Integrity Post Structures among ag businesses nominated for an Alberta business award
Jerry Myer said he doesn’t feel all that young after starting a business from the back of his pick-up truck and expanding it into the second largest company of its kind in Canada.
Nevertheless, Myer, 32, a partner in Integrity Post Structures of Okotoks, Alta., is a finalist in the Young Entrepreneur Award of Distinction through the Alberta Business Awards of Distinction program, which is organized by the Alberta Chamber of Commerce.
Integrity Post Structures builds post frame buildings across Western Canada for farm, equestrian and commercial use.
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“I don’t feel like a young entrepreneur any more,” said Myer.
“I feel like I’ve been doing it for so long, but it’s really exciting when you look back and realize that it has only been eight years since we started it.”
Myer and partner, Al Williams, founded the company in 2008. Business increased from 90 structures in the first year to 300 last year. It expects to build about the same number this year.
Integrity Post employs about 160 people in the summer building season, said Myer.
The business initially concentrated on agricultural buildings, but it expanded to a wider range of structures after securing Canadian distribution rights to U.S. “perma-column” technology in 2010.
The perma-column is a pre-cast concrete post designed to last longer than wood when in contact with soil.
The company also won the Agriculture Innovation award at Red Deer’s Agri-Trade show in November.
The latest nomination through the Chamber of Commerce was a surprise, Myer said.
“When you look back at it, it’s happened really rapidly, and to get nominated for an award for it, that’s pretty special, for sure,” he said.
“Even if we don’t end up winning anything, just to have somebody put you in that category with a lot of people that probably deserve it as much or more than I do, that’s pretty exciting.”
Myer’s company is among five finalists for the award. The others are Western Manufacturing Ltd. of Hythe, Alta., Dreamstalk Studios of Medicine Hat, Cerulean Boutique of St. Albert and Dead Bolt Construction Inc. of Medicine Hat.
The winner will be announced Feb. 27 in Edmonton, but before that, Myer and other finalists will undergo interviews with the selection committee.
“Typically, unless I’m in front of a customer actually selling a building, I’m terrible at public speaking, so we’ll see how that goes,” he said.
“I’ll try and remember everything that they tried to teach me in 4-H.”
Other nominees with agricultural connections on this year’s list include Blood Tribe Agricultural Projects of Standoff, Alta., in the Eagle Feather Award of Distinction category and Barr-Ag Ltd. of Olds, Alta., in the Export Award of Distinction category. Barr-Ag exports hay and forage.
Champion Pet Foods of Morinville, Alta., the 2014 winner of the export award, was nominated this year for the Marketing Award of Distinction.
barb.glen@producer.com
