enerGY services
Merv Pidherney M. Pidherney’s Trucking Ltd.
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here’s nothing like a good old-fashioned success story, and Merv Pidherney offers just that. Having been told by a high school teacher that he’d never amount to anything, Pidherney’s fire was lit and he set himself on a course that would find him leading more than 500 employees in one of the region’s top civil construction and hauling businesses. It was almost 50 years ago that Pidherney combined his passion for trucks and his tireless work ethic to launch Pidherney’s Trucking, hauling gravel and sand to Husky’s Ram River gas plant. “I only had two trucks and some other equipment when I said I could get the job done,” he says. “But I was determined to deliver on my promise, so I bought equipment and hired people as I needed to and was able to build my business as I went.” A firm believer in the sacred bond of a handshake, Pidherney has built his business on word of mouth and customer referrals. He’s translated his natural leadership abilities and a keen eye for opportunity into a thriving business that serves clients like the Province of Alberta and numerous municipalities across the province. He has diversified by opening the Redi-Mix plant in Rocky Mountain House in 1979 and the civil construction division in 1994. Pidherney has been a strong supporter of the communities in which his company works in and is a major sponsor of the local hospital gala fundraiser, the Primary Care Network, Rocky Kinsmen, sports teams, music events and, often, individuals in need. He regularly donates manpower and equipment to causes like the Red Deer Ronald McDonald House and the Red Deer Curling Centre, which was renamed the Pidherney Centre in April 2013. “I have been so fortunate to work with some great people for some great clients,” he says. “Entrepreneurship has been a very rewarding experience.”
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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013