A hundred years with Penner, a hundred more
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This article was published 17/06/2023 (682 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
After a century of business in Steinbach, Penner International will be moving locations within the next two years.
The current terminal at the corner of Highway 12 and Millwork Drive is too small to allow for the growth the company, bought by Quebec-based company C.A.T. North America in 2020.
The new location is set to be built off Northgate Drive behind Integrity Ventures.
“We don’t have a set of lights where we come in and out of, so our trucks are always cutting off traffic,” said Tom Van Dam, Penner International general manager. “It’s not safe to get in and out in the heart of Steinbach.”
Van Dam said long combination vehicles with two trailers cannot get into the yard at the current location. Drivers have to disconnect the trailers at Co-op or the nearby service road and bring them in individually.
The new terminal will sit on 25 acres of land compared to the old lot size of 17 acres. Van Dam said there is the option to purchase and develop an additional 50 acres of land in the future.
Currently, the company operates 300 trucks but is looking to bring that number to 400 and increase their customer base.
The new location will include better onsite laundry services, showers and rest areas for employees. Van Dam said the current building would need a lot of renovations to bring it back up to code with changing technology and that it’s time to move.
“The trucking industry has changed over the last 10 years. It’s more and more driver focused,” he said. “This new facility will allow us to meet the needs of our drivers.”
Van Dam was unsure of the cost of the building’s construction as designs are still unfinished and an environmental impact study and the building of a service road need to be completed before ground can be broken. Once given the go ahead, construction is estimated to take 18 months.
Daniel Goyette, C.A.T. president, made the announcement during Penner International’s 100th anniversary celebrations June 8.
“We’re proud to be part of the celebration. We’re happy to be part of this community,” Goyette said. “We’re here to stay.”
Allan Penner, former owner of Penner International, is excited to watch the company’s progress from the outside roughly a year after stepping down.
“Having grown with the company over all of these years, we don’t always recognize how big we are getting,” Penner said.
“There’s still a deep-rooted connection here and C.A.T. group is looking to continue that,” said Van Dam. “We’re going to continue to support the community, we’re going to continue to grow with the community and we’re going to be here hopefully for another hundred years.”