INNISFAIL – With a focus on the future, EQUS broke ground at the location of its new multi-million-dollar corporate headquarters in Innisfail.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on May 24 at the two-and-a-half-acre east-side site along Highway 2A.
“It’s a great day for us,” said Glen Fox, chair of the board for EQUS. “From our humble beginnings we have managed to weather many challenges and we’re looking to the future in bringing great value to our rural members.”
EQUS representatives joined guests and dignitaries for the groundbreaking ceremony, including Innisfail mayor Jim Romane, Red Deer County mayor Jim Wood and Red Deer-Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen. Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Devin Dreeshen was scheduled to attend but was dealing with matters surrounding the High Level wildfires.
Romane said he and council were happy EQUS chose Innisfail as its corporate headquarters, and thanked the company for its continued presence in the community.
“EQUS has played such an important role in helping shape our community,” said Romane. “We couldn’t be prouder to be here with you today to celebrate this momentous occasion. We recognize EQUS as a tremendous community supporter and a champion and steward of Innisfail.
“They chose to stay here so we’re going to work with them as much as we can,” he added.
EQUS provides electrical distribution services for 26 municipal districts and counties across the province, including Red Deer and Mountain View counties.
With construction on the new building now underway, the 19,000-square-foot facility will be energy efficient, will support future micro-generation, and will be more than double the size of EQUS’s current building on the west side of town across from the Innisfail Arena.
It will bring several areas together under one roof.
“All of our executive team will be here, along with our finance leader and all of her team,” said Patricia Bourne, chief executive officer. “It will be in this building and standards will be here. Anything that will support our areas.”
As of 2019 there are about 112 EQUS employees, with 70 of those in Innisfail.
Bourne noted why they chose Innisfail for their first corporate headquarters.
“It’s our roots. The board felt that with the options that we provided to them that Innisfail was the best option for EQUS long term,” said Bourne.
