Our employees are the driving force behind Expertec and the outfitting services we provide to our customers. Recently we had a chance to interview 2 integral team members from our Calgary location.
Steve Hope – Account Manager:
- What do you like most about working for Expertec?
- I think it’s the team atmosphere and the culture. We have a good team to work with and we feed off of each other’s energy. We get a lot of support and direction from our head office in Edmonton which has made it easier to duplicate their success here in Calgary.
- What have been some of the key factors contributing the success of the new Calgary location?
- I’d have to say it’s the complete service that we have to offer, whether someone wants a basic shelving unit or whether they need a full outfit with power inverters, flooring, storage cabinets and insulation. It’s all done here in house which allows us to control the quality of work that goes out the door. I think that’s the key to success, turning out good quality products and solutions.
- What are the most popular outfits built in the Calgary location?
- To this point, we’ve seen a lot of custom outfits so it’s not something you can get off the shelf. People are looking for something that is specific for their needs. We are able to come up with the ideas, put them into concept drawings and then manufacture and install these concepts to meet the requirements of our clients.
- Why do you think the Calgary Expertec team works so well together?
- I think we feed off of each other’s strengths, everyone is different and we create a good team atmosphere here. We appreciate each other for what we are able to do and understand how our individual skill sets can help the team as a whole to succeed.
- What future trends do you see in the outfitting industry that is specific to the Calgary market?
- That’s always a challenge to predict what the future will look like but I think with the downturn in the oil and gas industry we are seeing new markets emerge including fiber optics and telecommunications. I do see the oil and energy sectors coming back but it’s going to be slow and I think our future is going to include a lot more industries other than relying on oil as we have done in the past.
Keelon Thompson – Branch Coordinator/Installation Technician:
- Why do you think the team has been able to work so well together considering the short amount of time we’ve been operating here in Calgary?
- We seem to mesh well and everyone chips in to get the job done. We all have a good, positive attitude and are all willing to learn. Nobody here has a know-it-all attitude and everyone has their own strengths that we like to share with each other so we become better as a team.
- What’s been your favorite outfit project so far?
- It would have to be a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that we did for a mobile service unit. It was completely decked out. It had the VanAir system which is an air compressor, arc welder and generator unit. The project also included a nice little work-bench setup, easy stack cabinets, a couple of spools for an extension cord that could coil out the back as well as some spools for their welding cable. It was a pretty slick setup.
- Considering the new Calgary location hasn’t been able to rely on the oil and gas industry as in the past, what do you think has led to a successful first year?
- We’ve had a lot of success catering to the smaller commercial and trades businesses, including plumbing, electrical and appliance companies to name a few. We can build upfit solutions using equipment specific to their requirements. We’ve been open to a lot of Calgary markets getting our name out there.