REGINA, Sask – Despite some obvious tariff headwinds, the Saskatchewan government as well as a local trampoline manufacturer are optimistic and looking for growth.
At a media event at the Crazy Ape Extreme Equipment plant in Regina, Minister of Immigration and Career Training Eric Schmalz pointed to the success of that business as well as their sister company, Apex Adventure Park, which uses many of the products made out of the Crazy Ape facility.
Schmalz pointed out that despite the trade challenges with the United States, Crazy Ape “has been able to maintain employment by doubling down in Saskatchewan.”
Schmalz also pointed to good news from the latest labour force survey data released by Statistics Canada, which saw a year-over-year increase in Saskatchewan of 5,900 jobs.
“Growth continues to be driven by the private sector with employment up 25,000 jobs. Key sectors such as manufacturing and construction have also shown strong gains year-over-year with increases of 20 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. This is reflected in Statistics Canada's latest real GDP data showing the province's economy increasing by 3.1 per cent last year, outpacing the national average of 1.9 per cent.”
The optimism was also shared by those at Crazy Ape. Luke Shaheen, CEO and managing partner of Crazy Ape, pointed to the success of the Regina business in the specialized niche market of trampoline manufacturing.
“We're incredibly proud of this team. Earlier this year, they contributed to breaking a world record with the world's longest trampoline and it was made right here in Regina.”
He also pointed to the business having created “the world's most powerful trampoline,” called a hyper trampoline.
In the back of the facility was set up a 10-by-20 hyper trampoline that was hand woven in the shop with Dyneema, a brand-name string which Shaheen described to Schmalz as both “stronger than steel, and lighter than steel”.
This type of trampoline is made for pro-level athletes above the Olympic level and comes with a special warning: “This trampoline may kill you. Professional use only.”
Trade challenges
The media event at Crazy Ape on Friday afternoon, highlighting jobs and tariff resiliency, came just days after the sweeping Democrat victories in the U.S. midterm elections. Those results dealt a major blow to President Donald Trump and his policies, including his steep tariffs against Canada.
When asked how he feels about the tariff situation now that the results of the U.S. midterms are in, Shaheen said “to be honest, we try to stay out of the politics.”
”We know there's always going to be challenges, and whether it's politics today or trade supply issues with raw materials coming in, it's just another day in business. So what matters is what we do, how our team pivots. The world's most powerful trampoline from this shop didn't exist a year ago. This team is pivoting, this team is changing, and this team is growing to new markets.”
Shaheen said the United States is their biggest trading partner and the majority of their products go to the United States.
”That won't change. We're still shipping. There's an order over on the side here going to Arkansas later today. We're going to keep doing that, and we're going to add new markets to that mix.”
As for what materials they use, Shaheen said they use raw materials and virtually all of what is in their warehouse is raw materials, so they are fairly shielded from tariffs that way.
"With that said, we were hit by the tariffs. All of our products were hit by a 50 per cent tariff. That's just part of business. We ultimately had to raise prices to the United States, but if you want the world's most powerful trampoline, we're the only place to get it. So it's not so much about the price. So we're fortunate.”
Shaheen says that they are looking at new markets beyond the U.S. and is encouraging all of their colleagues in industry in Saskatchewan and abroad to do the same.
"We all need to pivot. We all need to expand. We'll keep doing what we're doing. We need to keep doing more at the same time. We're looking at the European market as well as the Australian market. So the European market is nice for us because it's the same season. The Australian market is nice because it's the opposite season. So that helps balance our production capabilities. So with that said, we also service trampoline parks and adventure parks, and that's a year-round business for us. So the products that are going to Arkansas later today, those are actually going to a commercial facility.”
He adds that they don't depend on the government, but are open to programs including ones like the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program.
"We actually had an employee gain permanent residency yesterday through the SINP program. That's a longstanding employee that's been with us for over three years and has been a key employee. In fact, he's going to Minneapolis in two weeks to help install a $50,000 trampoline in Minneapolis, and he's one of the handpicked guys that we're sending down there. So there's some great government programs out there, and they are an addition to our business rather than something we rely on."
The business itself has 13 full-time people at Crazy Ape, in a mix of roles including sales, technicians and designers, project managers, a sewing and warehouse team, as well as installation.
While he did not have specific numbers about the volume of their product output, Shaheen said if it was "not by the truckload, by the partial truckload,” and it is "basically consistent orders going out."
Following history
As for why they are located in Saskatchewan, Shaheen pointed to a long history of trampoline manufacturing in the province, as well as its central location.
”So Saskatchewan actually has a history going back to the 1970s of manufacturing, and it started with farmers in the off-season. So that's a torch that we continue carrying today, and we can't think of anywhere other than Saskatchewan for that to be. We had a team down in Phoenix just last week. Our team was in Winnipeg earlier this week, and like I said, in two weeks we're going to Minneapolis. We're right in the middle of the continent, we're within about two days reach to anywhere in the continent.”
He said they produced a backyard bunk bed trampoline for an influencer in California, and hand delivered that to him in record time.
“It was actually when we finished it on Friday, and he's like ‘I'm going on my honeymoon.’ I believe it was on a Monday, and we got it to him in California. So our position in Saskatchewan allows us that access to markets."
The business is seeking to keep growing although Shaheen shares the concerns of many Saskatchewan businesses about being able to find skilled workers for certain specific roles.
“Sewing is one, it's becoming a lost art. There's less and less people that are sewing. We're always opening the door to our existing staff if they want to learn how to sew. We also have a number of immigrants that have come and started working at Crazy Ape, and we're working with as many as we can to actually get through that sponsorship program to gain permanent residency. Saskatchewan's a great place to call home, and we want to help as many as we can in making that happen."
Skills are sought
Schmalz said finding skilled labour is also a challenge for many other businesses in the province.
”In fact, the last two businesses that I visited in Saskatoon indicated that they were looking for skilled labour to help with their production facilities in that community,” he said.
“What we're doing as part of the Immigration and Career Training Ministry is trying to bring in individuals who will help train up that workforce. We're not looking for necessarily to replace or take the space of employees in Saskatchewan, but some of these are specialized skills and trades that need a skilled hand at the wheel during the ramp-up. What we're doing is we're seeking and assisting some of these businesses and bringing in that skilled labour in order to be able to augment and train local labour to fill that role.”
Schmalz said that as a province they are trying to be "strategic in how we utilize and bring people into the province. We want to make sure that we're them in for the purpose needed within our economy to support the economy."
As for Shaheen and Crazy Ape, he said what brings him the most excitement in the business is the trampoline itself.
"We tailor-make every single trampoline for every single family, and maybe it's just small kids, and those kids don't want to fight against the trampoline. They just want to have fun. We can get those kids in the air, and that's something this team gets to do every single day.”
