(Finning’s “Building B” on Edgar Industrial Drive in Red Deer)
By Sheldon Spackman
Roughly 30 people have lost their job at Red Deer’s Finning Centre of Excellence since November of last year. That, according to Finning Canada Communications Manager Hilary Anaka, who adds however that 15 others have since relocated to other Finning facilities, while another 150 are still working out of “Building B” on Edgar Industrial Drive for now.
It was on November 3rd of 2016 when the company announced the facility would be closing in early 2017. Since that announcement, Anaka says some of the work previously done at the Centre of Excellence has been transitioned to other Finning facilities, while other work remains in Red Deer. Anaka says however that the rest of the work currently being done out of “Building B” will at some point this year be transitioned elsewhere. Having said that, Anaka says the company’s goal remains “to retain and relocate as many people as possible”. She also points out their facility on 67th Street in Red Deer remains operational as well. It deals mostly with General construction and Road construction which uses excavators and dozers.
At the time of the announcement, company officials cited the economic downturn leading to reduced activity as one of the factors in the decision to close the Centre of Excellence. Howver, Anaka pointed out at the time that the company was already engaged in an ongoing transformation of business operations to improve customer satisfaction and reduce their overall cost-structure. A process that began before the current economic conditions.
The Finning Centre of Excellence in Red Deer was home to roughly two hundred union and non-union staff before the announcement was made. Staff did overhaul work for machines involved in oilsands projects and for large mining equipment. It had also operated as a welding shop. It’s unclear at this time which type of work is still being done at “Building B”.
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