Founded in 1965, Korpan Tractor is Saskatchewan’s trusted partner for any industry that needs heavy equipment and parts to move earth and build infrastructure.
Founded by Nick Korpan, this third-generation, family-owned business started out as a small used construction parts company. Today, Korpan is one of Canada’s largest independent heavy equipment suppliers and offers a broad range of heavy equipment solutions for the mining, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and construction sectors.
“My grandfather, Nick, completed his military [service] with the Canadian Army and returned to Saskatoon and worked for more than 20 years with the local Caterpillar dealer, Kramer Tractor,” said Tyler Korpan, Korpan’s general manager. “Eventually, he decided to venture out on his own and began his own business selling and importing undercarriage and parts for crawler tractors. Nick since passed the company down to his sons – my father and uncle – and I took over operations in 2010.”
Today, Korpan is headquartered at 2920 Idylwyld Drive North in Saskatoon, and its two locations in the city house Korpan’s fleet, service facilities and parts warehouse. Having grown significantly since 1965, the company currently represents all the major manufacturing brands and OEMs, including Caterpillar, Komatsu, John Deere and Hitachi (among others), and offers both new and used equipment options for sale and rental. In addition, Korpan is well-regarded for its expansive inventory of new, used, original and aftermarket parts. According to Tyler, “If it’s big and complex – and it’s yellow, green or orange when it’s not covered in mud or dust – we can help.”
“It doesn’t matter if you are dealing with somebody in our administration department or a technician going out to your job site to perform repairs, you will always see the exact same personalized service we have been proud to deliver since the company started.”
– Tyler Korpan, Korpan Tractor
Korpan’s customers are primarily found throughout Western Canada, although its equipment can also be seen on project sites across Canada and around the world. Whether through short-term rentals, long-term leasing or outright sales, the company’s tailored solutions differentiate it from the competition. The flexibility Korpan provides enables its customers to find the right equipment for the project at hand, while also minimizing overhead costs.
“From labour costs to material costs to equipment costs, our customers tell us that everything is going up,” said Tyler. “A business like ours is here to support them in operating their businesses and ease the financial burden of purchasing equipment to fulfill jobs. We provide them the opportunity to simply go out and rent a piece of equipment to perform the job and not have to carry that long-term cost that comes from purchasing.”
The Korpan difference
Korpan takes a customer-first approach to doing business, and the company always goes the extra mile to source parts and provide tailor-made solutions. The company’s highly skilled team of 25 to 30 people provides a wealth of industry knowledge and experience, as well as dependable, personalized services that offer a competitive edge in the marketplace.
“Maybe you’re a farmer who’s going to be cleaning up some bush or burying some rock. You have the machine, but you’re missing that one little piece to make it work,” said Tyler. “We will find that piece and quickly get it out to you so you can finish the job. It doesn’t matter if you are dealing with somebody in our administration department or a technician going out to your job site to perform repairs, you will always see the exact same personalized service we have been proud to deliver since the company started.”
By offering its customers both new and used equipment, Korpan provides them with a degree of flexibility tailored to their unique budgets and project demands. Rentals are a major part of Korpan’s business, which allows contractors of all sizes to access and experience specialized machinery equipped with the latest technology – all without breaking the bank.
“When you own a Hitachi loader paired with a Caterpillar crawler, you have to repair them, order parts for them and pay the invoices. But you’re also going to multiple manufacturers or dealers to try and procure the parts or to buy the equipment,” said Tyler. “Or you can come to us and receive a consolidated construction solution and have someone to call that can service any of the pieces of equipment you own, in-house. Also, from an accounting perspective, having this ‘one throat to choke’ makes it easier to keep your general ledger in order.”
Building relationships
After more than six decades, Korpan has grown beyond being just a business in Saskatoon. It has become an important part of the community, with many residents fondly recalling their visits to the shop over the years.
“I’ll often bump into customers who talk about the times they would deal with my grandpa, and they’re still customers all these many years later,” said Tyler. “We’ve even had some people come in here who used to work for Nick back in the day. Just recently, I hired an apprentice whose dad had previously worked for Korpan Tractor 25 years ago. He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps because of what his dad told him about working for us. It is tremendously rewarding when I hear things like that.”
“From labour costs to material costs to equipment costs, our customers tell us that everything is going up. A business like ours is here to support them in operating their businesses and ease the financial burden of purchasing equipment to fulfill jobs.”
– Tyler Korpan, Korpan Tractor
Korpan greatly values its SHCA membership. The company especially appreciates the opportunities to network with industry stakeholders and recognizes the role SHCA has played over the years in Korpan’s success. “Being an SHCA member has strengthened our connection within the larger membership group,” said Tyler. “It has been the support of these members that has allowed our business to exist for more than 60 years, and it’s been the local contractors who have helped Korpan Tractor evolve from a parts business … into what we have become today.”
Serving the next 60 years
What began in 1965 with Nick Korpan’s small parts business has grown into a multigenerational family company that serves the heavy equipment needs of not just Saskatchewan, but Canada and the rest of the world. Yet the company’s story is far from finished. With 60 years in the rear-view mirror, Korpan will continue serving its customers with the same innovation, flexibility and customer-first service they have come to expect from the company.