As of early May 2012, the Donald Bridge project  25 kilometres west of Golden, B.C., was approximately 65 per cent complete. Flatiron Constructors of Canada Ltd. started reconstruction of 3.5 kilometres of highway and the bridge replacement in February 2011, employing 40 to 60 workers—90 per cent of whom are local. As of mid-April, the workers—including subcontracted labour—had clocked 100,000 hours.

Flatiron project manager Rick Morrison talked about improved safety and traffic flow on both the rebuilt section of highway and the bridge.

“Four lanes will allow better traffic flow,” he said, “and new alignment on the curve allows easier transition through the area.”

The project is scheduled for completion in December 2012.

Ken and Susan Lehmann are the owners of Golden Transfer Company in Golden, B.C., and they have been searching for a new location for their company’s warehouse and office for more than four years. When they discovered that Canadian Helicopters Ltd. was vacating its building located at 400 Fisher Road in Golden, the Lehmanns decided to purchase the building and make it their own.

The facility was originally built to meet the needs of Canadian Helicopters Ltd. and work to make the building compatible for Golden Transfer Company began immediately after the Lehmanns took possession of it on November 30, 2011.

Getting elevated

“We had to build up the warehouse to dock height because it was right on ground level,” said Susan. “So we had to pour a concrete wall, fill it up with gravel and then pour concrete on top of that. There were two big doors so they could move their helicopters in and out and we took those out and we put in four truck doors with bumpers and sealed pads so that when the trucks back up, they actually . . . seal to the building so we don’t lose our heat. We had to put another door on the side of the building for our body truck that does local deliveries.”

The floor of the warehouse was raised up four feet, and because of that, Susan said that the electrical system in the building had to be elevated and reloaded as well. To provide heat for the facility, the Lehmanns purchased a De-On Supply Inc. (D.S.I.) Clean Burn furnace—this energy-efficient heating system burns used engine oil that is retained from the trucks at Golden Transfer Company.

“(The furnace) has a compartment . . . when they do oil changes they bring (the used oil) over in a tote bag and pour it in,” said Susan, "and that’s what it uses to run."

Renovations to Golden Transfer Company’s new facility were completed by December 31, 2011, and the company was fully operational by January 1, 2012. According to Susan, the project would not have been possible without the hard work and long hours put in by staff members and contractors. Greg McTaggart and his Golden-based company, Absolutely Hammered Contracting Ltd., worked on the project—and so did several other local construction outfits.

Moving forward

Golden Transfer Company offers refrigerated and general overnight freight-hauling services from Calgary, Alberta, to Golden, Cranbrook and  communities in between. The company’s trucks also run from Cranbrook to Sparwood and from Cranbrook to Nelson. In the future, Susan said that she and Ken will look at expanding their company’s service route to include Revelstoke and Kelowna. The company’s new building can expand to include more loading docks, if the need for them arises.

Meet the owners

Ken and Susan Lehmann are longtime residents of Golden and they live an active lifestyle. Ken has many years of experience as a logging truck driver and he owns two logging trucks. He is also a professional ski instructor and he loves to golf. In her spare time, Susan travels to Alberta and the U.S., showing her American quarter horse, named Jake. 

Martin Gotz of Libertas Custom Homes also commended HübertHaus Timber Frames for custom home design and supply and installation of the timber frame, Coastal Mountain Mechanical for plumbing, Cold Systems Mechanical for duct work, Taro Broughton for electrical and AB Stonework's for the rock work. Gotz said this type of award-winning product would not be possible without the whole team believing in it. 

Congratulations to Martin Gotz, his staff and contractors at Libertas Custom Homes in Golden.

Chad Jensen, president of New Dawn Developments in Cranbrook, B.C., meets and exceeds all three of these criteria, and has won this year's honour bestowed by the Canadian Home Builders Association of BC (CHBA BC) and BC Homes magazine, after a detailed nomination and judging phase.

"The nominations we received for the fifth annual award were all tremendous, but the glowing testimonials about Chad Jensen—personally and professionally—were unmatched," said M.J. Whitemarsh, editorial director of BC Homes magazine. "He was singled out for his vision as a leader in the Kootenay region's development industry, which started in its time of incredible growth, and also during the devastating downturn in the region about three years ago. But, perhaps even more importantly, he was earmarked as a wonderful family man and person of great integrity who is dedicated to giving back to his beloved hometown."

Chad Jensen was humbled when told about the award, but echoing the name of his company, he says it symbolizes a "new dawn" for the industry. Jensen refers to himself as that "next generation of builder," taking the reins from the baby boomers like his father, Rick Jensen, who started the company when Chad was still a youth.
  
This "next generation" has had a bumpy ride so far with the recession, but Chad has shown his innovation and perseverance by continuously looking for new ways to grow and expand the business and industry in the region overall. He is also a board member of the one-year-old Canadian Home Builders Association of the Rocky Mountains.

Jensen will be honoured by his colleagues at an awards event in Cranbrook in April 2012, details on purchasing tickets and the venue will be released next month.

Jensen is the first winner from the Kootenay region. Previous winners of the province-wide award have included David Podmore of Concert Properties in Vancouver, Doug Wittal of DW Builders in Kamloops, Doug Bromage, president of InSight Developments in Nanaimo and Tim Kasten of Hillside Contracting in Kamloops.

Read Chad Jensen's profile or subscribe and receive the February/March issue of BC Homes for the full story.

For more information on this award or on BC Homes magazine, please visit www.bchomesmag.com

The new building is on land owned by Cranbrook businessman Richard Klassen, who was the previous and long-time owner of Gerick Sports and current owner of Kootenay Granite in Cranbrook industrial park.

The new structure will house Kootenay Granite and possibly other retail outlets as well. This will provide high visibility exposure on Cranbrook's busy north entrance way.

With construction just underway, completion should be slated for late spring or early summer of 2012.