JA Tech Inc.

Continued Growth Alongside Saskatchewan’s Potash Boom

This Saskatoon Electrical Specialist Keeps Pace with the Province’s Mining Expansion and Prepares for its Nuclear Future.

In a province that produces one-third of the world’s potash and holds similarly dominant uranium reserves, the companies that keep the lights on in Saskatchewan’s mines carry an outsized responsibility. JA Tech Inc., based in Saskatoon, has built its reputation on exactly that mandate since 2003, when it was founded as a husband-and-wife operation focused on testing and commissioning high voltage electrical systems. The company has continued growing into a 70-person operation serving mining, industrial, and utility sectors across the province.

What began as a modest venture expanded significantly around 2007, when Saskatchewan’s potash industry entered a major growth phase. As a Certified Indigenous Business with the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, JA Tech identifies itself as “The Power System Specialists,” delivering field services, technical expertise, and construction capabilities for electrical infrastructure that forms the backbone of industrial operations. The company’s work includes partial discharge testing, transformer maintenance, motor control center replacements, breaker servicing, and relay upgrades.

“JA Tech is a provider of field, technical and engineering services and products for most equipment and apparatus which form an electrical power system,” explains Greg Bolen, Director of Construction Services. The company maintains COR certification and active memberships in ISNetworld, ComplyWorks, Avetta, and CanQual, focusing on safety and quality standards. JA Tech also holds memberships in the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association and the Indigenous Manufacturing and Contracting Network.

Unpacking A Year of Growth and Complexity

The company completed a substantial volume of work in 2025, with technical representatives supporting maintenance and capital projects throughout Saskatchewan. “Our Technical Representatives supported a wide range of maintenance and capital projects throughout the province,” Dawson Nordick, Business Development Associate, reports. “The primary objective for many of these initiatives was to extend the operational life of our clients’ existing electrical infrastructure.”

The year brought familiar industry headaches. Extended lead times for critical components tested project schedules, while tight timelines remained constant across the sector. Material delays affected suppliers industry-wide, and expanding the workforce proved increasingly difficult. Saskatchewan’s mining sector faces a projected shortage of 15,000 workers over the next decade, with labor demand expected to climb from 11,000 workers in 2023 to nearly 15,000 by 2034.

“Additionally, expanding our workforce to maintain these timelines has become increasingly challenging due to the growing talent gaps across our specialized sector,” Nordick notes. Bolen credits the company’s response to these obstacles to its talent pool. “Our Project Coordinators and Project Managers engage in ongoing communication with suppliers, ensuring we continually meet client deadlines,” he says. “The presence of numerous long-term employees enables us to foster strong, trust-based relationships with both suppliers and clients, consistently delivering exceptional service.”

The company’s approach to maintaining alignment relies on accessible mentorship in both field and office settings. “This leadership structure, combined with direct collaboration among experienced leaders and team members, enables strong communication and ensures that all priorities are understood and addressed,” Bolen adds.

Inside the 25kV Upgrade Project

The challenge facing large-scale underground mining operations is straightforward but consequential. As mines go deeper and farther from their power sources, the existing electrical distribution systems struggle to maintain adequate voltage and capacity. Jason Dierker, Director of Technical Services, explains the theory behind the problem. “As these large-scale mining operations expand underground, they mine farther from the power source. In doing so this can cause issues with the underground electrical infrastructure that is far away from the source.”

For one of Saskatchewan’s potash operations, the solution required upgrading the underground distribution voltage from 15kV to 25kV. Most potash mines in the province operate underground systems at 15kV, but voltage drop becomes problematic as operations move further from power sources.

“Increasing supply voltage levels improves the overall electrical system performance by reducing power losses and improving voltage stability,” Dierker says. JA Tech’s role is centered on constructing and commissioning the new 25kV surface substation to supply power to the underground network.

The scope fell within the company’s technical capabilities, covering motor control centers, transformers, high and medium voltage switchgear, and associated cabling. “However, the unique challenge in this case was that all these elements were integrated into a single, large-scale, long-term project with a wide variety of tradespeople and suppliers all integrating with JA Tech’s project scope,” Dierker notes.

Coordinating multiple vendors, each responsible for separate design scopes, required detailed planning and constant communication. JA Tech managed the integration of various designs into a functioning electrical system while maintaining commissioning standards, system integrity, and safety protocols throughout.

“Our Technical Team has spent thousands of hours upholding the highest quality standards, ensuring that every detail was completed to the client’s satisfaction,” Nordick says. “In addition, our office staff spent countless late nights ensuring that the field staff had the proper support to keep this project on schedule and budget.”

As the work approaches final turnover documentation, Dierker emphasizes the client relationship that enabled the outcome. “The success of this project is a direct result of strong collaboration, clear communication, and mutual trust between JA Tech and our client,” he says. “We are especially grateful for our client’s leadership, support, and confidence in our team throughout the project. Their proactive engagement and willingness to work closely with us helped ensure that challenges were addressed efficiently and milestones were achieved on schedule.”

Building Strength Through People

JA Tech maintains a core workforce of 70 professionals representing diverse technical disciplines. “Our field team includes Electrical Engineers, Electrical Engineering Technologists, Electricians, Instrumentation Engineering Technologists, and Instrumentation Journeypersons, among others,” Bolen reports. Supporting the field operations is office staff covering safety, management, administration, and finance functions. The company maintains stable employment with continuous growth patterns, resulting in a significant number of long-term employees who have been with the organization for over a decade.

In Saskatchewan’s competitive labor market, where the average mining salary exceeds $113,000 annually and demand for skilled workers continues to climb, retention and development strategies carry weight. “In today’s competitive market, it is essential for us to remain on par with industry, particularly regarding compensation packages,” Dierker says. The company provides comprehensive benefits designed to offer flexibility and robust coverage, alongside consistent internal training and ongoing career development opportunities.

Internal promotion forms the backbone of JA Tech’s advancement structure. “Our approach to internal advancement begins in the field where employees gain valuable hands-on experience in daily operations,” Dierker explains. “As individuals accumulate substantial industry-specific knowledge over time, we consider them for promotion to Foreman, and subsequently General Foreman for major projects.”

From there, candidates move into estimation, coordination, and project management roles. The company supports professional growth through supervisor training and courses, eventually assisting employees as they pursue their Project Management Professional designation or other relevant credentials.

Nordick highlights the personal dimension that distinguishes the workplace culture. “At JA Tech, our owners spend significant amounts of time on site at various projects. This allows them to get to know the employees on a more personal level and build those long-term relationships,” he says. “By starting a career with us you will get to know all levels of the organization and never be just another number.”

JA Tech hosts employer-sponsored social events to strengthen connections among employees and their families, building workplace relationships and supporting overall employee well-being. In an industry facing a projected need for 15,000 new workers across Saskatchewan’s mining sector by 2034, these retention practices serve practical purposes. “We pride ourselves on operating our company with a personal touch,” Nordick adds.

Saskatchewan’s Nuclear Future and Emerging Opportunities

Saskatchewan’s energy landscape is at a potential inflection point. SaskPower is in an eight-year planning phase for small modular reactors, with a final investment decision expected in 2029 and potential deployment by the mid-2030s. The province has selected GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 technology and identified two potential sites near Estevan for detailed analysis. “A significant topic currently under discussion in Saskatchewan is the ongoing research into establishing a Nuclear Power Plant within the province,” Nordick says.

“If realized, this would be the first facility of its kind in Saskatchewan, prompting numerous inquiries from local suppliers regarding the necessary certifications to participate in such a project.”

For electrical service providers, the prospect indicates substantial provincial investment. Saskatchewan exported $2.8 billion worth of uranium in 2024, and the province holds one-third of the world’s uranium reserves. “This is exciting news for electrical service providers such as ourselves because that means additional investment is coming to the province,” Nordick notes. “By having this additional investment, it will allow us to further be involved with new and exciting projects that will keep the lights on for generations to come.”

JA Tech tracks emerging markets through its various memberships. “Through our memberships in the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Suppliers Association and the Indigenous Manufacturing and Contracting Network, we access firsthand insights during their hosted events,” Nordick says. The company plans to expand its specialized service offerings and engage highly trained personnel to align with client needs and industry developments.

What Sets JA Tech Apart

“Our foremost priority is delivering exceptional customer service,” Bolen says. “At JA Tech, we adhere to our core values of Integrity, Quality, and Commitment in every aspect of our operations.” The company maintains transparency throughout its processes, from pricing and scheduling to lead times, ensuring customers remain informed and confident about receiving high-quality products at every stage.

Bolen frames each client engagement as more than a standalone transaction. “JA Tech distinguishes itself within the industry through unwavering dedication to our clients,” he says. “Each engagement is seen not merely as a project, but as the beginning of a lasting relationship.” The company provides comprehensive support for equipment lifecycles, assuring customers they can rely on consistent, high-quality service regardless of whether the work involves minor upgrades or major expansions.

Client relationships built over decades give JA Tech particular advantages. “Many clients choose JA Tech for their projects due to the enduring relationships nurtured over time,” Nordick says. “Our team includes numerous long-serving employees who possess in-depth knowledge of client requirements, developed through decades of direct collaboration and proven commitment.” With deep knowledge of electrical infrastructure and client operations accumulated since the company’s founding in 2003, JA Tech are specialists in a province where electrical reliability underpins billions of dollars in mining operations annually.

As Saskatchewan’s mining sector continues record production levels and prepares for potential nuclear development, the demand for specialized electrical services shows no signs of slowing. For a company that grew alongside the province’s potash boom, the next chapter promises a similar opportunity.

AT A GLANCE

Who: JA Tech Inc.

What: Electrical power system specialists providing field services, technical expertise, and construction capabilities for mining, industrial, and utility sectors

Where: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Website: www.jatechpowersystems.com