The owner of Westman Group Inc. – a manufacturer of steel products, grain dryers and agricultural storage bins – has donated $4 million to Assiniboine Community College in Brandon.
The donation will go towards agricultural programs and ACC announced October 17 that it will rename the agricultural college after the donor – Russ Edwards.
“This is an incredible gift and we are eternally grateful to Mr. Edwards and his family for their commitment to help us build unparalleled educational opportunities in Manitoba,” said Tim Hore, dean of Russ Edwards School of Agriculture & Environment at ACC. “It will have a long-lasting impact as our college continues to advance its vision for leadership in agricultural education.”
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This is the first time that Assiniboine Community College has named one of its colleges after an individual.
Edwards is the founder and owner of the WGI Westman Group, which makes and distributes steel products at 79 locations in Canada and the U.S.
The group includes includes Meridian Manufacturing, Armtec, Behlen Industries, Convey-all, and Westman Steel.
Meridien may be the best known of its brands. It manufactures fertilizer bins, grain dryers, corrugated bins, augers, stainless steel tanks and other products.
Edwards, 89, grew up on a farm near La Broquerie, Man. and started his company in 1976 – manufacturing riveted culverts with six employees at a plant in Winnipeg.
Now, WGI Westman Group has more than 2,000 employees and Edwards is still involved, holding the position of chairman.
“With Westman Steel and Behlen Industries both headquartered here in Brandon, some of the early seeds of WGI Westman Group’s success were planted right here in this community,” Edwards said.
“In fact, my wonderful wife Edna received her nursing degree in the very building in which we now make this announcement. My family and I are incredibly grateful to now be in the position to make this donation.”
Assiniboine Community College has significant plans to expand the number of students in its agriculture, environment and agricultural technology programs from 300 to 800. A key part of the plan is the Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture – a new facility that will include programming in robotics, industrial automation, food science technology and other courses.
“The centre aims to expand training capacity to better meet labour market demands, and it will also be a hub for agricultural education, innovation and applied research,” Hore said in 2021. “This will give us the ability to collaborate and work with industry to transfer that knowledge to the ag sector.”
ACC continues to fundraise for the Prairie Innovation Centre, but Edwards’ donation moves the college much closer to its goal.
“I hope generations of students will be able to use the knowledge gained here to plant their own seeds of success as well,” Edwards said.
Contact robert.arnason@producer.com
