Northern Trailer secures contracts, jobs

Two large contracts awarded to Northern Trailer to provide housing for workers in Alberta's oil and gas trade will provide job security for more than 300 workers here.

President Mark Brown said Thursday the company has hired for several months and expects to boost its workforce by 10 per cent or more over the next two years.

Together, the two contracts for camps in Northern Alberta are valued at $129 million.

“The projects are very, very large,” Brown said in an interview. “The difference is (compared to other contracts) they're over a longer period.”

The first project — all of it to be built at the company's plant in Kamloops — is a construction camp of 830 units that will eventually house 2,700 workers. The majority of the work is scheduled for 2010 and 2011, with the remaining five per cent in 2012.

Northern Trailer will design, build and install the units.

The second, $25-million project, will be done here and in Grande Prairie. It entails construction of a 210-unit camp.

Both projects are custom built for the corporate customers. Northern Trailer expanded its plant in Kamloops this spring in anticipation of the contracts.

“Ninety per cent of our material purchases are done through local suppliers,” Brown said. “We deal with people here. That's got to be good for the local economy.”

The company was also awarded a large contract with the provincial government earlier this year to supply custom affordable housing units for rural areas of B.C.

Despite the cyclical nature of the resource industry, Brown said Northern Trailer has managed to operate without resorting to large periodic layoffs. These contracts will ensure its record continues.

“This is a very nice bit of work for the next couple of three years. That's good for the security of suppliers, employees and the company.”

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