Researching and understanding your prospective partners

An overview is included of experience and working relationships of the author that were established with a First Nations people. Terracon first had the opportunity of cooperating and working with a First Nations company in 1966. This relationship originated in conjunction with the reclamation activities at an oil sand operations. This working relationship developed as part of translating landscape plans into final landscapes at the oil sand mine. The work required good team efforts with employees of the Aboriginal company. The initial contacts and working relationships were reasonably satisfactory but these tasks did not bring the author and his partners into direct contact with senior First Nation staff and management. More importantly, the contacts and working relationships made the author realize that there may be opportunities to form strategic alliances and/or joint ventures with Aboriginal companies, particularly in light of the oil sand operator's commitment to employ Aboriginals and Aboriginal owned companies. Several other companies approached the Fort McKay Group, but were unsuccessful. Terracon was successful because it: identified and dealt with the decision makers, had patience and persistence with a First Nation's democratic process, already developed a personal relationship and trust with the band, and started with several verbal agreements, leading to written contracts and then to the current partnership, Terracon-McKay Ltd