Thinking big

How Aboriginal economic development is reshaping manufacturing on the Prairies. 

By Martin Cash. 

Jim Nowakowski knew he’d have to be patient when he began succession planning for his Saskatoon manufacturing firm, JNE Welding — a company he founded in 1980, which has grown to become one of the largest custom steel fabricators in the province.

But, for Nowakowski, that patience was tested as the bottom collapsed out of the price of oil and expansion in the potash industry dug in its heels.

The latter was particularly impactful. For years, JNE’s capacity and capabilities expanded alongside developments in the potash sector. Take, for example, the 38-foot high, 33-foot wide, and