Flyer Electric receives SaskPower’s Supplier Recognition Award

November 7, 2024 in News
Explorer: Fall 2024

On October 26, Flyer Electric was awarded a Supplier Recognition Award from SaskPower. This award is given to suppliers who demonstrate consistent reliability, quality, and innovation.

“Flyer Electric is so deserving of this award,” said Alanna Whippler, Consultant, Indigenous Procurement with SaskPower. “We’ve had a long and valuable relationship with Flyer Electric. They’ve consistently done good, high-quality work for us in a competitive industry. Our business units have all given good feedback about the company and their work. Flyer Electric has really differentiated themselves in the electrical space, and we are thrilled to present them with our supplier recognition award.”

Flyer Electric started working with SaskPower in 2015. SaskPower had started an Indigenous procurement program, and had set up a full time unit dedicated to the task of implementing the policy. “We want to build relationships and get Indigenous suppliers integrated into our supply chain while also acknowledging their unique value. SaskPower is dedicated to being a leader in Indigenous engagement as an important step towards economic reconciliation,” said Whippler. “As some examples, we are certified by the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB), we have a dedicated Indigenous Customer Care team, and we’ve done a lot of significant engagement activities in the north. We are currently expanding our evaluated Indigenous content for RFPs. We’re kicking off a pilot that will evaluate not only ownership and labour but Indigenous capacity building, things like recruitment, scholarships, sponsorships – things that incentivize Indigenous inclusion.”

Flyer Electric is majority owned by Athabasca Basin Development and Sakitawak Development Corporation. “We were looking for qualified vendors and Flyer of course had been working with mines, so they had the safety certifications, the bonding capacity, and a lot of experience they were bringing to the table,” said Whippler. “We thought, this company was a no-brainer. But it wasn’t that simple, because they were in a very competitive space.”

In the beginning, Flyer had to prove themselves as a solid, competitive contractor. “Over the years, we have developed a really good working relationship with SaskPower,” said Terry Tessier, CEO of Flyer Electric. “We got started, like most companies, where we went after open tendered work, and competitively bid against other companies. We hadn’t established a relationship before that. We were successful on some bids. And through that we were able to get to site and execute the projects and show SaskPower what we actually could do as a company.”

“In the beginning, Flyer was doing things for us like security installs and other smaller jobs, but they really grabbed the opportunity and really differentiated themselves as a trusted supplier,” said Whippler. “Things really took off when they did fire detection and suppression installations at three northern hydro stations. They did a really good job. We’ve had a strong relationship since, including a recent five-year contract for doing electrical work for the refurbishment of our Coteau Creek Hydroelectric Station. This is a significant, long-term contract and an indication of our trust in their work.”

Flyer Electric has become known in the industry for their high quality of work and accurate bidding. “For SaskPower and really, all our customers, we continue to execute,” said Tessier. “We treat all our projects the way we think they should be treated: with great care and the quality of the work, and safety. We just maintain a respectful relationship. We make sure that what we say is what we do and I believe we are seen as a company with a lot of integrity.”

The award was presented at Flyer Electric’s Regina office. A group of about 30 SaskPower members were in attendance, along with Tessier and the other Flyer Electric staff, Rod Favel from the Touchwood Agency Tribal Council, representing Flyer Electric’s partnership with their group in Treaty 4, and Kristy Jackson, Director of Marketing & Communications for Athabasca Basin Development.

“Special thanks to the terrific SaskPower team that attended and presented this award to Flyer, and to our guests and staff for attending,” said Terry Tessier, CEO of Flyer Electric. “It was a nice event where everyone got a chance to meet our people, see our office, and have some lunch and network together. The people at SaskPower are fantastic to work with. They always make us feel like part of their team. We’ve had a great partnership with SaskPower for many years, and it is truly an honour for us to be recognized this way.”