If you pass a man stopped on the side of the road examining a fence, there’s a chance it’s Zane Delainey.
“As an entire family, if we’re going somewhere and see some posts, we’ll pull over and take a look,” Delainey said.
As general manager of L&M Wood Products – which manufactures fence posts, rails, rough lumber and timbers primarily for agricultural and industrial operations – Delainey is on the lookout for their products and what other manufacturers are producing.
Available at many Co-op Home and Agro Centres, L&M’s products are well made. They’re also providing economic development in northwestern Saskatchewan and contributing to First Nations communities in the region.
Rooted in the industry
“My grandfather, dad and brothers have all been involved from the log harvesting side of the business and worked as contractors for L&M,” Delainey said.
In 1985, Delainey’s father became an owner in L&M before Delainey and his brothers purchased it outright in 2011. Delainey’s children became the fourth generation involved in L&M, working in log harvesting and other business operations.
In 2018, the business was acquired by the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, which already ran the largest wholly-owned First Nations sawmill in Canada – NorSask Forest Products.
“We’d always worked closely with NorSask because they’re basically our neighbours,” said Delainey. “We saw the opportunities of working together. We share a lot of the same social, cultural and environmental beliefs, so it was pretty easy to integrate both companies.”
There are natural synergies between the two mills as they both use softwood species like spruce, pine and fir, but may use different parts of a log for their respective products – NorSask focuses on studs for residential construction.
Building bridges from branches
From a philosophical perspective, Co-op and the Meadow Lake Tribal Council are well aligned. Both groups invest in their communities and create jobs, while also giving back and sharing success.
“A big part of (Meadow Lake Tribal Council’s) mandate is employment opportunities as well as generating additional revenues that will assist their various programs and services,” said Al Balisky, President and CEO of MLTC Industrial Investments, which helps manage the tribal council’s business operations.
There are 200 people employed at the two operations, with 80 per cent Indigenous employment at L&M and 70 per cent at NorSask.
Balisky said there is a “virtuous cycle” that develops when young people and band members are provided the opportunity to work and receive training to become tradespeople.
“They may stay or there may be other opportunities they want to take on in Saskatchewan,” Balisky explained. “It’s all about empowerment, skills development and supporting families.”
These opportunities will continue as L&M has plans of expansion, targeting one million fence posts in the future and continuing that virtuous cycle.
So the next time you’re building a fence or see a fenced pasture while driving, know those may be L&M posts, which have benefits that extend beyond their intended use.