nificant loss of sales, Lea-Der has had to
reduce its workforce by 60 per cent. The
current downturn has taken the industry
to a level that Demers has not seen in his
entire career with Lea-Der. “Even in 2009,
we were still producing a vast amount of
orders, but this downturn has really affect-
ed a lot of different aspects of business,”
Demers said.
Talks are currently transpiring between oil
producers and the Albertan government
in order to revitalize the industry, but until
discussions result in concrete decisions,
the sector will continue to adhere to re-
strictions and stringent policies. “We hope
that the Alberta government would see
that this is a very important sector in the
economic development of the province,”
said Joe Hak, Lea-Der’s vice president.
EXPANSION BEYOND
BORDERS
So how has Lea-Der been staying afloat?
Demers points to the company’s involve-
ment in the international market, particu-
larly exploring new territory. The case in
point is Iran and the implications of the
sanctions that were lifted a short time ago.
Iran is one of the top five countries home
to the largest oil reserves in the world, and
according to Demers, Lea-Der’s human
safety and environmental protection prod-
ucts are very important to Iran’s drilling in-
SEPTEMBER 2016
H
business elite canada
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