Heavy Metal Equipment & Rentals

Industry leader recognized for partnership with NAIT and commitment to community 

For the leadership team at Heavy Metal Equipment and Rentals, building relationships is essential to building a business.  

You could say that philosophy goes back 25 years for president and CEO Jesse van der Werf and vice-president Cal Nowicki, when they met at NAIT in the Heavy Equipment Technician classroom.  

“NAIT fostered a lot of relationships that I still have today,” van der Werf says.  

After his time at the polytechnic, van der Werf joined his father’s company in 2002, Dutchmen Equipment and Rentals, which was founded the previous year. Then, in 2009, Nowicki joined van der Werf as he branched out the equipment and rentals division under the Heavy Metal banner. Since then, the company has expanded by acquiring assets in the mining, construction, pipeline and forestry industries.  

Nowicki works alongside the team to drive the company’s business development, which now includes 5 permanent locations in Canada and the U.S., as well as several satellite locations.  

Today, Heavy Metal Equipment and Rentals is one of the largest privately owned heavy equipment rental companies in North America. It employs nearly 1,500 employees and contractors – more than a third are NAIT-educated heavy equipment technicians and welders.  

As the company has grown, van der Werf and Nowicki haven’t forgotten the impact of hands-on learning. For that reason, Heavy Metal has supported the next generation of skilled trades workers. “We need fresh, new, upcoming folks all the time,” van der Werf says. 

Building skills, forging relationships 

The leadership team at Heavy Metal believes the value of relationships applies to the community, too. Over the years, they’ve supported local charities and, most recently, sponsored Spruce Grove’s new Civic Centre. 

“We’re big believers in community,” van der Werf says. “All the communities we work in – we support local teams, local charities, whatever we can do.”  

That community includes NAIT. Nowicki adds that partnering with the polytechnic is a way for Heavy Metal to attract students to pursue an apprenticeship. “We realize how critical the trades are, and we take great pride in promoting skilled trades across Alberta,” he says. 

Since 2019, Heavy Metal has donated $740,000 to student awards and in-kind rentals and maintenance, including a heavy equipment  tractors for hands-on learning. To date, 53 students in the Industrial Heavy Equipment Technology, Heavy Equipment Technician, CNC Machinist Technician, and Welder programs have benefited from the scholarships and bursaries.  

“We really wanted to draw on the technicians that are coming out of NAIT, because we believe in the program,” says van der Werf. 

The company’s investment in skilled trades goes beyond financial support. Heavy Metal has also partnered with NAIT’s Corporate Training department to develop supervisory and leadership courses for its management team. They’ve participated in the polytechnic’s job fairs and provided input on the Industrial Heavy Equipment Technology program advisory committee. 

Although he’s proud to be an industry leader today, van der Werf, whose father, John, also attended NAIT, admits he didn’t plan on a career in the trades. He had his sights set on becoming a chiropractor but took a job at a heavy equipment company to earn money for school. 

“They offered me an apprenticeship, then I got another pay bump,” he says of the pivot that eventually led him to switch gears and to NAIT when he realized the potential of a career in trades. 

“When I look back on my own journey, it’s remarkable to think about the role NAIT has played along the way. I know for all of us at Heavy Metal, it’s a long-term partnership we hope to continue well into the future,” says van der Werf.

 “And it all started with pulling wrenches.”

Distinguished Industry Partner Award

The Distinguished Industry Partner Award is presented to an organization that has shown an ongoing commitment to NAIT and has played a critical role in supporting NAIT’s vision and mandate.

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