In it for the long haul

Brian and Sharon Weir have a strong partnership, both at home and at work

1 of 2Brian and Sharon Weir own and operate BNW Contracting Ltd., a for-hire trucking company in Golden, B.C. — Photo courtesy Brian Weir

2 of 2Brian and Sharon Weir of Golden, B.C., have been in business together, and married, for 38 years. — Photo courtesy Brian Weir

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Adapt. Diversify. Communicate. Laugh. Brian and Sharon Weir of Golden, B.C., have been partners in life and in business since 1975, and the above four verbs became the cornerstones of their relationship early on. Through the highs and lows of a changing economy and the needs of a growing family, the Weirs have lived by those verbs, and their foundation has remained solid.

Understanding what it takes

“My dad was a trucker,” said Sharon, “so I was already interested and a little bit knowledgeable when we ran our first trucking company (Weir Brothers Heavy Hauling). In 1988, a couple of years after we sold that one, we started BNW Contracting (a for-hire trucking company). Our children were knowledgeable too," Sharon laughed. "When we decided to start BNW, our older daughter asked if that meant we wouldn't have any money anymore!” 

From 1996 to 2005, the Weirs’ work contracts meant that Brian lived in Fort Nelson, B.C., for five months of the year with his six trucks and a crew of 12, while Sharon remained in Golden with their children and kept her finger on the pulse of the business.

“Whenever Brian was away, I had weekly meetings with the manager and bookkeeper,” Sharon said. "Then Brian and I would talk about it, and I would give my opinion. I’ve always been part of the decision making, and that’s made a difference to how I feel about the business—I understand the demands.”

BNW’s fleet includes a variety of trucks to perform different jobs.

“We have logging trucks, and dump trucks for sand and gravel," said Brian. "We do mining load-and-haul contracts when they’re available. For 18 years we had a contract with Mountain Minerals, the silica sand plant here in Golden, but they haven’t been doing much recently because the glass plant in Vernon (B.C.) closed down.”

Family matters

The Weirs' son-in-law, Shaun Svendsen, was brought on board some years ago as operations manager, allowing Brian and his son, Andrew, to set up a new company and run a contract project in Calgary for four years.

“It was a very good fit,” said Brian. “When I sold the Calgary company and came back to Golden full time, Andrew stayed in Calgary—he’d become accustomed to city life, and he liked it. Shaun was doing such a good job here as operations manager for BNW Contracting that I wasn’t about to butt in."

Time to simplify

Through the years Brian has been in partnership in a number of businesses, including Columbia Diesel Ltd., Golden Concrete Ltd. and Fountain Tire in Golden.

“A few years ago we sold off Golden Concrete and amalgamated BNW Contracting and Columbia Diesel Ltd. into one company, Weir Consolidated," Brian said. "I’m still a partner in the Fountain Tire dealership, but we’ve simplified things somewhat.”

Because of the changing economy, even BNW Contracting has been downsized, now employing four or five regular drivers through the winter and up to 10 in the summer.

Though Brian agrees with Sharon that it’s time for them to slow down a little, and he’s enjoying his increased leisure time, he has no desire to retire—ever.