Tri-Kon Precast is a family-owned business that is currently in its third generation. Founded in 1972, the company has three owners – Chris Kostiuk and his two brothers, Todd, and Tyler. Serving throughout British Columbia and Alberta, the company is now located in East Kootenay City, Cranbrook. Over the past 40 years it has grown to become the number one manufacturer and supplier of precast concrete products in the city.
Its long and rich history goes back three generations of the Kostiuk family. It was originally founded by Chris’ grandfather in 1972 who, at the time, had been working in construction on underground products. As Chris explains, these formative experiences led to the natural progression of the business. “He started building his own septic products and manholes to install them himself and then it just grew from there”. In fact, according to Chris, one of the reasons for its longevity and ongoing success is down to the fact that the company is family-owned. As it is a family business, he says, “everything is riding on it” – the success of the company is paramount, even more so in some regards than it would be if it wasn’t family-owned. “You’ve got to do it to survive,” he adds.
However, in the tumultuous landscape of the construction industry, heritage can only take you so far. With this in mind, Tri-Kon Precast is constantly adapting its product range and diversifying its offerings to the market. Alongside many others, the team manufactures a large variety of products including catch basins, concrete barriers, box culverts, concrete vaults and structures, headwalls, manholes, bridge products and lamp bases. This diversity, according to Chris, is an invaluable tool in navigating the ever-challenging market conditions. He explained: “We do precast concrete products ranging in different products from underground products to highway products, to basically anything that a customer requires.”
As a result of this innovation and flexibility, Tri-Kon Precast has experienced steady growth throughout its four decades of business. In addition to diversifying into a widening range of products, however, the company can also point to a couple of other attributing factors. For instance, being certified by a range of companies has ensured that Tri-Kon Precast has become an established name throughout the industry. Chris explained, “It helps us going forward – a lot of contracts, you’ve got to be certified and we have our own aggregate pit which helps with this. I think the growing market of the precast is helping as well.”
Another element, and one which Chris is quick to point to, is its membership of the Canadian Concrete Pipe & Precast Association. Tri-Kon Precast has been a member of the CCPPA for a number of years and according to Chris and the team, this relationship has had multiple benefits in terms of developing partnerships and improving its own knowledge base. Speaking about being a part of the CCPPA, he said, “It’s good to be a part of the association. It helps us build a better product because they have high standards, and our customers appreciate that.”
“Tri-Kon Precast is constantly adapting its product range and diversifying its offerings to the market.”
Having said that, growth can all too easily become a double-edged sword. While success and increased profitability is largely a positive thing, it can lead to diminishing quality and standards. However, Tri-Kon Precast has not fallen into this trap and it retains an unyielding commitment to customer satisfaction. This priority ensures that its “small town family value” system remains an integral aspect of the service it provides. Similarly, this value system covers the whole Tri-Kon family. As with any other family, safety and wellbeing are of huge importance. The need for safety is an omni-present feature of its work. While this can a challenge that can grow steadily more difficult as the company experiences ongoing success, it is not something the company is willing to sacrifice. According to Chris, customer and employee safety comes first, with his team priding themselves on its commitment to safety in the workplace.
High standards and a commitment to excellence have led to Tri-Kon building an enviable portfolio of successful projects in its time. Of note, the team replaced a culvert in Boom Creek for Parks Canada to allow for a river crossing. The project consisted of a box culvert measuring 4.2 meters wide by 3.0 meters tall, with the team also building all the wing walls. In another project for Parks Canada, Tri-Kon Precast built an animal underpass at Lake Louise, to allow moose and elk to walk through. This project measured 3.6 meters by 2.44 meters. Meanwhile, in a project for Teck Coal, the company put a box culvert on top of a conveyor system. As Chris explained, this intricate design allowed the company to build a road over the structure which enabled it to convey coal “from certain places in the pit back to the processing plant,” He added that this was an innovative element that is set to further expand. “This is the start of many, many bridges they are going to put in across their conveyor belts.”
In 2023, the company had a “great” year. Growth, successful projects, and happy customers all attributing to this outlook. While the industry is perhaps on the cusp of a downturn, Chris is anticipating a slight slowing of the market. However, this cautious outlook is buoyed by the company’s ability to adapt to the variances of the industry at a moment’s notice. He said: “The outlook for 2024 – not sure yet. 2023 was great, so I’m assuming 2024 won’t be as good just with the economy starting to slow down. But we’re diversifying into every different product, so we can survive. We might do a lot more bridge work this coming year coming, or highway work and highway barriers, perhaps. Whatever we need to do, we will. We can find the work to get it done.”
While external factors may be outside the company’s control, Tri-Kon has exciting plans to expand its footprint further. The company is looking forward to maintaining its upward trajectory with a plant expansion on the books next. Chris said: “We’re going to just keep the growth going and keep as many people employed as possible. That is hugely important to this company; keeping local people working with a good wage.”
The new plant is currently being approved and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. With this additional space allowing the company to “handle bigger products such as large bridge products,” it seems that the future is bright for Tri-Kon. With heritage and experience coupled with expertise and a customer focused outlook, it would be no surprise for the company to stick around for another forty years or more.
