In business, whether you’re looking for supplies, access to key markets, skilled employees or land to expand, location matters. And that’s exactly why one Wetaskiwin company has made this community home for close to half a century.
Vulcraft Canada Inc. is part of Nucor Corporation, a North Carolina-based producer of steel and related products. The largest steel producer and largest “mini-mill” steelmaker in the United States, Nucor is also the biggest recycler of scrap in North America.
Vulcraft is a key supplier of open web steel joists, deck, girders and steel bar grating all over North America. The Wetaskiwin plant opened its doors around 45 years ago, and after several transitions, joined Nucor family in 2007 as Nucor Grating, before becoming part of the Vulcraft Canada, within Nucor Corporation, in 2021.
Over those 45 years, the manufacturing footprint at the Wetaskiwin facility has doubled to 100,000 square feet. Here, skilled trades work together to produce grating and then customize the product for customer needs all over Western Canada.
The company’s longevity, growth and employment roster has ensured Vulcraft enjoys a high profile locally. “Pretty much everyone knows about this facility in one way or another,” says Abrar Haq, Vulcraft’s Plant Operations Manager.
The right location is essential
The community makes sense for Vulcraft on several fronts.
Wetaskiwin’s central location, with easy access to numerous transportation corridors, makes it easy to serve clients when and where needed, Haq says.
At the same time, the city is also home to a skilled workforce – individuals who appreciate the opportunity to forge a career with a responsible company, near their homes and families.
“We have team members who have been with us for almost the full 45 years, and many others who have worked here for 20 or 30 years,” Haq says.
Among the sources of pride for the company and its team is their exceptional safety record – more than 500,000 hours without a recordable incident at the time of writing. Like other aspects of the company’s success, “this record is a real team effort. Safety is Nucor’s number one priority and that teammates go home safely everyday.”
As the company continues to find new ways to serve its existing and emerging markets, innovation is key – and that means investing in both manufacturing technology and its team, Haq notes, pointing to a recent investment of more than $600,000 in new equipment.
The ability to work closely with the City of Wetaskiwin as needed is also a vital component to Vulcraft’s continued success.
“I speak with the City quite often and Wetaskiwin is a very convenient and comfortable place to work and do business,” Haq says. “And that’s sometimes not the case in other communities.”
This business profile is the fourth in a series from the City of Wetaskiwin’s Economic Development office. To learn more about initiatives to grow local business and industry, visit investwetaskiwin.ca.
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