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Jamie Warkentin doesn't want to shut down his business, but he's kinda backed up against a wall.
"There's a whole laundry list of things that haven't gone our way the last few years," said Warkentin, the owner of Kelowna Steel Fabricators.
"It's been bad luck. So, it's time to close down and sell while there's still something to sell. It's time to pack it in."
Photo credit: Kelowna Steel Fabricators
In this photo taken for Kelowna Steel Fabricators' 50th anniversary last year is owner Jamie Warkentin, left, general manager Rich Moeller and senior fabricator Rob McKenzie.
Warkentin said he didn't want to go into the laundry list of what's gone wrong, yet he did provide some insight.
"We did some jobs that we shouldn't have gotten involved with where the client squeezed us whatever way they could," he said.
"And market conditions just aren't what they used to be in the good old days when you did a job and invoiced for it and got paid in 30 days."
Warkentin estimates the last day for Kelowna Steel Fabricators will be April 26 as it finishes up some existing jobs.
Photo credit: Kelowna Steel Fabricators
Kelowna Steel Fabricators' 30,500-square-foot building houses six working bays.
Twelve employees will be without jobs.
"They are all skilled tradespeople and skilled tradespeople can easily find a job if they want to work," he said.
"Already, one guy is going to retire, one's moving to Alberta and another to the States."
Photo credit: Kelowna Steel Fabricators
Kelowna Steel Fabricators' property at 935 Richter St. is for sale for $4.55 million.
The 30,500-square-foot Kelowna Steel Fabricators building and the 0.7 of an acre is sits on is listed for sale with Kelowna-based William Wright Commercial Real Estate for $4.55 million.
The property is zoned industrial and is located at 935 Richter St. in the North End where Crowley Avenue and Weddell Place meet.
The building includes six big work bays as well as office space and there's a big yard for storage and shipping and receiving.
The listing touts it as a prime piece of industrial property, close to downtown in a city with a shortage of industrial space.
Photo credit: Kelowna Steel Fabricators
Kelowna Steel Fabricators made everything from structures for car dealerships, drill rigs and sawmill equipment to truck decks, trailers, fences and railings.
Kelowna Steel Fabricators' motto is: You name it, and we'll build or repair it.
As such, over the 51 years it's been in business, it has worked on so many residential and commercial projects in Kelowna and farther afield.
Work includes fabricating the steel structure of buildings, drill rigs, sawmill equipment, mechanical equipment, truck decks, trailers, fencing and railings.
In Kelowna, it built the steel enclosed bridge over Pandosy Street connecting two parts of Kelowna General Hospital, parts of the Cactus Club Restaurant downtown and the structures for various car dealerships.
The business was started in 1973 by Warkentin's parents -- Jake and Julie Warkentin -- and another couple, Hank and Betty Dyck.
The Warkentins bought out the Dycks in the early 80s and later Jamie took over.
Kelowna Steel Fabricators has hired online closeout auction house Joiner Sales Corp. to sell all the business' equipment from cutting tables, bandsaws, an ironworker machine, welders and plasma cutters to air compressors, support equipment, forklifts, trucks and trailers.
The list of items is already posted at:
https://www.joinersales.com/
There's to be an auction preview from 9 am to 4 pm on June 18 and the online auction on June 10 or 20 at 10 am.
The building and property listing is here:
https://www.williamwright.ca/
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