As Canada approaches the two-year mark of their trade war with the United States, the Government of Saskatchewan is touting a story of resilience. In the past four years, trampoline company Crazy Ape Extreme Equipment has seen a jump in their business. “This team has actually been very busy. We’re bursting at the seams,” said CEO Luke Shaheen. “We’re looking for areas to expand because we can’t keep up with the growth.” Despite the ongoing trade war, they’ve continued to see the light at the end of the tunnel, expanding to a bigger facility and more than tripling their workforce. The company has increased from a location of 2,500 square feet to a location of 10,000 square feet. They started out with four workers, which increased to 13. Notably, the company is home to the world’s longest trampoline and the world’s most powerful trampoline that were both made in Regina. The company has been hit with 50 per cent tariffs during the trade war. “Although the United States is our biggest trading partner and the majority of our products go to the United States - that won’t change, we’re still shipping.” said Shaheen, right beside a load that was ready to be sent off to Arkansas. “We are putting out products, if not by the truckload, by the partial truckload,” Shaheen said. “It’s basically consistent orders going out, or a lot of those are now hand delivered where we actually send installers right down and we don’t even ship it.” “We’re reaching out to schools and community organizations to try and get youth interested in some of the sectors that are in high demand in the province,” said Eric Schmalz, Saskatchewan’s minister of government relations and minister of immigration. Released by Statistics Canada through their labour force survey data, the province has seen an increase of 5,900 jobs since last year and that growth continues to be driven by the private sector, with employment of up to 25,000 jobs. Shaheen said Crazy Ape Extreme Equipment has been looking to ship to international markets in recent years and sees opportunities in European countries in the near future. Australia was also mentioned. “This trade challenge is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to pivot. and that’s what we’re doing,” he said. “Previously we had groups in the United Arab Emirates asking for our trampolines and we didn’t take those opportunities. Now, we are” The Government of Saskatchewan says the latest GDP data for Stats Canada have the province’s economy up 3.1 per cent from last year, outpacing the national average of 1.9 per cent.
