Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
ESTEVAN – Grimes Sales & Service Co (2020) of Lampman has been nominated as a finalist in the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce ABEX Awards for 2026.
Finalists and special award recipients for the 2026 ABEX Awards will be announced at the ABEX Awards Gala on September 26, 2026, at TCU Place in Saskatoon.
Grimes is nominated for the Community Involvement Award. It is one of five nominees. It is the only oilfield company nominated for any award category, and is also the only nominee based in southeast Saskatchewan.
Grimes Sales & Service is the distributor of the HG pumping unit, a pumpjack design notable for its distinctive curved walking beam and energy efficiency. Originally founded as an agricultural dealership in the 1940s, it was built into a major player in the artificial lift business in Western Canada by the late Mel Grimes, father of Stacey Wempe.
Paul Cheung, Stacey Wempe and Dr. Keith Wempe at the Saskatchewan Oil and Gas Show in 2024. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Stacey Wempe is owner of Grimes Sales & Service along her husband Dr. Keith Wempe and general manager Kent Lees. She said they had been nominated by the Estevan Chamber of Commerce after the company had been honoured last October in the Estevan Business Excellence Awards (EBEX).
Grimes has been an active supporter of many local and regional community initiatives, but Wempe noted this nomination was made in particular with regards to their involvement with St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan and the Jim Pattinson Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon.
“It was all-around encompassing,” she said.
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Grimes was involved with the establishment of the chemotherapy unit in 2018 as well as a portable X-ray machine. The chemo unit, known as the Mel, Margaret & Clinton Grimes Chemotherapy Unit, in particular, has been close to Stacey and Keith’s hearts. Her father, Mel, who had built up the pumping unit company, endured cancer for nearly three years before passing in 2016.
Stacey’s 2024 book, A Million Times We Cry, was also part of the consideration for the nomination. It’s a book principally about dealing with grieving.
Asked why they’ve been so supportive of the community over the years, Stacey said, “It’s just the way I was raised. My parents said you’ve got to treat your team like your family, and do anything you can to support the community and support your team, also. So that’s just kind of what we do. We just help people in need, and I just the way to give back. It just warms my heart to give back to people and hearing you know what we’ve done when it helps their life, like giving to the chemo unit, with my book, it just really helps people and really helps people through their life.”
She noted her grandfather had been a councillor and mayor in Lampman for many years. Her mother grew up volunteering.
The community spirit even extends to their other family business, Scotsburn Dental Centre, where Keith is the lead dentist and Stacey is office manager as well as a hygienist. Scotsburn Dental holds its family fun days, bringing in all sorts of activities for young kids in the parking lot.
- 0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube0135 SASPO-2988_Self serve_2026_YouTube
- 0121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 20260121 Ministry of Energy and Resources April 2026
- 0134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 20260134 SASPO-2956_ Safety 2026
- 0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden0133 LC Trucking hiring Class 1A Payden
- 0132 UMWA 20260132 UMWA 2026
- 0129 Turnbull drivers operators0129 Turnbull drivers operators
- 0128 OSY Rentals updated0128 OSY Rentals updated
- 0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_0126 Steel_Reef_Promo_
- 0118 IBEW 30 sec0118 IBEW 30 sec
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
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