Throughout his 19 years of working with Matcom, his best leadership advice is “know your client! Learn about their production process. Gain a strong understanding of their wants, needs and requirements. With this knowledge, you can better service your client while building a long-term relationship.”
This advice holds true when speaking with John. His knowledge of projects (even from two decades ago!) is comprehensive and purposeful.
“One of my first and most notable projects was with “CanGel” in 2003 to 2004. CanGel, now “Nittagelatin” rose out of 1990s Canada Packers. CanGel was located at the Stockyards (west end of St Clair) across the street from the Packers slaughterhouse.
The Stockyards had divisions, from which the gelatin company CanGel emerged. The facility used older technology and was assembled horizontally. Consequently, it took up wide real estate at Bloor and Black Creek.
CanGel called Matcom to help expand but did not have substantial real estate to do so. Without shutting down the production over the project months, Matcom raised the elevation of the roof factory by 60 feet and put a building on top of the initial building. We installed platforms and mezzanines, strong enough for the new cookers and strainers. Overall, the conversion from a horizontal facility to a vertical facility only took a three-day shutdown.”
John enthusiastically speaks about the history of the Canada Packers, to CanGel to Nittagelatin. He walks us through the detailed process of acquiring gelatin and their uses, from jello to paintball bullets. That is why he is our expert.
On top of creating strong customer relations, John always appreciates chatting with his client.
“There should not be any power dynamic between client and company– we are all humans and partners in the industry. Let us go golfing, have lunch, and get to know each other”. That is something he feels he has lost throughout the pandemic.
“There is something special about chatting with partners. I can hear what they really want through the expression in their voice; details often missed through email correspondence. Engaging the client through face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and social activities provide for a strong, committed, and long-term client. You need to constantly look for ways of becoming your clients' contractor of choice.”
Although, John shares some positives about the “new normal” that embraces cloud technology.
“A recent trend I am seeing in the market is digital document sharing. I believe this will last well beyond 5 years and will provide an increasing level of efficiency in the workplace”.
He is looking forward to the hybrid work schedule, allowing space for both cloud working and human to human interactions.
Taking it from an expert, John says that something he wished he had known earlier in his career is to “gain a stronger understanding of the market and your competition. Knowledge is power.”
Today, John measures his success with persistence, working hard, and achieving his goals.” As well, he values when “a client is completely satisfied with the outcome of the work”.
John enjoys chatting with his partners most about his role, so please feel free to reach out with any comments or questions.
