Regina-based NIS Contractors has a reputation for excellence when it comes to the installation and repair of residential sewer and water lines.
NIS Contractors Ltd.
NIS Contractors Ltd. has been in the business of connecting Saskatchewan communities to vital services since 1975.
The Regina-based company specializes in water and sewer infrastructure installation and repair, both locally and across the province. According to general manager Jason Bast, NIS operated under the name Northern Industrial Structures prior to 1975, when municipal infrastructure and water treatment plants represented the majority of its work. Since then, however, the company has become known for its expertise in installing water and sewer lines in new residential and commercial areas.
“We are known among developers in Regina for our subdivision work,” said Bast, who has been with the company for five years.
In fact, NIS has installed about 70 per cent of all underground water and sewer lines used in Regina subdivisions over the last 35 years. The company is experienced in working with large diameter piping, water supply and trunk mains, and large diameter sewer force mains.
“One of our other specialty services is watermain hot tapping—we can tie into an existing water line without taking it out of service,” said Bast. “This is done with a tapping valve installed on the watermain. Then, we cut into the watermain with a tapping machine by inserting it through the valve, make the cut into the watermain, retract the machine and hook onto the new pipe. That allows us to get the work done without shutting off the water to the whole area.”
Bast said the Regina housing market is starting to pick up after being quiet for the past couple of years, likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He’s optimistic about future opportunities for NIS.
“I’m thinking it will definitely grow,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of infrastructure investment now from the provincial government. They’ve done a lot for new capital projects in our province.”
Bustling communities mean lots of work for NIS, which employs 40 people in total, including field and office staff. Recently, the company completed watermain replacement projects in Moose Jaw and Melville.
Although future expansion depends largely on the market, Bast said NIS will remain focused on residential work, infrastructure replacement and working with general contractors, municipalities and governments.
Since it was incorporated in the mid-1970s, NIS has been an employee-owned operation, where staff can buy into the business after a period of time. Today, about 18 employees own shares of the company.
Bast believes NIS joined the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA) some time in the 1980s and he values the opportunity to be part of the provincial contracting sector.
“We all face similar problems and being part of the community is a great way to give back and get those addressed,” he said. “It’s been an excellent way to get involved.”
He believes in the power of that community so much that he accepted a director’s position on the SHCA board in early 2020.
“I enjoy attending association events, getting daily communications and advocating for our members,” he concluded. “The SHCA is always out there talking to contractors and different levels of government.”
Although there is no shortage of issues to address, he’s confident in both the future of the association and that of NIS itself.
“Together, we’re definitely stronger.”