Reality.
Major enterprises around the world are also checking out Augmented Real-ity. The United States Postal Service has developed an Augmented Reality web-site that allows people to measure the size, and thereby determine the cost, of their parcels before they leave home. IKEA has also launched an Augmented Reality website that allows people to preview how a piece of furniture will look in their house.
Another purpose for Augmented Real-ity relates to Talking Dog’s existing client base –the film and television industry.
“Now, new federal regulations state that all shows receiving federal funding will need an innovative, interactive web
An Augmented Reality video by Talking Dog Studios showing an “AR” watch.
One of the many patterns that users can morph their face with on Talking Dog’s expandAR website.
no matter where in the world you are, and provide the service to their satisfac-tion,” says Bryanton.
Talking Dog has worked with STEP’s market intelligence program to research potential clients in a number of areas.
“We’re also developing a strat-egy to work with people in the province who are forward-thinking ad agencies, corporate image agencies, and web de-velopers. It’s always important to have a network of local businesses, but at the same time we’re keeping an eye on corporate clients from any place in the world,” says Bryanton.
“We’re also out seeking investors to make a leap into this being a much larg-er enterprise. Our strategy is to prepare for the exceptional growth that is pre-dicted for Augmented Reality through-out the world.”
component,” explains Bryanton. “This interactive component is meant to en-gage and build an audience for the pro-gram, and Augmented Reality is perfect for it.”
Talking Dog has an example of this at www.expandar.com, where users can press various keyboard combinations and watch as their face morphs into pat-terns or even an Avatar-like look. Bry-anton says this could expand to people becoming characters in their favourite show, or even reaching out to touch a virtual button or interface.
For Talking Dog, Augmented Reality is not only opening a whole new world of technology, but also opening doors to new markets.
“With Augmented Reality, there is limitless growth potential, and access to the worldwide market. Through the internet, you can interact with clients
22 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
Reach Your Company’s Full Exporting Potential With STEP...Saskatchewan companies seeking to expand or enhance their current marketing activities need look no further than a membership with Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP). A unique global service provider, STEP provides its 400 members with services and benefits essential to international marketing. Featuring access to global contacts in 100 countries, qualified trade leads, and market research, STEP core services include:
• MarketIntelligence-customizedmarketintelligenceforyourproducts or services in markets of interest to you.
• TradeDevelopment-adviceandguidanceonopportunitiesin the market and assistance for companies with outgoing and incoming trade missions.
• InternationalProjects-relevantinformationonSTEP’scurrentprojectportfolioandpotentialmemberopportunities,as well as information on STEP’s overall policy, direction and interestininternationaldevelopmentprojects.
Join STEP today and open the door to exporting success.
Spread your wingsand fly with us
For more information or to become a member, contact STEP at 1-877-313-7244 or log on to www.sasktrade.sk.ca.
22 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 23
This March, the Canadian Manufac-turers and Exporters (CME) and Saskatchewan Trade and Export
Partnership released the results of the Saskatchewan Manufacturing and Labour Market Survey, which was sanctioned in June 2009.
Conducted at a time of economic crisis when one quarter of the manufacturing companies in the province faced a labour shortage, the survey aimed to better understand the human resource issues impacting Saskatchewan manufacturers, the strategies manufacturing companies are using to overcome these issues, and to quantify the specific occupational re-quirements of the industry.
The Saskatchewan manufacturing in-dustry is one of the key wealth generat-ing industries in the province: approxi-mately 50% of jobs in Saskatchewan in 2008 were in machinery manufacturing, fabricated metal products, and food.
Insightrix Research Inc. was hired to conduct the survey, which included 467 participating companies. The research consisted of a survey of manufacturers in May and June 2009, as well as focus groups with small and medium employ-ers and interviews with larger employers from June to October 2009.
To ensure accuracy, the survey respon-dent group closely matched the manufac-turing population in Saskatchewan. The result of this research is an important tool in ensuring success in an industry that is vital to Saskatchewan’s future.
According to the survey, in 2009, al-most half of the respondents had an em-
ployee turnover of less than 5%. The turn-over level was found to increase with the size of the company. Although one-third of the companies were able to attract and keep employees, 40% reported that they were facing shortages of specific skills that were limiting business growth.
The most common recruiting strategy used by companies was word-of-mouth referrals (35.1%), followed by online job posting sites (24.8%). Online job postings were more common among larger organi-zations, while smaller organizations tend-ed to rely on word-of-mouth. The meth-ods seen as least effective, and therefore used less frequently, were industry asso-ciations/networking, job fairs, and target-ing individuals with disabilities.
Regarding retention strategies, com-petitive benefits and pay were the most popular strategies used by manufactur-ing companies (71.3%). The most effective strategy was flexible work arrangements (61.1%), followed closely by bonus/reward systems (58.5%) and competitive pay and benefits (55.9%). The larger the business was, the more likely these strategies were to be used and effectively employed.
The survey also recorded popular opin-ions on the current labour market. When asked about the labour market based on eight National Occupation Classifications (NOCs), current and expected conditions were in the mid range with a 3 to 5 rating on a scale of 1, being a shortage, to 7, being an excess. Almost half (49.3%) indi-
cated that labour costs have increased in the last year.
Companies expect the greatest vacan-cies in the next five years to be in Super-visors, Other Products Manufacturing and Assembly (NOC 9227) and Welders and Related Machine Operators (NOC 7265). The smallest demand is expected to be for Receptionists and Switchboard Operators (NOC 1414) and Product Clerks (NOC 1473).
In October 2009, participants stated that the labour situation had improved from June, when the research first began. The manufacturing downturn in Ontario, the slowing of the Alberta oil and gas sector, layoffs of larger employers within the province, and the general softening of sales in their business were noted as contributing factors to these improved conditions.
The survey results were deemed reli-able. Although conditions have changed, the information is still relevant and use-ful. It is evident that the labour market dynamics have changed throughout the province during the time of this study. An expected increase in demand for skilled employees was the most substantial finding. An important next step for the manufacturing industry will be to work together to create strategies that will en-sure the availability of future employees.
The survey was funded by Enterprise Saskatchewan and the Ministry of Ad-vanced Education, Employment and La-bour.
An OVERVIEW of the Saskatchewan Manufacturing
Labour Market Survey BY CHARLOTTE BEROS
24 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
STEP recently announced a new program to help Saskatchewan’s emerging exporters take their
products and services to new markets beyond the borders of Saskatchewan. The new Exporter Readiness Program is designed to equip Saskatchewan compa-nies with the resources and tools that will enable them to build export capacity and knowledge. This program will benefit any company that has an exportable product/service, as well as the desire to develop their skills to sell into a foreign market.
The Exporter Readiness Program con-sists of a three part toolkit and is deliv-ered as a service without charge.
For Part One of the toolkit, the inter-ested company fills out a group of ques-tionnaires and checklists as part of the internal analysis. From there, a STEP staff member conducts a one-on-one meeting with the company to identify key areas that need addressing. During the meet-ing, the STEP staff member will introduce the export plan workbook and highlight the relevant areas for the company to work through.
Part Two of the toolkit consists of a written report summarizing the one-on-one meeting and focusing on the key areas to build export capacity or knowl-edge. The report will provide the compa-ny with solution options in each key area. Once the company has read the report, they will decide their course of action.
During Part Three of the toolkit, STEP provides support and guidance when a company encounters a roadblock or an issue when working through key areas. Once completed, the company will be export ready and will start attempting to export into new markets.
The Exporter Readiness Program will benefit participating companies in a number of ways. They will have the op-portunity to work with qualified STEP professionals, meet new contacts, gain access to the comprehensive planning guide, and improve their overall skill set.
Confidentiality of information is ex-tremely important to STEP. All STEP staff members, when hired, must sign a confidentiality agreement and closely
EXPORTER READINESS PROGRAM
Helping Saskatchewan’s Emerging Companies Enter New Markets
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adhere to these policies. All interactions between a business and STEP staff mem-bers are completely private.
With partial funding provided by West-ern Economic Diversification Canada over the next three years, the Exporter Readiness Program aims to have 300 one-on-one consultations, develop 100 export plans and create 60 new Saskatch-ewan exporters. These goals will increase the number of export ready companies in Saskatchewan by 15 per cent.
For more information or to get started, contact Stephen Norgate, Export Devel-opment Analyst, at (306) 787-4750 or [email protected].
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 25
Staff Profile: Stacey Sauer:
Discovering new markets for Saskatchewan manufacturers
BY KATIE BOYCEAlthough many people head to Mexico to soak up the sun, Stacey Sauer was recently in the coun-
try on a mission of a different sort – to promote Saskatchewan’s wood products and discover more about the Mexican market.
“I had four primary wood product com-panies from Saskatchewan travel down to Mexico to learn about the wood industry and potential opportunities for Saskatch-ewan wood products in Mexico,” says Sauer. “We spent two days in Mexico City and two days in Guadalajara. Each com-pany met with 14 wood importers and five leading wood associations over the four days.”
The trip to Mexico is all in a day’s work for Sauer, a Trade Specialist in Manufac-turing with Saskatchewan Trade and Ex-port Partnership. As a Trade Specialist, Sauer helps Saskatchewan companies export their products and services on an international level.
“In a nutshell, I try to match our manu-facturers up with potential customers in markets around the world. This is done by conducting outgoing trade missions, hosting incoming buyer groups, organiz-ing virtual trade missions, and more,” says Sauer, who adds that she also pro-vides exporting guidance and organizes export-related seminars for STEP mem-bers.
Sauer works with businesses in a wide variety of sectors, including agricultural equipment, primary wood products, building products, consumer goods, con-struction equipment, industrial goods, and contract metal fabricators.
“In the last year, I’ve done a lot of work with the forestry and wood products sec-tor, and, in terms of markets, I’ve focused on Mexico,” says Sauer. “Saskatchewan wood product manufacturers are looking for new markets and possible new prod-uct opportunities because of the chal-lenges they face in exporting wood to the United States. The timing of our trip to Mexico couldn’t have been any better as the wood importers in Mexico are look-ing for alternate suppliers of wood.”
The Mexico mission is one of many trade missions that Sauer has been on since she began at STEP in August 2007.
A graduate of the University of Sas-katchewan’s College of Commerce Pro-gram, with a major in Marketing, Sauer was previously employed for seven years with the Regional Economic Develop-ment Authority (REDA) in Rosetown, Sas-katchewan, first as a Youth Intern, then as a Business Consultant, and finally taking over the reigns as the Economic Develop-ment Officer.
In 2007, she took on a position at STEP as the Market Intelligence Special-ist for the manufacturing sector team. Last March, she accepted the position as Trade Specialist for the team, and she has been enjoying her new role.
“I enjoy working with a diverse group of manufacturing companies and explor-ing markets all around the world,” says Sauer about her career with STEP. “I am always so inspired and intrigued by the range of high quality products we manu-
facture in this province, and by the fact that these products are being exported around the world and being used in mar-kets from Australia to Kazakhstan, South Africa, and the United States.”
Besides the recent woods products trade mission, Sauer also travelled to Mexico in 2009 on an agriculture equip-ment trade mission, during which she attended Expo Agroalimentaria in Irapua-to, Mexico. Additionally, this past August, she visited Australia, where she attended two major agricultural equipment trade-shows, AgQuip in Gunnedah, New South Wales, and Dowerin Field Days in Dow-erin, Western Australia.
While Sauer encourages STEP members to participate in trade missions, she also emphasizes that STEP offers many other programs to its members, including mar-ket intelligence and STEP’ing Out.
One of STEP’s new programs in 2010 is the Market Access Program (MAP). Also new this year, Sauer and the STEP Manu-facturing team will be helping exporters explore emerging markets.
“Our manufacturing team is looking at investigating several new, developing markets in 2010, including Brazil, Mexi-co, Poland, Romania, and the Czech Re-public. We also hope to engage further with the crafters and artisans, contract manufacturers, and the building prod-ucts industry in the province.”
Also in 2010, Sauer will be at the West-ern Canada Farm Progress Show (WCFPS) in Regina on June 16-18. At the beginning of June, she will be hosting a seminar on How to Effectively Work with a Sales Rep, with guest speakers including the
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 25
26 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
President/CEO from the Manufacturers’ Agents National Association (MANA) and a sales rep from Eastern Canada.
In addition to wood products and ag-riculture equipment, Sauer will also be focusing on Saskatchewan’s crafters and artisans this year.
“I am planning to organize a Saskatche-wan delegation of crafters and artisans to exhibit at the Seattle Gift Show in August 2010. With the variety of talented artists, designers and crafters in this province, STEP wants to provide an opportunity to showcase these products to retail buyers from across the Western United States.”
Wherever her travels take her, Sauer al-ways remains proud of her province and of the organization she represents.
“I believe STEP is a unique, valuable or-ganization that brings definite benefit to exporters in Saskatchewan. I am proud to be a part of it as we continue to expand the presence of Saskatchewan compa-nies and their products and services in the global marketplace.”
Stacey at a trade show in Australia with a representative from Saskatchewan-based Morris Industries and their Australian importer.
26 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010
June 16 - 18, 2010Evraz Place, Regina, SK, Canada
www.myfarmshow.com
Where the World of Agriculture comes together.
The Farm Progress Show would like to thank:
The Farm Progress Show is proud to host Canada’s International Business Centre for agriculture equipment and products. We offer a
full service International desk with administrative support. International programs such as the One on One meeting appointment scheduling program and Incoming buyers program are designed to enhance
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, Enterprise Saskatchewan, Manitoba Industry and Trade,Western Economic Diversification and the Agriculture Manufacturers of Canada.
MAY/JUNE 2010 • GLOBALVENTURES 27
Western Litho300 Dewdney Avenue, Regina, SK S4N 0E8tf: 1.877.475.4846f: 306.565.2525
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28 GLOBALVENTURES • MAY/JUNE 2010bourgault_STEP_2010_outline.indd 1 12/9/2009 8:42:59 AM
