Kendra and Pieter Cruson, co-owners of Vale Industries in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. Photo by Kendra Cruson
From design to engineering and manufacturing, Vale Industries does it all in Saskatchewan.
Vale Industries has a long, rich history in Saskatchewan manufacturing, which began in the mid-1980s as one of Saskatchewan’s first manufacturers of direct seeding implements.
In 2012, Vale Industries expanded its operations to tackle grain storage and transportation, as well as aggregate mining.
In 2020, Pieter and Kendra Cruson bought into the company and today Vale is known for its capability to design, engineer, and build for the agriculture and aggregate mining sectors in Saskatchewan.
“We can do everything in-house,” said Kendra Cruson, co-owner and chief operating officer for Vale Industries from Vale’s 40,000 sq. ft. facility in Indian Head, Saskatchewan.
“Our customers are in the business of producing. For example, farmers, their job is to produce food for the world to eat. We build a Grain Giant to help them be as efficient as possible, getting crops off at the best grade and in the shortest amount of time,” Cruson said.
The grain giant is a new product Vale has taken to market, positioning the company as a leader in grain storage solutions.
Saskatchewan’s business-friendly attitude towards the manufacturing sector has played a crucial role in supporting Vale’s growth and success on the prairies.
Cruson said since mid-2010s, Vale has been able to access Saskatchewan’s Manufacturing and Processing Exporter Tax Incentive.
The incentive provides yearly non-refundable tax credits to eligible manufacturing corporations in Saskatchewan that expand their yearly workforce.
“Every year we review it and we’ve been able to access it because of the continuous growth we’ve experienced. We’ve added head office jobs and manufacturing jobs,” Cruson said.
Vale Industries is targeting further expansion at its manufacturing plant, adding skilled workers to run a full night shift as production demands increase.
“Saskatchewan is well known for manufacturing and every shop has to have skilled labour and technical knowledge,” she said.
Saskatchewan’s central North American location allows for efficient transportation of its products and Cruson said it’s amazing to see how many innovative manufacturing facilities call Saskatchewan home.
“We’re located right on Highway #1, transportation is very efficient, rent and taxes are lower than what you’d find in a city,” Cruson said. “Saskatchewan offers a great lifestyle. We have the best skies, the friendliest people in all of Canada.”