Special Report - Finning Canada

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FAMILY TIES: Lake Excavating's Trevor Seibertand Kari Gertzen have what it takes to keep thefamily business hummingPlacid Lakeby Noémi LoPintoPHOTOGRAPHY BY CRAIG smithA sister-and-brother team keep the family businessrunning smoothly in Williams Lake, B.C.Lake Excavating Ltd. is more than a family business forKari Gertzen and Trevor Seibert, it’s a legacy they hope to passon to their children. “Obviously we’re invested in keeping thecompany as a family business,” says Gertzen, vice-president and financemanager. “You develop a sense of pride and accomplishment, especiallysince Lake Excavating has been around for so long.”The company began in 1964, when Romanian-born Karl Seibertbought some yellow iron and went to work excavating around WilliamsLake, B.C. He married a Canadian girl named Reta and their children,Kari and her younger brother Trevor, grew up surrounded by dozersand excavators. As soon as Trevor was old enough, he was runningmachines. Kari spent a summer installing sewer and water lines and alsoworked in the office. “I did like the equipment,” says Gertzen, 43.“It felt normal to me to be around it.”Today, the company has a fleet of 70 pieces of heavy equipment,most of which are Cat. Through the siblings’ development company,Avion Developments Inc., and Lake Excavating, they undertakea number of design-build projects in B.C. and Alberta, such asengineering, infrastructure and other work on a 43-acre commercialsubdivision in Williams Lake; a new Walmart; a design-build forHighway 20 west of Williams Lake; a 180-unit manufactured homepark; a 72-acre rural development in Whitecourt, Alberta and otherongoing projects.Recently, Gertzen and Seibert purchased two 330Ds from Finning,which will come in handy for the development of the Walmart site.It’s a $25-million project for a 118,000-square-foot super centre,opening in November. The project is good for the local economy;Lake Excavating has subcontracted local companies for engineering,24 tracks & treads Summer 2009www.finning.ca
curb and gutters, electrical and landscaping. In 2008, Lake hired35 additional employees to run two shifts a day, seven days a weekto service the site. In 65 days, Lake moved 600,000 cubic metres ofmaterial, including 100,000 cubic metres of blasted rock.“It’s a great accomplishment,” says Gertzen. “And it’s nice to be ableto do something like that in the town where we were born.”Lake Excavating employs between 35 and 50 regular staff duringsummer and as many as 15 during winter, a core group of guys, some ofwhom have been with Lake for close to 10 years. “It adds to the familyfeeling,” Gertzen says.Adding to the family feeling is the relationship with Finning(Canada), dating to 1964, when Karl Seibert purchased a 955 trackloader with a backhoe. Since then, the company has purchased morethan 400 Caterpillar machines. “Finning is usually quick to get us whatwe need,” says Gertzen. “My dad became friends with more than oneFinning manager. Dealings with them are part of the legacy.” Finningin Williams Lake is a full-service branch including parts, serviceand sales. Lake Excavating is one of the parts department’s largestcustomers. And in 2008-09, Lake Excavating purchased two 320DLs,one 312CL and two 330DLs.Product support salesman Shane Elzinga deals with Lake Excavatingon an almost daily basis. With Elzinga, Lake participates in severalof Finning’s product support programs, including oil sampling, trackwear and technical support to Lake’s head mechanic in regards tohydraulic issues. “It means our mechanics can obtain the informationthey need to conduct ongoing maintenance,” Gertzen says.With experience in banking and financial management, Gertzenhad been running the Lake Excavating head office in her hometownsince 1989. Trevor ran his own company (which he still owns), andworked for Karl in various capacities. The siblings bought their fatherout in 1996. Gertzen still runs the head office in Williams Lake, doesall the company finances and runs Lake Excavating’s safety program.She obtains the bonding and insurance that’s required when biddingon publicly tendered projects and she occasionally conducts field safetyand orientation meetings. A one-stop shop, Gertzen says the companyoffers a “full package” to their customers.CLEANUP ON AISLE FOUR: Lake Excavating prepares thesite for a 118,000-square-foot Walmart Super CentreSIBLINGS IN SPEEDTrevor Seibert and Kari Gertzen are more than a sister-and-brother businessteam. They also own and staff a NASCAR team, which takes themto racing competitions all over the country. Trevor is the driver and Kariis the team manager.Since qualifying for his Players/GM Series in 1991, Trevor has beencompeting against some of the world’s best drivers in the NASCARCanadian Tire series. He races in the Formula Atlantic division of formulaauto racing, Indy Lights class of open-wheeled race cars or the Players/GM Camaro class. At Calgary’s Race City in the mid-1990s, Trevor brokea world track record for fastest time on any half-mile.The siblings recently competed in the NASCAR Canadian Tire race atMosport in Toronto. Trevor and Kari came in 14th out of a 24-car field,in a 52-lap race that reached speeds of 180 miles per hour.Now president and general manager of Lake Excavating, 42-yearoldTrevor does onsite project supervision and serves as companyestimator, managing pricing, quotations and tendering. Trevor alsohas a commercial pilot’s license and, in one of the coolest commutes,flies crew and equipment in the company-owned Piper Navajo 7between Williams Lake and Whitecourt. “He’s skilled at his job andI am skilled at mine, and neither of us wants the other’s job,” saysGertzen. “We have similar philosophies of business, different dutiesand we respect each other’s assets. That’s why it works so well.”As a woman in construction, Gertzen is a bit of an anomaly, butincreasingly less so. “I talk to more women in this field than therewere 10 years ago,” she says. “We’d be kidding ourselves to think it’snot a man’s world. Once in a while I still get ‘what would she know,’but you’d get that anywhere.” Gertzen says being surrounded by guyshas taught her a straightforward way of communicating. “I don’tmince words,” she says. “Trevor and I both have that quality. I thinkthat’s important in business.”Gertzen has two sons, 14 and 17, and Seibert has a 17-year-old sonand a daughter halfway through her post secondary studies. All fourhave worked for the company. The 17-year-old cousins are skilledoperators already. But, of course, Seibert women are no slouches.“Trevor’s daughter, Brittany, is working for us this summer, runningthe backhoe loader and articulated rock truck,” says Gertzen.Grandfather Karl, who still consults for the company now and then,is justifiably proud.www.finning.ca tracks & treads Summer 2009 32 15 25
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