A major Saskatchewan tire recycling company sent a letter to the Labour Relations Minister Don McMorris about significant layoffs, marking the latest development in the province's controversial decision to give the tire recycling contract to a California company.CEO Mike Richards sent a letter to provincial officials stating that Shercom Industries would lay off 79 employees effective December 2.A copy of the letter was leaked to the Western Standard..OLDCORN: Moe-mentum... Sask Party gains momentum as election heats up.The Saskatoon-based company had been Saskatchewan's primary tire recycler.The layoffs follow Shercom's loss of provincial tire processing contracts to California-based Crumb Rubber Manufacturers (CRM), which handles northern and southern Saskatchewan tire recycling operations from its Moose Jaw facility."Should you require any further information or documentation, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. We appreciate your understanding as we navigate these difficult circumstances," Richards said in his letter to the ministry..Sask recycled tires are shipped to Alberta for processing, angering CEO of jilted Saskatoon company.Saskatchewan tires are now being processed mainly in Alberta despite CRM's previous commitment to keeping recycling operations within the province.Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan (TSS), the non-profit organization overseeing the province's tire recycling program, awarded CRM both northern and southern contracts in 2023. Shercom declined to bid on subsequent contracts because of "economic concerns.".Shercom CEO says company refused RFP bid to recycle northern tires for ethical and economic reasons.The layoffs will impact the company's ability to produce residential and commercial products from recycled tire materials, a service it had provided to Saskatchewan communities for over a decade.
