For its first international expansion, the United States-based Summit ESP recently set up shop in Leduc.
Summit ESP deals in electric submersible pumping systems and vice president John Hedges says Leduc is a prime location, as it acts as a central hub for the western Canadian basin. “We service clients in an 18-hour radius, one way from here.”
“This is where the industry has many types of these businesses,” company CEO and president John Kenner added. “If you're going to be in business here the talented people are here.”
Summit ESP is also setting up a shop in Calgary.
Hedges says the company employs approximately 500 people across the United States and over the next three years will add 80 to 100 jobs for the Leduc area. “It's part of our corporate strategy to give back to the communities we're in.”
“Our goal as a company is to do a great job and also be a great place to work,” Kenner.
Despite the slump in Alberta's economy Kenner says he and Hedges have faith that it will be making a comeback some time in 2016. Being a privately owned company, Kenner says Summit ESP was looking at the long-term picture when it made the decision to come to Canada. “We didn't stop our investments, we continued down our path.”
Revenue-wise, Summit ESP is now the number two company in North America in its industry.
Now that the company has expanded internationally into Canada, Kenner says he and Hedges are getting first-hand experience with the challenges that come with such a venture, including multicurrency and different units of measurement. Kenner believes this move will help the company with its future projects. “The nice thing is once we're established here we can go other places, like Columbia.”