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Bestech operates much like a family

BESTECH delivers multi-disciplinary engineering, automation, IT/IS, power systems, energy management and environmental monitoring services to the mining industry.
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Marc Boudreau (left) and Denis Pitre founded BESTECH in 1995. The engineering company now employs 70 people in 12 departments.

BESTECH delivers multi-disciplinary engineering, automation, IT/IS, power systems, energy management and environmental monitoring services to the mining industry. The company also finds solutions to help mining operations increase efficiency, reduce energy costs and enhance worker safety. Founded in 1995 by Marc Boudreau and Denis Pitre, BESTECH employs approximately 70 people in 12 departments, including electrical and mechanical/civil engineering services, automation, software development, support/EPCM project management office, research and development, and corporate services.

BESTECH maintains open communication with its employees, encouraging relationship building throughout all levels of the workplace, while promoting an open-door policy where employees feel comfortable approaching senior management.

“Being a small to medium-sized business, we are fortunate that we can operate like a family,” said marketing manager Anna Frattini.

“We have the ability to build relationships with people at all levels of the organization. It is a closer-knit working environment compared to larger firms.”

Quarterly one-on-one meetings between supervisors and employees are an opportunity to discuss anything from employment conditions to professional development and stress levels. Larger quarterly organization-wide meetings give all employees and senior management the chance to talk business, from financial status updates to project reports.

“Not only do these meetings provide face time with employees and senior management,” said Frattini, “it is a mechanism to ask any questions that employees are pondering. We have some pretty candid moments, which is refreshing. It is not your typical corporate setting.”

Often, birthdays, births and other milestone events are recognized just as they would be in an extended family. BESTECH is the kind of company where employees and management often get together outside company time to socialize, use the on-site gym, or give back to the community through employee and management-driven fundraising initiatives.

Working on a project deadline could result in overtime hours, but management strives to compensate, which helps to retain and reward employees.

BESTECH occasionally presents profit sharing programs and offers a group RSP with an employee base contribution and employee match program. In 2012, BESTECH established an Employee Share Ownership Plan, giving employees the opportunity to purchase shares in the company, rewarding them by sharing in the growth and profitability of the company.

Frattini said success that the company has achieved over the last 20 years was made possible by client support. Owners and management are committed to client satisfaction and they ensure that employees have the tools and knowledge to meet their clients’ needs, she said.

“We created a paid internal training program to assist employees with their efforts to build positive and strong relationships with clients,” Frattini added.

At BESTECH, meeting client needs while improving product and service quality go hand in hand, said Frattini. The company has a Quality Management System to direct and control activities to ensure client satisfaction.

A complete employee resource centre, it enables the company to be efficiently and effectively managed. BESTECH has obtained an ISO 9001 certification, which ultimately reduces waste and ensures cost savings. Frattini said the registration is also known to boost staff morale because they realize their own work influences quality.