ESTEVAN — For the past half century, TS&M Supply has been an invaluable contributor towards the southeast Saskatchewan oilpatch.
And it remains an integral part of the energy sector, the business community and Estevan and other communities.
TS&M Supply will celebrate 50 years in business on July 27 at their Estevan facility. Karry Biette, the vice-president of Canada for Distribution Now, TS&M, said there will be a barbecue and an open house, and some people will speak about the company and its history.
A golf event will occur at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course the following day, with customers, clients and others participating. A full field of 144 golfers registered.
"I think 50 is a pretty special year," said Biette. "As you look at landmarks and as you go through the years, 50 is a milestone, and we definitely wanted to celebrate, not only the people that are here now and the 50th year, but the people who have helped us get there."
Ken Dowhanuik and Dale Fox, who are both former owners, and others have been asked to participate in the community event and the golf tournament.
"It's a milestone, and one that everybody that's worked at the Estevan [location] should be proud of," said Biette.
There will be a raffle with lots of great prizes at the community barbecue, and a putting contest and a few other activities at the golf tournament. Funds raised at both events will go to the St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation.
"TS&M is synonymous with community, and we definitely wanted to choose a charity and raise some money," said Biette.
People in the office are excited about the upcoming activities, and Biette knows a lot of people are looking forward to the milestone.
"Talking with our clients, everybody is excited to get out and spend some time, as well as our vendors. We're in a unique position as a business where we have both vendors and clients, and we've had a really good response from our vendors, and with a lot of them, we try to work with community-minded vendors.
"We've got some good participation from the community itself for the Thursday event, and all of the different raffle prizes that are available, and it's just a testament to the city of Estevan, and everybody jumping up and wanting to be a part of it," said Biette.
TS&M employs 151 people, and of that, there are 68 in Estevan, enabling the company to provide a variety of services. Pipes, valves and fittings are offered at all of its branches.
The Estevan site is unique, he said, because there is a repair shop and the Estevan Fire and Safety component.
Pump shops and articial lifts are in Estevan, Weyburn and Moosomin in Saskatchewan, and in Melita and Virden in Manitoba. Fiberglass is in Estevan and Virden.
The current headquarters in Estevan were completed in 2015.
"It's a great facility," said Biette. "The guys who designed it and built it knew what they were doing. It's been well used and there is lots of office space and warehouse space. We've fiberglass in the back, we've got the repair shop, we've got fire and safety. We have the artificial lift right next door to us in a different building. That site has served TS&M well for its entire 50 years."
In the community, the company purchased the naming rights to the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course back in 2012.
"I think it's important to go back and look at why that naming rights deal was done, and that is the course was in trouble after the flood [of the Souris River in 2011], and they needed a number of dollars, and it wasn't really about what was it worth. They needed the money," said Biette.
The company supports minor hockey and minor baseball, the United Way Estevan, the recently-relaunched Southeast Women of Distinction Awards, the Estevan Motor Speedway, Estevan Extreme Volleyball, the Estevan Kinsmen and Kinettes and more.
"It really makes everybody that works there proud to work there, knowing that we're a good corporate citizen of Estevan and area," said Biette.
Not only is TS&M a big part of Estevan, but the company is also active in other communities it serves.
Other locations in Saskatchewan are Carlyle, Oxbow, Weyburn, Moosomin, Shaunavon, Regina, Saskatoon and Swift Current.
TS&M can be found in Virden, Melita and Winnipeg in Manitoba; Redcliff and Provost in Alberta; and Thunder Bay in Ontario.
Biette noted he's the same age as the company. He recalls that he was likely 14 years old when he made his first trip into the Estevan office while working for Schindel and Bazin, picking up different parts for jobs. He played for the Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins when he was a teenager.
When Biette joined the company last year, one thing that stood out to him was the number of tenured employees.
"From Edmonton to Estevan and all the way to Regina, when you go through that group, there's lots of people with 15-plus years, and it really tells the story of an organization when you've got a lot of people who have spent a lot of time working for one company, and TS&M is definitely one of those companies," said Biette.
TS&M boasts a diverse group of people, a great team and people who enjoy coming to work.
"We work hard, but at the same time, everybody enjoys their work and we get to have a laugh as well," said Biette.
