Investing In Technology Pays Off
Incorporated in march 1988, Viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd. has seen tremendous growth over the years. The company began with 1,500 square feet of space and three employees. Now, 20 years later, it has 115 employees and occupies 23,000 square feet with a 22,000-square-foot extension project (which should be complete by the time of press).
Viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd. specializes in high-rise residential and commercial ventilation. The company handles all types of metal for many different projects, including sports facilities, schools, laboratories, retail centers, residential towers, hotel complexes, and hospitals. Mark Halvorsen, owner of Viaduct Sheet Metal Ltd., and his team manage approximately 80 jobs at any given time. Facilities such as Mt. Pleasant Civic Centre, Woodwards, The Rise, and Holt Renfrew Pacific Centre begin a long list of completed projects.
Favorable market conditions have led to volume increases of 66 percent in 2006, 42 percent in 2007, and an expected 25 percent in 2008. “This area has been very vibrant for the last three years and we probably have another couple before we see any downturn. The market conditions pushed us so we decided to step up and take on the business to become a larger contractor,” says Halvorsen.
Investing in the latest equipment and technology allows the company to meet the demands of the sheet metal industry. Specific systems and processes help Viaduct manufacture a superior, reliable product. As one of the first shops in British Columbia to use 3-D AutoCAD on everyday projects, the company is able to stand out from local competitors.
Advancements in technology and a commitment to quality has won the company large projects. The Vancouver Airport Expansion, a $6 million project for Viaduct was the first project the company used the 3-D AutoCAD system to build.
“This project gave us the push we needed to get us rolling towards becoming one of Canada’s most technologically advanced sheet metal shops,” says Halvorsen. “We had to prove to our marketplace that we were able to handle projects of this size and after successfully completing this job, all questions about our capabilities have been answered.”
The company’s latest project, the Vancouver Convention Centre, valued at $18 million, will be complete in March 2009. Upon receipt of the job Viaduct built and moved into a new manufacturing plant, updated existing machinery, and acquired new machinery to handle the quantities and sizes of ductwork the project required.
Customer service is the foundation of Viaduct’s business. The commitment is evident in the company’s professionalism and consistent customer satisfaction. It strives to offer the right price, to complete projects on-time, and to provide the quality customers have come to expect. “We want to be the London Drugs of sheet metal; they are all set up the same,” says Halvorsen. “We try to let our customers know they can expect the same level of service from every project manager in the company. The customer knows what they are going to get.”
Halvorsen attributes the true success of the company to the hard-working employees. The experienced staff, many previous sheet metal business owners, bring value to Viaduct. “It is really their company; I try to treat them like that,” Halvorsen says. “Hire the right people, let them do their work and reward them for a job well done.”
While aggressive growth plans are in Viaduct’s future, the exact road ahead is uncertain. The company expects to
enter the industrial ventilation sector and welcomes other business opportunities.
Halvorsen concludes, “I will expect we will keep growing. In a bad year it may only be 10 percent, but most years it will be closer to 20–40 percent, whether it is in our direct market or we venture into other things.”
This article originally appeared in Canadian Builders Quarterly
