The ongoing growth in drilling in the Bakken Play ensures that Packers Plus remains busy, says Doug Marchesi, the service centre manager for the company's Estevan district.

Thirty-eight people are employed in the Estevan office, including 20 field hands, eight shop employees, two coordinators, two administration employees, one salesperson, and Marchesi. Packers Plus has been at its present location, adjacent to Highway 39 west in the RM of Estevan, for a little more than two years.

“The majority of our employees are out in the field,” Marchesi said. “They install what we sell.”

Their multi-frac system remains Packers Plus' top revenue source, he said. Packers are inserted throughout the producing zones, and they can open frac ports simultaneous or independently to fracture formations in the Bakken to retrieve oil.

The packer system was developed by one of the company's co-founders, Dan Thernig, then marketed to the U.S., and eventually southeast Saskatchewan, Marchesi said.

All of their operations in the southeast are concentrated in the Bakken Play. They also do some work in southwest Manitoba, and they have an office in Williston, N.D.

Another competing system is out there, Marchesi said, but Packers Plus is proven.

“There are records over the last four years that show an increase in production by fracing with the packer systems that we provide. That's a good thing when you're trying to get a new customer to show them the data that we have collected over the years running this.”

Packers Plus founders Dan Themig, Peter Krabben and Ken Paltzat were presented with a national entrepreneur award by Ernst and Young last year. A recognition like that helps business, Marchesi said.

“If people read in a national oil magazine that Packers Plus got an award, they might think 'They have an office in Estevan. And they obviously have to be doing something right,'” said Marchesi.

Weather conditions this year have posed challenges, Marchesi said. It is difficult to bring in the equipment on heavy trucks to complete the frac jobs. And Marchesi doubts that the ground will dry up before frost settles in.

But even during wet weather or spring road bans, Marchesi said they find work for their employees.

Marchesi said that he believes Packers Plus has a strong future in the community. The business is a strong supporter of community organizations, including youth sports teams, and employees are recognized for helping out with different causes in Estevan and area.