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SLS aims to hire local; build family atmosphere

Spray Lake Sawmills (SLS) has fostered a corporate culture that could best be likened to an extended family, stemming from strong Christian principles and a deep connect with the Cochrane community they have called home for 70 years.

Spray Lake Sawmills (SLS) has fostered a corporate culture that could best be likened to an extended family, stemming from strong Christian principles and a deep connect with the Cochrane community they have called home for 70 years.

Gil Ilk has spent nearly 40 years on the SLS team. As a fleet manager/purchaser/log haul coordinator, Ilk said he has never seen any reason to leave the Cochrane enterprise.

“Where in the world could you go to find a better place to work?” remarked Ilk, who moved to Cochrane in 1980. “I love the ownership, the community and the industry. What more could you ask for where the company gives you the tools, training and challenges and you actually have fun doing it?”

With safety at the top of the priority list, Ilk said the corporate climate is based on treating one another with respect and dignity.

This mentality carries over into the competitive compensation packages that SLS offers employees. Howard Pruden, SLS safety and human resources coordinator, said hiring and supporting local is a strong part of the corporate mandate.

“Our focus on hiring is to try and find the best people possible to fit our team and the culture we have here, and truly we have 200 of the very best employees in Alberta. We are not selective in hiring just local, but it is a factor. Certainly many employees have relocated here once they have been hired and once they see how great a community Cochrane is. Currently 70 per cent of our employees live in Cochrane.”

Pruden said the commitment to producing top quality products is another factor that pushes morale and drives the SLS team to succeed.

“The expectations of delivering top quality products and running our manufacturing systems for peak output creates a positive stress that drives us all to be the best we can be. When our teams go home at the end of their day, everyone has a sense of pride that they worked hard and delivered on their job.”

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