June 25, 2007

Leadership

Oborowsky to take over reins of steel construction institute

WAIWARD STEEL FABRICATORS LTD.

Waiward Steel fabricated and erected 2 double roll crushing stations, one drive station, and the Dry Surge Conveyors at Suncor's Steepbank Mine site. At the head end of the 340m conveyor an existing crushing station was converted to a material storage hopper by adding curved steel retaining walls.

Yvonne Bendo

correspondent

Donald Oborowsky may be sitting at the helm of one of Canada’s largest steel fabricators, but he hasn’t lost sight of his roots.

And the president and CEO of Edmonton-based Waiward Steel Fabricators Ltd. vows to look out for the “little guy” as he prepares to take over the chairmanship of the executive/governance committee of The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.

He says his two-year term begins on June 7, taking over for present chairman Ian Oulton of RKO Steel Ltd., in Nova Scotia.

Oborowsky’s company has been a member of CISC for about 25 years and he’s served as a board member for more than six years.

“We need to kick it up a notch,” he says. “I want to do a little more of the meat and potatoes, the black and white <0x2026> be a strong voice for the industry,” he says, explaining that will mean “changing our face a little bit.”

Oborowsky says CISC spends “a lot of good time and effort looking after our industry.”

He cites how CISC is on top of building code changes as an example and says that important work will continue. But he wants the organization to take on a “broader range in what we provide to the little guy.”

He says it needs to be more of a resource to them in their day-to-day operations, including insurance, contracts and labour issue needs.

If they have a problem, Oborowsky wants them to be able to call CISC “and say what can we do in this area.”

While the information is available “in bits and pieces,” Oborowsky says, “the little guy is too busy running his business <0x2026> He’s working too hard with his head down.” And he believes CISC can make it easier on them.

Oborowsky’s no stranger to the day-to-day struggles experienced by those running a smaller operation.

He and business partner, Ted Degner founded Waiward in 1972. They had two employees.

Today, their multi-million dollar corporation (www.waiward.com) is one of the largest and most automated steel fabrication facilities in the country, specializing in the oil and gas, pulp and paper and petro chemical industries. And it employs about 800 people.

Boosting membership is another of Oborowsky’s goals as CISC’s new chairman.

He wants it to become “THE organization that those in the industry want to belong to.” He said only about 25 per cent of the country’s fabricators are presently CISC members.

CISC members also include Canadian steel mills and steel service centres. Honorary and associate members include representatives from major foreign steel producers to engineers, architects and contractors.

"CISC spends a lot of good time and effort looking after our industry."

Donald Oborowsky

Wayward Steel

CISC (www.cisc-icca.ca), formed in 1930, is the national industry organizations representing structural steel, open web steel joist and steel platework fabricating industries.

Oborowsky is also co-owner of Waiward Excavators, Hustle Holdings Ltd. and Characters Fine Dining Restaurant.

He’s a board member with a number of Alberta and national organizations including the construction associations, forestry industry suppliers association, chairperson of Human Resources Committee of Canada Construction Association, Ironworkers Safety in the Workplace program, Alberta Construction Association Government Action Committee and Careers in the Next Generation.

Oborowsky is also committed to education and diabetes research.

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