The liquefied natural gas industry is creating a once-in-a-lifetime chance to enable strong economic growth and provide employment opportunities for local companies throughout British Columbia, like Delta-based Ideal Welders.

As Small Business Month has wrapped up, it’s important to note that the LNG-Buy BC program has at its core a firm belief that the entrepreneurial spirit, skills and innovative abilities of B.C. businesses will lead to a high level of success regardless of where they enter the LNG supply chain.

From its beginnings as a one-man operation 46 years ago to an organization that now boasts over 18,580 square metres (200,000 square feet) of fabrication space for pressure piping and pressure vessels, 100% of Ideal Welders’ fabrication process happens right here in B.C.

For the LNG industry, Ideal Welders has participated in a number of bids since scaling up their operations and developing the framework to compete in these opportunities. Ideal is currently working on the Fortis Tilbury LNG expansion.

Ideal Welders’ facilities are well placed on the Fraser River on Annacis Island, where they can manufacture and ship directly to the LNG sites, and outfitted with the right technology to handle those logistics effectively.

Quotes:

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour –

“We’re entering an exciting time for businesses in B.C., and LNG is poised to become one of our province’s key industries. The government has put in place a number of resources to help businesses get involved and connect local suppliers with industry, including the LNG Buy-BC Business Kit and Online Tool. With thousands of job openings and benefits for B.C. business to emerge from LNG activities, we need to ensure British Columbians have the skills as well as tools they need to seize these opportunities.”

Coralee Oakes, Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction and Minister Responsible for the Liquor Distribution Branch –

“The LNG Buy-BC tool and Business Kit are helping B.C. companies, like Ideal Welders, harness their potential and seize once-in-lifetime opportunities. I’m proud that local companies have the high-calibre skills to compete in the world marketplace.”

Scott Hamilton, MLA for Delta North –

“We want British Columbians to be the first to benefit from the emerging LNG industry and it is exciting to see a local company like Ideal Welders prosper. LNG will continue to be a source of high-paying jobs for years to come.”

Steve Meadows, senior project manager, Ideal Welders –

“The LNG-Buy BC program has absolutely helped our business connect with companies. In fact, the proponents have been very good in terms of the projects that they’ve put together and they have shown a real openness to incorporating our feedback to perhaps updating their plans to make them more feasible and easier to implement. They have also enabled us to interact with a lot of other local companies to put together the types of fabrication needed to support the project. That has given us the opportunity to be able to reach out and collaboratively look at other local B.C. companies in terms of how to put the entire project together and to do our part of the project.”

Quick Facts:

• The LNG opportunity is strengthening B.C.’s economic future. If five LNG plants are built in B.C., it could:
  • Generate a total investment of $175 billion.
  • Contribute up to $1 trillion to the province’s gross domestic product.
  • Create up to 100,000 direct, indirect and induced LNG-related jobs.
• As of September 2015, there are 20 projects proposing to produce LNG for export along B.C.’s coast.
• A large resource base of natural gas in northeastern B.C. – almost 2,800 trillion cubic feet – could support domestic and export markets for the next 150 years.
• B.C. has one of the highest small-business confidence numbers in Canada.
• The Canadian Federation of Independent Business's Barometer shows a positive outlook, and 47% of business owners say the state of their business is “good;”
  • 20% of small business owners in B.C. indicate they plan to add full-time staff; and
  • B.C.’s small-business confidence has been among the highest in Canada for over a year.
• Small businesses in B.C. generate 33% of the province’s gross domestic product and the British Columbia government will continue to support them.

Learn More:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/Wig2SmSMz28

LNG-Buy BC Program: www.LNGBuyBC.ca

BCBid: www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca

BC Jobs Plan: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/bcjobsplan/

B.C.’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint: www.workbc.ca/skills