“Right now it’s much busier for us in Alberta. Alberta is booming – power line, oil and gas, wind …the only thing not going in Alberta is construction,” says Fairbank.

Most recently Eagle West broadened its activities to include installing wind farms. Incorporated in 2009, Eagle West Wind Energy has seen phenomenal growth installing wind farm generators in various locations across the country. That growth will see it become the largest division for the company in 2011.

“We’re the largest installation and craning company in Canada with 30 per cent market share in the wind business,” says Fairbank, adding the wind energy division help to offset the effects of the recent market slowdown.

The company is currently working on three wind farms in Ontario and central Alberta. Their first project was the $140 million Taber wind farm in 2007, the largest wind farm in Alberta. Eagle West was also responsible for B.C.’s first wind energy farm – the $200 million Bear Mountain Wind Park near Dawson Creek completed in 2009.
The company uses one of the industry’s few narrow-tracked crawler cranes for its wind energy projects. The crawler can travel fully assembled on a track only 4.8 m wide, saving on production time and road construction costs.

“It has been strategic for us on a couple of projects,” notes Fairbank. “It saves the contractor money on road construction and it speeds up the erection process because the crane can travel with the boom in the air.”
Fairbank counts the success of the wind energy division among his career highlights. “It has given me an opportunity to really put my stamp on Eagle West.”

Born in Mission, B.C., Fairbank joined Eagle West in 2006 after spending more than 25 years in the cement and concrete business.

Graduating with a technical diploma in civil engineering technology from SAIT in 1980, his first job was with Con-Force, a large precast company.

“I started as a draftsman and ended up being trained to run the first computer graphics machine in Canada,” recalls Fairbank, who also completed his MBA at Athabasca University in 2001.

He joined Rempel Bros. Concrete in 1992 as sales manager and assumed the position of vice president and general manager in 1999. During his tenure, he led the company through significant growth and capital investment.

When Eagle West owner and founder Jim Barkman (who was a customer of Rempel) offered Fairbank a partnership opportunity, it was one he could not pass up.

“I’ve always wanted to own my own company and the timing was perfect,” he says.

As COO, Fairbank is responsible for the day to day operations of all the companies which operate out of four offices in B.C. and four in Alberta.

And Fairbank hasn’t completely left the cement business since Eagle West also has a precast plant in Langley, which is still supplied by Rempel.

“We’re the largest manufacturer of concrete median barriers in B.C.,” he says.

The company manufactured the concrete barriers for the Golden Ears Bridge, which opened in 2009. It is currently supplying and installing concrete median barriers for the Port Mann Hwy 1 project – the company’s largest single contract to date.

“We have a fleet of trucks specifically designed to transport and place those barriers,” says Fairbank.

The company’s core values of honesty, teamwork, caring, humility and creativity have driven much of its success over the past 21 years. Today, the staff (salary employees number about 60 with crews peaking at 300 in the summer) strive to honour those values while providing the best service possible to clients.

Eagle West is not only committed to its own people, but also believes strongly in giving back to the communities in which it works. The company has two charities which operate year round to help families and people in need.

“We want to make a difference in the communities that we work,” says Fairbank.

Promoting safety and ensuring the safety of everyone is also paramount at Eagle West.

“Everyone is told this weekly: if you can’t do a job safely, then you fold the crane up and come back to the shop,” states Fairbank.

A new mandatory certification will help to improve crane operator safety. As of February 28, 2011, all crane operators in B.C. must have a valid safety certificate. The BC Association for Crane Safety (BCACS) was formed in November of 2005 to provide leadership for health and safety development within the crane hoisting industry.

The CraneSafe Certification program developed in partnership with the BC Government, Worksafe BC and the B.C. crane industry is one of the most comprehensive crane safety certification programs in North America.
Eagle West has been closely involved in developing the new crane safety certification system, which was launched in December 2008.

“We were the first company in B.C. to have 100 per cent certified operators,” says Fairbank, noting they are also a certified training provider through its Eagle West Academy introduced in 2009. The training centre offers courses in operating a wide range of equipment, which benefits the industry as well as employees.

The new safety certification was also needed because non-union operators were unable to get red seal certification, according to Fairbank. Previously, apprenticeship programs for crane certification were only available through the International Union of Operating Engineers.

“In B.C. the Operating Engineers were the only ones offering red seal but you had to be union to go there. Non-union was left out and that’s why we needed this new certification for operators – it made it fair,” he says, adding in Alberta, operators have to be a journeyman.

Increased crane safety has certainly been one of the biggest changes in the industry.

“You can’t bid on a job today unless you’re COR certified and meet a number of safety standards – you have to be 100 per cent compliant to submit a bid,” notes Fairbank. “From 10 years ago, there’s no comparison. It’s a way safer business today.”

Being environmentally responsible has also become increasing important in the last decade and Eagle West has made efforts to do their part.

“We recently came out with a new vehicle policy used by staff where we’re switching to all hybrids – the Toyota Highlander and Chevrolet Silverado pickup. It will save us $70,000 a year in fuel,” says Fairbank, adding all their equipment are regularly inspected and maintained and, “At our precast plant we have 100 per cent zero discharge and we recycle everything at our facilities.”

Moving forward, the company’s focus includes more strategic acquisitions, working on a succession plan and continued growth of its wind energy division.

“One of the defining factors in our success is we’re 100 per cent non-union. It helps us be very competitive. It’s the reason why we’re so successful in the wind energy business because nobody else can do it non-union. All our competitors are union,” says Fairbank.

Fairbank has always managed in a non-union environment and has significant labour relations experience. He has been a board member for the Independent Contractors Business Association since 1999 and was association chair in 2008-09. His term as past chair ends this fall.

“I love the industry and learning what is important to members,” says Fairbank about his involvement. “We have a very bright future in Western Canada. Globally we’re well positioned with resources and quality of life. I think we’ll see continued growth.”

Finding the required number of skilled workers to meet that growth, however, remains a challenge. A skilled labour shortage is about to hit in Alberta, says Fairbank, but not yet in B.C.

“We’re very committed here to hiring young people and taking them through to becoming certified operators in B.C. or a journeyman in Alberta,” he says. “We need to continue to attract young people into the industry that see it as a future, not as a job.”

Outside of work, Fairbank enjoys skiing, water skiing and salmon fishing. He has been married for 22 years to Barb and has three children.