LaPrairie Works has taken over the provincial highway maintenance contract for CMA 506. The area includes Westlock, Slave Lake, Wabasca, Calling Lake, Hondo, Flatbush, Barrhead, and Egremont.
The contract, which took effect on Aug. 1, is for 10 years and meant hiring more employees, according to Georgia LaPrairie-McManus, corporate communications and administration coordinator for LaPrairie Group of Companies.
“As part of our mobilization into the area, we undertook a comprehensive hiring campaign,” said LaPrairie-McManus. “We hosted job fairs in Slave Lake and Westlock and ran hiring ads on all major social media platforms and local news stations."
LaPrairie Works currently has approximately 300 employees.
“Our CMA 506 crews are comprised of employees who worked for the previous contractor as well as new faces sourced from around the region, including employees who have joined our team from other operational centers across Alberta,” said LaPrairie-McManus.
She added that whenever they enter a new contract area, one of their top priorities is connecting with the employees who have operated the area with the previous contractor.
“We are pleased to say that many of these employees have joined our operations.”
Kelly McManus, President of Transportation and Highway Operations, said they are excited to bring their highway maintenance approach to CMA 506. He said they focus on partnering with local stakeholders, municipalities, counties, and residents.
“We have actively maintained Alberta highways and bridges for over 28 years. Our long-standing maintenance operations across Northern Alberta, and within the Peace Region, border this new area. We understand the local nuances that each area presents, and account for these unique features in our maintenance strategies."
To facilitate its operations, LaPrairie Works say they have experienced highway maintenance personnel.
"We know that well-trained, skilled personnel are critical to performing quality maintenance in Alberta," said McManus. "That's why we prioritized hiring personnel who are experienced and familiar with the area. Their expertise will be key as we move forward with our new operations.
“We also added new faces to our team, sourcing employees from across the region, including a few that are moving into CMA 506 from other operational centres,” said McManus.
The highway maintenance contract marks the second expansion into the region after recently acquiring Carwald Redi-Mix’s operations in Slave Lake and Wabasca.
LaPrairie Works is part of LaPrairie Group of Companies, a family-owned group. They provide highway and bridge maintenance, civil construction and ready-mix concrete and aggregate products to customers across Western Canada. They currently maintain Alberta provincial highways in CMA 501, 502, 503 and 506.
