Westridge Construction a pillar of strength in the province’s construction sector
Saskatchewan is growing at its fastest rate in over a century, and that growth means there is high demand for all types of construction provincewide.
One Saskatchewan construction company that is not only keeping up with this demand but is thriving during Saskatchewan’s explosive growth is Westridge Construction.
Westridge is a leading construction company in Saskatchewan, delivering high-quality infrastructure projects in the commercial, institutional, and public infrastructure sectors across the province.
Saskatchewan’s skilled and dedicated workforce is a key driver of Westridge’s success, contributing to the timely and quality delivery of critical infrastructure projects.
Westridge’s CEO and General Manager, Colin Olfert, P.Eng., says he attributes the company’s ongoing growth directly to its employees.
“I am very proud of everybody at Westridge,” says Olfert. “First off, we’ve got great office staff. But our field staff are really the lifeblood of what we do and how we are able to grow and continue to thrive. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our great field staff.”
Olfert is particularly proud of Westridge’s employee retention. Workers who start with the company often stay long-term, as they are provided with ample opportunities to advance their careers within the business.
Olfert noted that many of the company’s approximately 120 employees are, over time, able to take on more responsibilities and/or learn new skills which results in low staff turnover, something rare in the construction industry.
Employees often start as labourers and apprentices, or are early in their carpentry career, and they work their way up through the Westridge ranks, some becoming superintendents.
Olfert explains Westridge has about 20 superintendents who lead the field staff and essentially are the heart and soul of the company. Nearly 90 per cent of these superintendents joined Westridge very early in their careers and have worked their way up within the company.
One of the company’s other strengths is its project diversity. Westridge does commercial work, as well as civil infrastructure projects, which is another factor contributing to its consistent workforce. For example, when one large infrastructure project finishes, the company will have commercial construction projects lined up to keep its staff busy.
Growth has been a constant at Westridge for more than 25 years. Established in 1989 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Westridge was created by its current President Leon Friesen and three other founders. Prior to starting Westridge, Friesen worked for a local contractor, but he was looking to grow in the industry, so he accepted a job with another company. When he went and told his employer he had accepted another job, his boss encouraged Friesen to start his own firm.
Now, Westridge is a widely held employee-owned company with 28 shareholders. They have built, renovated and expanded facilities of every kind throughout Saskatchewan, placing their signature on a myriad of projects in both the commercial and civil sectors.
Olfert points to one particular project that stands out for him. In downtown Regina sits the building that was the former Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) bus depot. For Westridge, it represents a $20-million project, with the company having worked on turning that STC bus depot into the current Regina Police Service building.
Another significant project in the company’s history is the raw water-pumping station in Saskatoon. It was Westridge’s largest civil infrastructure project at the time of construction in 2009 – a $30-million project.
Other significant projects include the Swift Current joint-use school and SaskPower’s Logistics Warehouse project in the Global Transportation Hub, Westridge’s first project over $100 million, and the first project the company did as a joint venture in nearly 30 years.
Other significant projects include:
- Regina’s Douglas Park and Arcola Schools
- Gardiner Dam Spillway Bridge Rehabilitation and office buildings
- Regina’s Maple Leaf Pool
- Shaunavon’s Wickenheiser Centre
- Buffalo Pound Pool and Visitor Centre
- Regina’s transit fleet maintenance facility
- Commercial buildings such as Regina’s Dutch Growers and Olive Garden restaurant
- And numerous overpasses, bridges and water and wastewater projects throughout Saskatchewan.
Westridge enjoys working in Saskatchewan and to date has not taken projects outside the province’s borders.
“We have focused on the province for our growth and expansion, and we are proud to serve this province well,” says Olfert. “The government and regulatory environment in Saskatchewan works, so we like working here. We just love dealing with Saskatchewan people.”
Westridge also believes in community engagement and giving back.
Olfert says when Westridge begins a project, it spends time engaging with the local community. For example, when it worked on a project at the Star Blanket Cree First Nation, one of the first things the company did was talk to the First Nation and find local residents who had construction experience who were interested in working with Westridge.
This approach worked well and one Star Blanket resident, who had never worked outside of the First Nation, is still employed by Westridge, driving back and forth from Star Blanket to Regina for work every day.
Westridge also likes to give back. The company is involved in funding and sponsoring efforts in healthcare, the arts community, sports and recreation, among others.
The company is also the title sponsor of Regina’s female hockey program, including one of the largest annual female hockey tournaments in Western Canada, The Westridge Female Challenge.
Olfert says all of these elements contribute to Westridge’s success.
“How we give back to the community, our staff retention, our reputation and just the overall high quality of our employees and our corporate experience – these are all the things that make Westridge the great Saskatchewan success story that it is today.”
For more information, contact:
Media Relations
Trade and Export Development
Regina
Phone: 306-526-6302
Email: media.ted@gov.sk.ca
