STOUGHTON - Frank Zoer from FSK Construction Services has been building for a long time.
He was born and raised in southern Ontario were his family owned and operated one of the largest market hog operations. His parents immigrated to Canada from Holland in 1954 and settled on a farm by a small community named Drayton.
Although Zoer enjoyed living on the farm, farming was not for him, and he decided to start employment with a well-known professional contractor that was local to the area in 1976. They built custom homes, but the focus of this company was the construction of pig barns, chicken and dairy barns.
He stayed with this company until 1984, when he branched out and expanded into residential framing. For the next 25 years this is what he did and loved it.
Zoer moved his family from Ontario to Strathmore, Alta., in 1996. It was time for change, and it is in his blood with having family all over North America. He continued in residential framing and stayed in the Strathmore area as it was busy with the housing till 2008, and then the economy slowed right down, so they decided Saskatchewan would be the next stop.
They bought an acreage by Benson. It was well known as the Menard School.
“Over the next 10 years that would be home to my family. We did a lot of work there and that is when FSK Construction Services would begin. It is a family run business, and I would not have it any other way,” he said. “My son continues to work with us, and my daughter is in charge of cleanup. “
Zoer said, “I do not like a messy job site, so it gets cleaned regularly.”
“My wife often helps as well, when possible, and enjoys the work, but she is also busy building custom bird houses.”
Zoer expanded once again and since more RTM’s are here, one of his focus’s became garage packages. It usually includes the installation of the windows and man doors, along with overhead garage doors.
His work does not end there. He has built over three hundred decks in his career, several gazebos and property line fences, and landscaped timber retaining walls.
“There is not a job I won’t tackle,” he said. The company also does replacement doors and windows.
“It does not matter to me what the job is, we all need something fixed, whether it be a small or big job.”
His day does not end after eight hours. Often, he has phone calls to return and estimates to be complete, so his wife can get them emailed off. Work for SGI has also been regular with the wind and hail damage in these areas.
“I work in about a 100 km radius, and I have met fantastic people. I love to socialize with the old timers as they are full of history which I enjoy.”
Last year he built a gazebo for the Sutherland Cemetery North of Carlyle.
“It was such an honour to do this job,” he stated.
In 2018, Zoer would take his family to Ontario for a couple of years to help with elderly parents. He felt it was important to do this, although Saskatchewan stayed on his mind.
“Sadly, two of our parents are now gone and we came back to settle in Stoughton. It is a great town with lots to offer. I have a special needs daughter that does not drive, so this makes it easier for her to do things.”
Zoer went on to say, “of all the jobs I have done, one sticks in my mind, which being the custom home I built for a Calgary Flames Hockey player. It was an elaborate house.” He will continue to do construction if he is healthy and able to do so.
“This is not just a job to me, it is a passion,” he stated.
