A modern Sullivan for Kimberley

Sullivan Machine Works, owned by Kimberley-born Noah Wesche and Aaron Christensen, may soon have a home in Kimberley

by Marie Milner — November 06, 2017

(L to R) Aaron Christensen and Noah Wesche are the owner-operators of Sullivan Machine Works. — Photo courtesy Sullivan Machine Works

Excitement is growing in the Kootenays about the possibility of a successful advanced technology company bringing its operations to Kimberley. That company, Sullivan Machine Works, is owned and operated by two of Kimberley’s native sons and named for the mine that sustained Kimberley for 100 years.

The owners of Sullivan Machine Works, Noah Wesche and Aaron Christensen, were born and raised in Kimberley. Business opportunities took them to Calgary, where they opened a sophisticated advanced manufacturing centre that develops precision parts for the aeronautics, defence, petroleum and other industries. Now, with their business outgrowing its base, the partners are planning an expansion and want to bring more employment and business diversity to their home community.

The Sullivan partners want their company’s expansion to be a source of economic support and a model of an environmentally responsible, sustainable industrial company that others will emulate.

Attending to all the details

Wesche still makes his home in Kimberley, where thanks to the Internet, he can meet most of his Sullivan Machine Works responsibilities. On October 22, 2017, he added a post to the company’s Facebook page, in which he detailed statistics verifying that Sullivan’s manufacturing processes are environmentally compatible and safe for workers, and do not create noise pollution. The company has policies and systems in place that pay strict attention to details affecting the environment, down to the composting of employee lunch waste.

Referring to the hoped-for expansion in Kimberley, Wesche said, “The architecture has to be beautiful. There’s a direct correlation between the beauty of the architecture and the profitability of a business. We are seeing more and more of this in modern manufacturing facilities—they’re absolutely stunning. The architecture must be a complement to the landscape.”

Modern manufacturing has come a long way from the industrial landscapes of the early Sullivan era, thanks to responsible and invested visionaries.