Keeping it in the family - Lloyd Antoine joins NAABA Board for second appointment
Pictured above: Lloyd and Melanie Antoine are the powerhouse leadership team behind A.P.E. Maintenance. Lloyd recently joined the NAABA Board of Directors for a second time, after his first term was cut short due to unexpected circumstances. Photo by Greg Halinda for the Canadian Energy Centre
Lloyd and Melanie Antoine, co-owners of A.P.E. Maintenance, could be considered second-generation NAABA members. The husband-and-wife entrepreneurs have both spent time as Board of Directors members, following in the footsteps of Melanie’s father, Archie Cyprien – a founding NAABA member.
After leaving his first term early due to unforeseen personal reasons, Lloyd was voted in to return for a second Board appointment in September 2024.
“I had no intentions of leaving the Board but we had some health problems at home so I had to focus my attention on family,” recalls Lloyd. “I really liked being on the Board with NAABA; it’s the type of organization that you get out of it what you put in. NAABA has always been near and dear to my heart, knowing a lot of the founders who started it. I thought maybe I can bring some good insight from my own career.”
Lloyd’s maintenance and leadership expertise has been developed through the decades, which he says stems from the decision to follow his brother from Fort Chipewyan to Fort McMurray for job opportunities in the early 1990s. Starting A.P.E. Maintenance in 2008 while still working a full-time job with an oilsands operator, Lloyd used his wealth of experience to formulate the business idea. He worked in true partnership with wife Melanie and through their tireless efforts, the company started to take off.
“At the start I was working two jobs and Melanie was at site and working towards her business degree. We also had two very small children, and at times wondered what we were doing,” says Lloyd, a member of the Mikisew Cree First Nation. “It was hectic but we wanted something better for our family, and knew we needed to stay the course. We could see something was there.”
From a two-person operation in the beginning, A.P.E. Maintenance now operates out of a vast maintenance shop and employs close to 100 people. Lloyd believes their strong values have helped to set them apart in a competitive business landscape.
“Being honest, humble and transparent will make people feel more comfortable to deal with you. We feel it’s helped to set us apart,” adds Lloyd. “There have been times when we’ve been offered big jobs but we’ve had to decline and be honest that it’s not within our scope. A slow and gradual pace is better than biting off more than you can chew. We still live by this today.”
The business manages a variety of maintenance work for their millwrights, heavy duty mechanics, machinists, swampers and field support. Supporting the trades has been a mandate from the start and continues to drive their operations today.
“Supporting apprentices and trades people has been a mandate since the beginning. I grew up in Fort Chip and it was a culture shock coming to Fort McMurray, and another shock starting with industry. But I was fortunate enough to start with a really supportive crew in my early days,” says Lloyd. “It was a challenging experience and one of the reasons we want to support apprentices through our business. We can help to build up their confidence and experience, and slowly integrate them into the work world.”
This mandate has carried on throughout the years, earning A.P.E. Maintenance recognition as a top employer of Aboriginal apprentices by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board in both 2014 and 2015 – an achievement that is Lloyd is proud of.
Along with many other accolades for himself and Melanie, and a long list of community support, Lloyd is well positioned to bring a wealth of knowledge and vision to the NAABA organization.
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