By JAMIE SHANKS, of the Weyburn Review
During a year that will be remembered for downturns in the agricultural and oil sectors, local industries proved able to ride out the economic storm of 1998 with relative ease.
IPEX Inc. plant manager Murray Keefe said their industrial pipe manufacturing business weathered the year without any trouble.
"Actually, we had a good year in spite of the slowdown in the economy," Keefe said, adding that their 1998 numbers were in fact slightly above average.
Keefe attributed that to natural growth for the company, which employs a staff of 20 except during the busier summer months when that number increases to about 25. The outlook is positive as IPEX is forecasting a similar year again in 1999.
Although oil prices took a nosedive in '98, Weyburn's Pan Canadian Petroleum branch managed to shrug off any ill effects by producing quite a bit more than expected.
"We had a good year in terms of production enough to offset the low oil prices," said production superintendent Darcy Cretin, who added that the company finished 15 per cent over forecasted production. "It was a good year for our business unit."
A major highlight last year for Pan Canadian was their massive CO2 project which officially got underway in August. Although currently stalled, the plan ultimately promises to extend the life of the Weyburn oilpatch by approximately 25 years.
Cretin said the company hopes to get the CO2 project back on track in 1999. "As it stands, it's still on hold right now," he said.
Jim Hutt, general manager of Duraco Windows Industries, said economic forces did not have an immediate impact on their own business.
"It sometimes takes a little while. It doesn't happen immediately," he said, adding that things were also sporadic due to agricultural and oil factors.
"The year as a whole was good."
Hutt said they expect the spring of 1999 could be slower than usual depending on how those factors develop.
Alcatel Canada Wire could not comment before press time.
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