Blurring the lines

Being an invaluable partner in the success of their clients – this is something every rental business strives for.

But the owners of North Fringe Industrial Technologies in Saskatchewan have taken this concept to an unprecedented level, ensuring their own booming success along the way. 

Founder Brett Cain and his wife Raelene saw very early on that if they provided outstanding support for their clients (across various sectors, but especially oil/gas and mining), they would become the go-to source for sales and rentals. 

“We chose to focus on equipment that other rental firm didn’t and still don’t, like high-performance pumps that handle extreme pressure, lift and volume demands,” Brett explains. “And we provide this equipment with expert guidance and service, in flexible ways so that our customers are using exactly what they need, and on terms that work best for them.” 

North Fringe also stands apart in another unique way. As supply chain diversity became increasingly important, Raelene became the majority owner with a 51 per cent stake — a move that not only strengthened the company’s position but also reinforced the Cains’ commitment to fostering diversity in heavy industrial sectors. 

With all this in place, it’s no surprise that over time, the Cains have grown North Fringe extensively. They now have operations in two other provinces but deliver equipment across the country, and have expanded into municipal water/wastewater, power generation, manufacturing, forestry and agriculture. North Fringe employees number up to 60, depending on the time of year.

North Fringe Industrial Technologies is headquartered in Nipawin, about 100 kilometres east of Prince Albert and 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Photo: Delaina de Champlain

Recognizing needs

North Fringe (headquartered in Nipawin, about 100 kilometres east of Prince Albert and 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon) started up in 2005 with its first sale of pumps to a mining operation. Similar sales were the early bread and butter. 

“There was and still is, ongoing demand for reliable and efficient pumping systems within the mining sector – high-head, high-pressure and large submersible systems,” says Brett. “However, over time, we realized many of our customers needed more than just to buy a pump. They needed flexible rental solutions to address temporary needs, emergency replacements and project-based demands.” 

By 2010, North Fringe had began filling that gap with its new rental division. 

But it was a move the Cains executed with exacting care. 

“The large rental firms dominated the industry, but we could see they were mostly offering one-size-fits-all solutions that didn’t meet specialized industrial needs,” Brett explains. “So, rather than trying to compete on a volume basis with the standard, off-the-shelf pumps, we took a different approach and offered high-performance, hard-to-source pieces of equipment. These are the only options you can use in many of the industrial applications.” 

The Cains also recognized they could stand out in other ways. Most rental companies just dropped off pumps and picked them up, but North Fringe would go well beyond. 

“We positioned our business as a solutions provider rather than just a rental house,” says Raelene. “We also offered complete flexibility. Whatever our clients needed, we would deliver.”

If clients wanted to buy a new high-performance pump, North Fringe offered expert support in helping choose the right one for the job. The Cains also went the extra mile with sales and rentals, ensuring the pump brought to site had the right setup, performance metrics and ongoing support to maximize efficiency and uptime. If rental clients needed a change in their contract, no problem. Customers could also try out a pump or other piece of equipment through rental first and then buy it. And anytime along the way when service was required, North Fringe was just a call away, with some of the best in-house diagnostics, repair and testing capabilities in the business. 

North Fringe, therefore carved out a niche that larger rental firms couldn’t hope to fill and offered supporting equipment options as well. 

“Mining companies rely heavily on high-head and high-pressure pumps for dewatering operations, and they also need generators and light towers to keep sites operational around the clock,” Brett explains. “Oil and gas operations frequently rent diesel-fired heaters, evaporators and hose and fitting assemblies to support production and field operations. Municipal water and wastewater facilities depend on submersible pumps and filtration skids for system maintenance, while construction projects utilize generators, light towers, and pump systems for site preparation and drainage.” 

And what happens when there’s no existing solution to an industry problem that North Fringe can offer? In that case, North Fringe creates the solution itself.  

For example, to meet the growing demand for efficient and reliable filtration solutions in fracking water transfer operations, the North Fringe team developed the dual pod filter trailer. 

“Many companies opt to rent these units for short-term projects, seasonal operations or to supplement their existing fleet,” says Brett. “Others choose to purchase them outright as a long-term investment. Alberta is the primary market for these units due to its strong oil and gas industry, but we also rent and sell them in several other resource-heavy regions across Canada.”

North Fringe began in 2005 with its first sale of pumps to a mining operation. Photo: Delaina de Champlain
Photo: North Fringe

Expansion

As mentioned, the rental division was established at North Fringe in 2010. But that year, the Cains also decided to make another major move. Brett saw the time was right to sell a separate company and use that capital to launch a division in Alberta with partner Ashley Dobson. The decision was a wise one. North Fringe’s Alberta branch quickly gained traction, with customers providing repeat business from the start and the company’s reputation in Saskatchewan preceding it. 

With that in place, planning began for the next big move. Partnering with Kevin Butler, North Fringe set its sights on Atlantic Canada, where industrial sectors are fairly concentrated over a small area. By 2015, they’d launched a division in Nova Scotia to serve municipal, mining, marine, and other industrial clients across the Maritimes. 

“There were interesting new challenges, including marketing, and managing logistics and inventory to ensure fast, reliable equipment delivery across a wide area,” says Brett. “We weren’t known there, and we had to navigate regional market needs, which are distinct from those in Western Canada.” 

North Fringe addressed these challenges head-on by reinforcing its core principles: being flexible, customer-driven, and solution-oriented. The Cains wisely invested in local expertise, hiring professionals who understood the region’s industries and could provide hands-on support.

Now, as the Atlantic Division celebrates its 10th anniversary, its success has exceeded expectations. 

“We knew there was opportunity in the region, but the growth has been remarkable,” says Butler. “We’ve built strong relationships with industrial clients across the Maritimes, and our team has done an incredible job delivering the same level of specialized service and reliability that North Fringe is known for across Canada.”

North Fringe has clients across a variety of sectors, including oil/gas and mining. Photo: Eric Stromme
Photo: North Fringe

Future plans

North Fringe shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to expand its rental fleet with specialized solutions that meet the evolving needs of its target industries. At the same time, Brett acknowledges the challenge of keeping up with growing demand for specialized equipment. Managing inventory choices and balancing availability across different regions requires careful planning and strategic decision-making.

Geographic expansion is also in the cards. While Alberta remains its largest rental market, the Cains believe there are many under-served regions where North Fringe can make inroads, just as it has done several times before. 

“We also want to further enhance customer service and support,” says Raelene. “We’re investing in streamlining logistics and improving response times to make sure our customers receive quick and efficient equipment delivery and setup.” 

And while it’s not easy for any business in Canada these days to find and retain additional skilled field technicians and tradespeople, North Fringe will meet this challenge with competitive salaries, opportunities for advancement where possible and other benefits to ensure its team continues to grow. 

Reflections to take forward

Of all the many lessons learned over the years, Brett points to the need for a big emphasis on flexibility, not just in rental agreements but in the big inventory picture. 

“The rental market is constantly shifting based on industry needs, economic conditions and customer expectations,” he says. “Being able to pivot, expand and refine our rental fleet has been incredibly important. North Fringe will continue to focus on the specialized, hard-to-find equipment that others don’t carry, and on the expert service that our customers know they can rely on.” 

Regarding the bigger journey, Raelene reflects that their greatest source of pride is seeing where the company is today compared to where it started. 

“From a small operation with a single contract to a nationwide provider of rental solutions, it’s incredibly satisfying to have achieved this growth,” she says. “But we know that success doesn’t happen alone—we are only as strong as our people. Our team’s dedication, expertise, and commitment to delivering for our customers have been the foundation of everything we’ve built. Our ability to remain flexible, adapt to industry changes, and consistently provide the best solutions is what has brought us here, and that’s what will continue to drive us forward.”

In March, North Fringe was named finalist for the WorkSafe Saskatchewan Safe Employer award – wish them luck in May!  

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