Businesses of the Year revisited.

Since we began honouring a worthy recipient with our annual Business of the Year award some five years ago, it seems like the distinction has taken on a life of its own. Every year immediately after we've announced our selection, we're inundated with feedback affirming our selection. But more so, we're told by some fairly reliable sources that our honourees are also overwhelmed with congratulations and affirmations all around. We've never heard anything but a resounding approval of our past winners. Indeed our 'little award' has turned out to be the very type of thing that we envisioned five years ago--the epitome of a Saskatchewan success story that awes and inspires us all. And though they may be gone from recent memory in terms of our current Business of the Year spotlight, our BOTY recipients are never forgotten. Therefore, being the fifth anniversary of our prestigious award, we thought the timing was right to take a look back and briefly revisit our past BOTY winners.

2001: Doepker Industries

By virtue of its status as being the elder statesmen in our Business of the Year fraternity, it's only natural that our first Business of the Year, Doepker Industries of Annaheim, SK, has seen more volatility in the business cycle in comparison to its counterparts.

Shortly after receiving the Saskatchewan Business Magazine Business of the Year award in 2001, Doepker went on to face some of its most daunting challenges in 2002 and 2003. But as Doepker board chair Dave Doepker points out, "We came through it and you always come out of those things stronger than when you went into it," he says. "The big things were the improvements we made in our manufacturing operation in terms of applying the principles of lean manufacturing and the changes we made to our distribution system. When you're forced to do it, you do it."

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Coming away from the industry tailspin with a firmer resolve, Doepker Industries went on to experience a market rebound. The steady growth soon turned into rapid growth, which remains the market condition today.

"Part of it was due to some of the industries that we've expanded into," Doepker offers of the turnaround. "We're doing a lot more in the oil patch and the forestry industry than we were before. But even our traditional industries have been remaining steady."

In fact, business has been so strong that Doepker Industries expanded their operations last October, by adding their fourth manufacturing plant. Unlike their other three, which are in Annaheim, Humboldt and Moose Jaw, however, the new plant is located out of province, in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

Doepker says a shortage of available, skilled workers in Saskatchewan played a part in going out of province. Another factor is the proximity the new location offers to the expanded markets they are now serving.

In another vein, Doepker Industries has also changed its management structure, with Gurcan Kocdag becoming president of Doepker Industries. This position was formerly held by Dave Doepker, who now sits as board chair. Among the noteworthy facts regarding this move is that Kocdag represents the first non-family member to hold this post in the company's nearly 60 years of existence.

All in all, Doepker says management is excited about the firm's future. "We're expecting the next couple of years to be pretty good," Doepker says. "We're already booked out for 2006, and that's a nice position to be in."

2002: Yanke Group of Companies

Our second Business of the Year recipient, the Yanke Group of Companies, has carried forth with its promise of "unequalled transportation solutions" since its selection in 2002. In doing so, business growth has been the key operative for the Saskatoon-based transportation and delivery solutions provider.

With the addition of Cool Blue Xpress, Yanke's refrigerated linehaul unit out of Winnipeg, as well as Aero Delivery, a purchase of the local refrigerated storage and delivery operation, the stable comprising Yanke Group of Companies has been expanded. Other operating divisions include Yanke Road Services, Yanke Multimodal Services, Yanke Logistics and Container Port operations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Yanke vice-president business development, Bryan Richards, reports that Yanke's road division alone accounted for close to $100 million in revenues in its last fiscal year, while the rail division has likely tripled its revenues to since Yanke's selection as Business of the Year in '02.

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"All things being equal, I think we could be in the $175-million range in terms of a revenue entity in the next fiscal year, which in comparison to 2002 would probably put us at least a third larger, if not more," Richards says. "So I would suggest that things are ticking along rather nicely."

Having said that, however, Richards points to multiple global challenges encountered along the way, including rising fuel costs and the strengthening of the Canadian dollar, combined with local challenges such as the closure of Weyerhaeuser, "have made it a pretty challenging environment to work within."

Yanke's also had to deal with the prospect of being ousted from their current head office location due to its interference with a prospective new, south bridge in Saskatoon. Richards reports that negotiations with the City of Saskatoon are proceeding, however, with the likelihood of an all-out move being less and less of a possibility as time wears on.

Other significant accomplishments and newsworthy events include Yanke's designation as a Platinum member in the Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies, exclusive to those who qualify six consecutive years as a '50 Best' company, as well as its repeat return as a Top 100 Employer in Canada and as one of Saskatchewan's Top Employers.

Also, Yanke CEO Russel Marcoux has taken on the role of chair for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, becoming the first Saskatchewanian to hold that post in recent memory, or quite possibly, ever.

2003: Brandt Group of Companies

There has been no looking back since Brandt was given the nod as the Sask Business Business of the Year in 2003. At that time the Regina-based manufacturer and headquarters of Brandt Tractor, the dealer principal of John Deere construction and forestry equipment in Western Canada, had just surpassed $400 million in revenues, with their eyes set on the half-billion-dollar mark. They've done that and then some. Their latest year's figures, according to the Top 100 Companies in Saskatchewan listing, saw Brandt eclipse the $600-million plateau. And this year, says company CEO Gavin Semple, they're on pace to achieve well over $700 million.

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"The growth is continuing and we're continuing to have some pretty fantastic years," Semple says. With Brandt Tractor contributing the largest portion to the conglomerate's bottom line, Semple says that various market forces are on their side.

"The market is pretty buoyant," he offers in regards to Brandt Tractor. "It's driven by oil and gas, forestry, housing, (and) infrastructure, so the fundamentals of the economy are pretty good. The market is growing and we're pretty fortunate to be increasing our share in a growing market."

Meanwhile Brandt Road Rail Corporation, which manufactures rail equipment, is now hitting full stride after paying its dues early on. Transit authorities and railway companies are purchasing the unique locomotive products in unprecedented fashion and in fact, demand is far exceeding supply. Similarly, Brandt Engineered Products is heavily involved in the steel industry, which has been on fire as well. Brandt Agricultural Equipment, the forerunner to the current company, is holding its own despite competing in an industry that has struggled with commodity prices and other adversely challenging factors.

"Overall, when you put it all together, Brandt is having a fabulous year," Semple says.

The accolades have also continued, as they've been honoured as a Hall of Fame inductee for the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce this past year, are an eighth-year recipient of the Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies Award, as well as having received the first-ever U of R Business Leadership Award.

Their mandate of giving back to the community has also continued. As was prominently mentioned during the 2006 Tim Hortons Brier, Brandt secured the naming rights for the former Agridome, now known as the Brandt Centre.

2004: PIC Investment Group

You can make it a clean sweep in terms of continued growth and success with last year's Business of the Year, PIC Investment Group. Not to be outdone by their three predecessors, PIC Investment Group, headed by Saskatoon entrepreneur Jim Yuel, also continued with remarkable growth in the year following its selection as our 2004 Business of the Year.

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Yuel reports that their 2005 year-end figures were up about 18 per cent, as is their first quarter from fiscal 2006. He attributes their growth to their unique business strategy of operating profitable business ventures--oftentimes complementary to one another--as well as some key acquisitions, including a chemical plant in Squamish, British Columbia, under their Hydor-Tech banner.

"With that purchase, we more than doubled the size of Hydor-Tech as an operating company in the aluminum-based coagulants supply business," Yuel says, going on to describe other acquisitions made by PIC Investment Group. "Round Table Management has acquired a number of additional properties in Western Canada since last year. The growth has basically been organic and across the board in virtually all of the sectors."

Aside from the aforementioned Hydor-Tech and Round Table Management, the companies falling under the PIC Group's banner include Adventure Destinations International, Clear-Tech Industries, Caron Transportation Systems, Panther Industries and PIC Flight Services Inc.

One exception to this rule of growth, however, is Adventure Destinations International, which consists of their stable of fly-in fishing camps in northern Saskatchewan. Catering largely to American tourists, Adventure Destinations International has been hampered somewhat by the strengthening Canadian dollar and negative comments directed at the U.S. from Ottawa.

"We're experiencing the same problem that most of the northern lodges are in that the Americans are staying away in droves," Yuel notes. "That's affecting the revenues in the North."

"But other than that, things continue to move along very progressively."