Q. What is the official name of your company?
A. Lister Industries Ltd. A second generation family owned operation with the 3rd just around the corner.
Q. Is your firm a subsidiary or affiliate of other companies? If so, please name those firms and their relationship to your company.
A. We have many relationships with rental companies in North America and pride ourselves in referring people to them for location based enquiries. This works as a win, win for everyone as we strictly manufacture and don’t compete with them, yet are able to satisfy the end user with an affordable delivery and usage for short term projects where buying doesn’t make sense.
Q. What do you most want people to know about your company?
A. Family owned & operated since 1973. Customer service is paramount. We listen to our customers’ needs and adjust accordingly which means customizing mats, line crossings, ramps or whatever they require. We have the only engineered mats in the industry which are the strongest and longest lasting rig mats in the industry.
Q. Where is your company located?
A. Edmonton Alberta, we have two manufacturing facilities.
Q. What year was the company founded and by whom?
A. Lister Oilfield Welding Ltd. was established by Harold Lister in 1953. He started by designing and manufacturing his own boilers & air heaters in Edmonton at the main plant where we are still based today. When oil exploration in the remote north created unique needs, Harold met the demand with his new line up of specialized cold weather products, including rig mats.
Harold sold his business in April 1978, to Don & Mary Rowland. Over the years Lister has introduced new specialty products while continuing to refine the reliable Lister rig mats.
Q. What is your company’s primary business activity?
A. Manufacturer of rig mats, line crossings and custom steel fabrication. The average life of a Lister Rig Mat is 10 years, but many have continued to be active for 15-20 years. Our rig mats consist of two continuous wood sections with laminations glued and nailed together for superior rigidity. The glue between the wooden planks reduces liquid absorption and hence eliminates weight gain in the field. Strength is mainly provided by the steel beams, and the wood sections assisted by lateral flat bars transfer part of the load from one beam to another.
Lister Interlocking Road Mats, the new entry in the earth friendly area of ground protection, allowing transportation of machinery and materials into remote areas on these mats without any permanent damage. The mats are constructed from structural steel and glue laminated wood packets. The hook and eye assembly allows for multiple mat pads which are expandable in any direction. This construction method results in a superior product delivering longer mat life and a more durable surface.
Q. Are there important projects the company is currently a part of or has done recently?
A. Lister has recently completed engineering, design and installation of an all steel rig mat in virtually any size, for the new Safety and stability being the key issues, these mats have put an end to crushed wood mats especially the cross beam and cross laminated style mats where there is no connectivity. Those mats simply cannot hold the load transfers of 4 relatively small stomper pads which carry the entire weight of the rig in a small footprint. These new field tested steel mats allow these behemoths to move on the pad in any direction without compromising stress load & deflection. We have been working closely with Chevron in the U.S. along with their contractors and are having great success.
Q. How many employees does your company have?
A. We employ 50 full time welders, laborers and office personnel, with many of them being long term.
Q. Describe the equipment your company uses and are there any new equipment purchases planned?
A. We have custom fabricated assembly lines for both lumber and steel components. We are continuously striving to manufacture and provide the best rig and road mats, line crossings and ramps to meet the needs of our clients.
Q. Is your company expanding any of its operations or locations?
A. We expanded, opening an additional facility just down the street from our main plant and office 9 years ago to keep up with the growing demand. We have also learned over the years to try not to tackle too much and to be satisfied taking care of fewer people correctly instead of too many too fast and making costly mistakes by over committing. Grow slow and steady and you will survive & thrive!
Q. Is the company changing any of its services or products?
A. We strive to continuously monitor components to adapt to the ever changing drilling field adjusting materials and design wherever necessary.
Q. What is your company’s main strength or its edge over the competition?
A. Personal service, common sense approach and backing up what we say we will do. With our many years of experience in rig mat design and manufacturing, we are committed to excellence in continuing to meet the challenges of the oil and gas drilling and service industry. After studying the ups and downs of this industry and having the ability to track it by sales over the past 61 years, we know that you must tend to the small companies as well as the large ones as word of mouth is your best marketing tool. We have good market share with many long time loyal customers around the world and plan on maintaining that reputation for our children to carry on the tradition.
Q. What is the most challenging work/contract the company has undertaken?
A. It is and always has been fulfilling large orders overseas under extreme time limits where transportation issues are out of our hands.
Q. What are the biggest obstacles to completing work your company undertakes?
A. Material supply in a timely fashion and the ability attract & retain qualified employees.
Q. What do you see as your company’s biggest challenge in the next five years?
A. The price of oil is always the main factor. Over the past 61 years we have seen extreme lows and wonderful pinnacles of growth & success. We don’t expect that to change.
Q. Does your company have an anniversary or other landmark event coming up?
A. No but we celebrate with company parties and picnics often to keep morale at a great pace.
Q. What is the average length of time employee’s work for the company?
A. Employee longevity average is 5 to 10 years with many at the 15 year mark.
Q. What is your company’s safety record? What steps does the company take to ensure a safe work environment?
A. We have a good safety record and have implemented the COR program & policies as the main contractors in the industry recognize this program to be top notch and it keeps us on track.
Q. Has your company been involved in any community projects or charity events?
A. We belong to several local and international organizations and also support our employee’s children’s sports and fund raising ventures.
Q. What is the address of your company’s Web site?
A. www.ListerIndustries.com
