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Top 100 Saskatchewan Companies

Ag manufacturer remains optimistic

Nov 6, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Bourgault Industries in St. Brieux is being recognized as one of the best companies in the province. Saskatchewan Business Magazine has released its annual top 100 list.

CEO Gerry Bourgault said he’s pleased with the companies sales performance that put them in the 28th position. But that has come with its challenges as a difficult growing season impacts the entire ag sector.

“We’re caught by the trends in the industry with the reduction in net farm income, trade disputes and their effects in the early part of the year. Western Canada was experiencing drought. Everyone was caught by those effects. A perfect storm in our industry,” Bourgault told farmnewsNOW. “I think everyone was predicting a crop failure early in the year but I think overall Western Canada has produced a good crop with some areas unable to finish harvest which is obviously problematic for those people who have a lot of acres under the snow.”

The company currently employs roughly 600 people which is down slightly. Bourgault said even with the challenges it hasn’t stopped the company from planning for the future.

“We’re aggressively doing product development. We’re going to be releasing some new products this fall and some again next spring. We’ve experienced cycles before and understand that we have to keep raising the bar providing new features so that’s what we’re working at diligently,” he said. “Even though it was a difficult year for us, we had a record level of spending in R & D so we’re very optimistic about the future.”

Bourgault said the industry goes through ups and downs but he feels it has bottomed out.

“We’re really looking for better times ahead.” Bourgault added.

alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF

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