AGI Saskatoon Celebrates a 10-Year Safety Milestone in No Lost Time Incidents

WINNIPEG, Manitoba--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ag Growth International (“AGI”) celebrated an outstanding safety milestone at its Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, manufacturing facility with a ten-year no lost time incidence record. AGI marked the achievement with a special event and awards ceremony honoring the facility’s employees.

“I commend the AGI Saskatoon team for achieving an incredible safety milestone of ten years with no lost time incidents. Their achievement demonstrates that safety, as a guiding principle, is deeply ingrained in our work culture,” says Paul Householder, AGI President & CEO. “They embody AGI’s highest global priority that every employee – regardless of where they work or the type of environment they work in – returns home at the end of each day in the exact same working condition in which they arrived."

A lost time incident (LTI) refers to a non-fatal injury that results in disability or an employee missing work due to an injury. An LTI measurement is a baseline representation of a company's safety performance and the effects of those injuries on workforce productivity.

Kris Wingert, AGI Saskatoon Operations Manager, says it was a very special moment earlier this May when the team surpassed two million hours incident free. “This achievement entirely belongs to the team’s absolute dedication to safety leadership at all levels. Their ‘winning ticket’ includes vigilance, prevention and education. They are continuously on the lookout to identify, report and fix potentially unsafe conditions and processes. That allows them to avoid hazards and near misses before someone gets hurt,” says Wingert.

The plant, which was commissioned by Westeel in 1989, produces engineered-to-order smooth wall grain and fertilizer bins for both farm and commercial agricultural use. The ISO 9001:2015 certified facility also specializes in custom welding services provided to other AGI facilities.

“The skillset required is not robotic, but hands on. This means that multiple machines moving, lifting and transporting can create opportunities for things to go wrong. That is why having tight processes in place and maintaining a culture of ongoing education, welding certifications, and employees looking out for each other are crucial to safety,” says Wingert.

According to Harsha Bhojraj, AGI Vice President of Manufacturing, the Saskatoon facility is the “perfect example” of AGI’s safety vision in action.

“The AGI Saskatoon team has shown that it is possible to adjust and be safe every single day for ten years straight regardless of changing conditions -- through upturns and downturns, across day and night shifts, from summer to winter, and with new and experienced associates. Their record raises the bar for what safety excellence at AGI means,” says Bhojraj.

The Saskatoon facility is the second AGI facility to achieve 10-year no lost time status. In 2023, AGI Olds, Alberta was the first to secure the decade distinction. To learn more about AGI and its global mission and commitment to safety, visit www.aggrowth.com

AGI Company Profile

AGI is a provider of the equipment and solutions required to support the efficient storage, transport, and processing of food globally. AGI has manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Brazil, India, France, and Italy and distributes its product worldwide.