HUMBOLDT 鈥� In order to reach a better financial position, the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) passed a strategic plan to focus exclusively on agriculture, mining and transportation.
鈥淭hose industries fit really well with our skill sets and also our test equipment in Humboldt and Portage [la Prairie, Man.],鈥� Leah Olson, PAMI鈥檚 CEO and president said.
鈥淲ith our strategic plan, [we] have put a solid focus in place to let our team know not to pursue."
PAMI has been in a rough financial position, with multiple years of consecutive deficits.
The organization works on research, development, testing, and design in agriculture and other fields. In the past, they have secured clients in both the forestry industry and the military.
Olson first took the lead of PAMI in April 2020.
鈥淲hen I came onboard I had a good transition with the former CEO Dave Gullacher. They had done some work on the strategic plan, I was kind of concerned it was too broad so what we did is we refined it so PAMI would focus on three industries and three industries alone.鈥�
Olson said that in practice this affects what trade shows they attend and what clients to reach out to.
鈥淲e are doing changes to how we do business to ensure we have a stronger financial footing, but with a stronger balance sheet it gives us a stronger leeway to be able to make the necessary changes,鈥� Olson said.
鈥淲ith the focus of the strategic plan and the revenue opportunities that it provides, the whole picture is much better than when it was when I went onboard.鈥�
In January, Saskatchewan鈥檚 agriculture minister David Marit selected a new board for PAMI.
New members to the board include Kendra Mueller, a senior relationship manager for Farm Credit Canada; Grant Adolph, the chief operating officer at Buhler Industries; Gene Fraser, the vice president of business development at MacDon Industries; and Carmen Sterling, an owner with Shady Lane Farms Inc.
鈥淲e worked with the Minister鈥檚 office and with the government because PAMI was, and remains, in a financially turn-around position,鈥� Olson said.
鈥淲hen we looked at the board it was a good board for sure, but given we are restructuring the organization we requested the board be expanded and have industry representation on it.鈥�
Returning to the board is Gunter Jochum, president with Blue Diamond Farms Ltd.; Jonathan Gruel, an executive director of policy with the Government of Saskatchewan; and Jared Nelson, a general manager with Nelsons Roxboro Farm.
PAMI has also completed the acquisition of the assets and liabilities of WESTEST (Western Canada Testing), a sister organization whose board in November 2020 decided to dissolve. No jobs are expected to be lost as a result.
鈥淕iven the two organizations, what the boards of both WESTEST and PAMI realized is that if we can have one voice for the testing, that's better,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 definitely an outcome that has helped PAMI鈥檚 balance sheet, and so our future is much stronger with that decision by the board.鈥�
