EMERALD PARK, Saskatchewan — June 20, 2017 — Cratex Industries Ltd.,Western Canada’s largest packaging and crating company, today celebrated the official grand opening of its new facility at 9 Great Plains Industrial Drive, Emerald Park, Saskatchewan. The site was formerly the home of Balgonie Pallet & Crate Ltd., which Cratex purchased in February of this year.

“Putting down roots here represents a significant investment for us, not just in Emerald Park but in Saskatchewan in general,” said Jeff Loesch, vice-president, Cratex Industries Ltd. “We are committed to the region and believe we can fill a void in the provision of intricate, complex, and oversized packaging and crating expertise. Our customer-first mindset has earned us the trust of some of Canada’s largest firms and spurred us to develop unique capabilities. Over the years we have been sought out to package everything from a highly delicate dinosaur fossil to an immense and bulky C-130 cargo plane. We are thrilled to officially open in Emerald Park and eager to demonstrate how Cratex can benefit businesses of all types, in all sectors.”

Local Cratex employees and customers, and senior executives from Cratex and its parent company Manitoulin Group of Companies attended the event. Guests of honour included Hon. Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan minister of the economy; Mitchell Huber, reeve, RM Edenwold 158; and Hon. Christine Tell, member of legislative assembly, Regina Wascana Plains.

“A key advantage of trusting your business to Cratex Industries is its membership of Manitoulin Group of Companies,” said Don Goodwill, president, Manitoulin Group of Companies. “Each Manitoulin company is an expert in its field and together they provide the full suite of transportation and logistics services and a global reach. This affords businesses a convenient one-stop-shop for all their transportation and logistics needs which gives them a competitive edge and reduces the risk of damage, loss, and error that can arise with engaging numerous, unconnected organizations to get the job done.”

“In recent years, Manitoulin has been investing heavily in Saskatchewan and Western Canada via numerous acquisitions and new terminals,” said Minister Harrison. “They recognize the business opportunities that our province presents and, as our economy begins to recover from low resource prices, the increasing need for the type of services Cratex Industries and Manitoulin provide. I extend a warm Saskatchewan welcome to Cratex and wish them continued success.”

“We welcome Cratex Industries into our community and commend the decision to invest here,” said Reeve Huber. “Businesses depend on reliable service providers such as Cratex to help them grow and succeed. We wish Cratex great success in their venture and their contribution to the local economy.”

“Businesses in the region can feel confident that they have a capable partner in Cratex that can also facilitate easy access to a reliable, full-service transportation and logistics provider that can help them reach distant markets,” said Loesch. “Cratex has the people, skills, solutions and experience necessary to securely package or crate virtually anything to get it safely across town, across the country, or around the world.”