Partnership purchasing Kam-Crete at Kamsack

KAMSACK — “Very close to completing the purchase of Kam-Crete,” the company’s new owners say the Kamsack business will continue soon to operate as it has done.

In January, Gordie Broda of Prince Albert, president of the Broda Group of Companies, said that it had been a tough decision to close the Kam-Crete business, “but it was a decision that the time had come.

“For over 60 years, our business has served Kamsack and the surrounding area,” Broda said. “We worked with a lot of great people and great organizations and we were part of many local projects over all those years.

“As a family, we proudly supported many community initiatives and always strived to make Kamsack a better community that we were proud to be a part of,” he said. “We are confident that a new business will rise up to serve the community to fulfil the needs of the Kamsack and area marketplace.”

A partnership between David Zacharias of Melville and Jared Clark of Pierson, Man., is about to assume ownership of the Kam-Crete property and buildings in Kamsack, as well as a smaller property in Canora and all the equipment for ready-mix concrete and aggregate crushing, including the trucks, so that business can continue as usual.

“And we hope to grow,” Zacharias said on July 22.

The business will be known as Park West Concrete Co., said Clark, who expects signs and markings on vehicles will be reflecting that change of name by the end of the summer.

The Kamsack operation includes 14 employees who have been retained, Zacharaias said, mentioning David Medvid and Wendy Nelson as two valued employees who have agreed to continue work at Kamsack.

For the past five years, Zacharias has been the owner of E&H Redi-Mix in Melville, a company of about 10 employees which supplies concrete and gravel, very similar to the work that Kam-Crete has been doing. The company is a member of Concrete Saskatchewan.

Concrete Saskatchewan is governed by a board of directors from within the industry, which represents small and large companies reaching all parts of the province, says its webpage. “Concrete Saskatchewan’s objective is to promote the use of high-quality concrete and to continually strive to improve all aspects of the industry so that the concrete produced by its members remains the highest quality.”

Clark, who is self-employed and has operated a business called North Antler Customs, has been working “on the oil fields.”

“We met as neighbours at the lake about 14 years ago,” Clark said of Zacharias.

Over beers on the deck, the two friends had often said they ought to go into business together, and when the Kam-Crete possibility surfaced, they agreed, “If not now, when?”

Zacharias and his wife Michelle have two sons, aged 17 and 14, while Clark and his wife Trista are the parents of a son, 12, and a daughter, eight.

Regarding imminent changes, Zacharias said they have ideas but nothing solid.

“We intend to keep serving everyone as best as we can at supplying ready-mix concrete and aggregates to the towns and rural municipalities in the area,” he said. This includes crushing and hauling gravel for roads.

“We’re both from small communities and we look forward to serving this community,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to meeting the people and becoming involved in the community,” Clark added.

The partners agreed that by autumn, they should be in a place where they will be able to invite everyone to a grand opening event, such as a barbecue.  

The property and buildings belonging to Kam-Crete at Kamsack, including the ready-mix concrete and gravel crushing equipment and vehicles, have been sold to a partnership that will operate it as Park West Concrete Co.| Photo by William Koreluik