More jobs for Brandon with Behlen’s big new project
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- Published on Thursday, August 28, 2014
Press Release
Behlen Industries will soon start the biggest project in its history, which will create more jobs for Brandon workers. The company will complete the job with its Edmonton-based building partner, NWS Construction. The project includes the manufacturing of 31 buildings for Shell Canada’s Carmon Creek heavy oil development located near Peace River, Alta.
“This is a huge job, which will keep our plant working at full capacity for many months,” says Sean Lepper, vice-president and general manager at Behlen. “That means more work for Behlen employees and more jobs during the winter when we’re typically slow.”
All buildings will be manufactured in Behlen’s plant in Brandon and shipped to the construction site. They will manufacture the first buildings for the development in December 2014. The scope of this project will have Behlen delivering two to three buildings per month, resulting in steady production for approximately two years. The company has nearly finished an automation project which will allow some of the work currently done by hand to be completed robotically, expanding capacity and opening the door for future large contracts. Behlen is one of Brandon’s largest employers, with more than 300 people working in its manufacturing plant.
The Carmon Creek project currently under construction will produce approximately 80,000 barrels of oil per day. The heavy industrial buildings required for the site will need to be built stronger than a typical industrial building, created with reinforced steel and suitable to house heavy equipment. Behlen’s building system will allow the structures to meet the strength requirement while keeping wide open interiors without columns, perfect to house large equipment.
“NWS Construction is one of the largest metal building contractors in Western Canada,” says Shilling Buck, vice-president operations manager with NWS. “This project for Shell Canada will be one of the largest in our history. It is a win for our company and for the industry as a whole, and we are happy to be partnering with Behlen on this project.”
The Carmon Creek project is just one of Behlen’s recent success stories. Last year the company manufactured the largest convex-style frameless steel building in the world, to house an international-sized soccer field and bleachers in Russia. Behlen also opened its first office outside of North America in Moscow late last year.
Over the past 40 years, Behlen has grown to be the largest manufacturer of steel building systems in Canada. It now serves customers worldwide through a growing network of authorized builders and continues to earn a reputation as a global leader.
