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Communicating the Community: Tridon Communications – Leaders of Company Culture
By Tridon Communications works to seamlessly connect its clients with a wide array of communications products and services; it also strives to ensure its employees remain connected to their families and the community.
Tridon is a start-to-finish communications product and service provider. Their primary abilities include; Cellular products, Engineering services, Project Management, Field Services, and tower construction/maintenance. These services plus the post commissioning support ensure that the client has a complete solution tailored to their needs and requirements to ensure a safe, efficient and reliable voice and data communications network.
The company has been operating in the Fort McMurray region since 1981 and has expanded their locations to include Athabasca and Edmonton.
A large component of the business is their field services division which allows them to provide maintenance and other services throughout north eastern Alberta and beyond. With the ability to provide engineered solutions in house they have been able to extend their capabilities and provide complete communications infrastructure from original design all the way through to commissioning, support and life management.
Tridon wanted to become an employer of choice. To change the company culture, they turned the attention to their most valuable asset – their employees. They realized their “for life” employees were family-oriented individuals.
“We were not surprised to recognize the need for balance in a person’s life. So, what we continued talking about is how we provide that balance, after all, families are the biggest competition for an employee’s attention. Families are often your employees’ first and most important full-time job, and what we do is work hard to ensure that our employees can maintain that work/life balance” said Greg Tolson, General Manager of Tridon Communications, who has been leading the local Tridon team since 1999.
Tolson shared how the company hires its employees locally, as well as from across the globe to build a team of professionals, who strive to thrive – together.
“Our work culture encourages building teams with people of varying backgrounds to bring different ideas and perspectives” said Tolson. “At Tridon, we have people who have come to work for the company from around the world as well as staff that were born and raised here. Like Fort McMurray itself, Tridon is truly multicultural.”
Tridon is acting strategically by putting people first and by acknowledging that happy employees have a balance in their lives.
The strategy is paying off when it comes to their first job as members of their families; it’s paying off with the recruitment of new talent to the team and the development of the loyal employees who care about the community and are achieving work-life balance.
The company arrived where they are now after they admitted a simple reality of the work world today – ‘You don’t just hire an employee. You hire their entire family. And, you don’t just recruit an employee to a job, you ask them to become an ambassador in the communities that you operate in.’
The owners have not regretted putting the focus on the family in the company’s culture and HR programs. Today, it’s well-known for its dedication to customer service, as well as its involvement in the local community.
“We want to ensure we have happy employees. Our benefits program helps them access care that they need to be healthy at home, and we do everything we can at work to foster a culture that ensures that our employees are able to put family and community at the forefront of their lives” Tolson explained.
Tridon is Now Hiring
“At Tridon, you have the opportunity to learn so much and sharpen your skills. This company is willing to invest in its people. I have learned a lot over the past 12 years. It has helped me develop both personally and professionally. I have been fortunate to have had some great mentors,” said Renee Burridge, Senior Manager of Tridon’s FMM Operations.
Tridon enjoys hiring people who are quick to adapt and eager to learn. One perk to joining their team is the company focuses on hiring the right people. It commits to training their ideal candidates for the roles needed.
Employees appreciate having the leading edge technologies to offer their clients and they also enjoy going to work for a company that likes giving employees the ability to focus on both their careers and their families at the same time.
“We foster relationships and develop them over time with clients and with employees, this carries on throughout the community. Even when employees move on to other endeavours or stages in their life there are still a lot of connections maintained with the people that they have worked with here at Tridon,” said Tridon’s IT Support Analyst Jackie Marche, who has been with the company for nearly 20 years.
Currently the company is recruiting for several positions in the Wood Buffalo region. These positions are posted on their website (www.Tridon.com).
NEW TALENT A WELCOME ADDITION TO THE TRIDON TEAM
Meet Ben Thompson, Chief Operating Officer
Ben Thompson has worked his way up in the telecommunications industry over the last 23 years in the McMurray region. Thompson joined the Tridon Communications family in February 2019 with the role as Chief Operational Officer.
“While I am new to Tridon, I am not new to this industry,” he said. His career started in the early 90s. And now, at age 44, he is a seasoned industry expert.
Thompson likes his new job and said, “I am primarily responsible for the service department operationally in all of our locations. I enjoy learning all the different aspects and verticals that the company is involved in.”
He also thinks the telecommunications game has changed; “Our economy today is driving companies to evolve; to be more efficient, and to deliver better service with a more dynamic range of capabilities. What makes our company different is that we have worked ahead of the curve and are closer to becoming what I would like to call a true TSI (telecommunication systems integrator),” he explained.
What made him an attractive recruit for Tridon? Thompson has earned experience working on projects like the Alberta SuperNet and other mega projects at the major sites, such as Suncor Energy, CNRL, Shell Albian and Jackpine Mine as a Fort McMurray resident since 1996.
He was chosen because he has value as someone with embedded contractor experience and first-hand knowledge of the local industry and because he was a long-standing member of the local workforce and community.
“Both of my children were born in Fort McMurray. I have witnessed a lot of growth and change in the region,” he said.
Thompson admits things can get busy. But when he’s not working or being a devoted family man, fishing, golfing, or backyard barbecues are what makes him enjoy his quality of life in the region. He is happy to have joined a company that cares about his commitment to his family and community.
Tridon Offers Careers; Not Just a Job to Their employees
Meet Deepender Dabas, Engineer-in-Training
Deepender Dabas started with Tridon in February 2016 as a Service Technician specializing in shop and field work, contributing to daily operations and supporting activities larger projects and he worked his way up in the company and eventually transferred to the Engineering Department last spring, and now he works as an Engineer-in-Training.
“My favourite thing here is the culture like recognition, equality, integrity and excellence in its field. My proudest achievement is having my engineering skills recognized. It gave me a platform to further develop my skills, allowing me to work towards being a registered engineer and making my horizon broader,” he said.
“We are a leader in the communication market. We are innovative and employ effective techniques. Our work has challenging aspects, but the teams are respectful and friendly. The company lives its values. Working at Tridon is always encouraging, and you feel involved.”
Dabas believes Tridon has grown because of its strong values and ethics and culture. He is grateful his job allows him the flexibility to be active in the community and at home.
“You see the energy and risk-taking capabilities in management. And with a highly-effective safety program, you feel like they really care, and that everybody goes home safely. The caring and team spirit in coworkers are exceptional. There are ample learning and growing opportunities for everyone,” he explained.
Dabas said his family means the world to him; he strives like many other people to achieve work and life balance.
“I have a wife and a 10-year-old daughter. We balance family and work. And, we also volunteer in many community activities. We absolutely love attending the various festivals and events,” he said.
“I like this region because of unity and diversity. It is really a healthy community with very supportive people, as was proven during and after the Wildfire in 2016. It is remarkable how people have come together and how our company supported us during this time.”
20 Years in Progressive Career Roles with Tridon
Meet Jackie Marche, Information Technologist Support Analyst
Jackie Marche was in her twenties when she started at Tridon. Nearly 20 years later, she has worked her way up to become an IT Support Analyst at Tridon. She has worked various jobs; Rentals Client Support, Inventory Technician, Retail Sales, Service Administration, as well as Warranty and Repairs.
Marche always thought she would have to choose between a trade career and family or at least trade one for the other; until she started working for Tridon. Now, two decades later, she says that having a family and career at the same time has been her proudest achievement.
She said Tridon is a diverse company that has growth and learning opportunities for those willing to work hard.
“A big part of my job is to provide support to either clients or staff and succeeding in helping make their life easier. The close connections and day-to-day working relationships,” she said are what has kept her loyal for her entire career.
“Tridon takes pride in helping its employees succeed. What makes us different? It’s the sense of family and close interactions with each department. We all understand how we have to work together and support each other. We foster our close connections,” she said.
Marche is proud to work in a client-and-employee centred environment. She describes a tight-knit family culture that welcomes new people into the family fold and supports the community they exist in.
“Tridon is always working to support the various events, groups and charities. The company will always go the extra mile to do what they can to ensure that the customer or employee receives a solution that works for them. The owners are great,” she said.
“We are continuously evolving with the industry and working to ensure we can help our customers in every way we can. It’s a diverse company that will give you a lot of opportunity for growth and learning in the industry.”
Mentoring matters in career success
Meet John Labuschagne, Senior Service Manager
Six years ago, John Labuschagne moved to Fort McMurray to start his career at Tridon. He has since progressed in his career from Senior Technician to Service Manager, then to Service Training Manager and is currently in his role of Senior Service Manager.
“The support and mentorship that I received when I started at Tridon never faded away as I progressed in my career, but instead it grew with me, challenging me to grow in knowledge, skills and ultimately my abilities to successfully perform my job,” he said.
He and his family like to be outdoors, camp and take advantage of the local amenities like MacDonald Island Park.
“The culture and atmosphere of the community makes it very enjoyable to live in and raise a family. Fort McMurray has everything we need, both for the quiet outdoor life as well as the convenience of big city life,” he said.
Bringing family togetherness into the workplace
Meet Renee Burridge, Senior Manager FMM Operations
Renee Burridge has had a 12 year career with Tridon and is currently the Senior Manager FMM Operations. With several roles during her time in the company like Service Administrator, Service Coordinator, Service Manager, Service Contracts Manager, and Senior Manager Service Support, mom and wife are her favourite roles of all.
“The sense of family at Tridon is undeniable,” she said. “I truly believe that this family-oriented culture that Tridon has developed is the reason we have so many dedicated and long-term employees. We are a team that supports each other professionally as well as encourages personal involvement in the community.”
As the leader for administration in the Fort McMurray branch, she takes pride that it’s her role and responsibility to ensure all staff have what they need to do their jobs.
Outside of work, she loves her family time with her husband and daughter, who both enjoy music and art in the local area. The family is happy to call Fort McMurray their home.
Throughout her career at Tridon, she says she has learned many valuable lessons which have helped her to balance being a mother and having a great career.
