JA Tech

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A solid reputation has been key to JA Tech’s continued growth and expansion. Greg Bolen, Director of Construction Services, discusses the company’s formula for success.

“One thing we’ve strived for over the years is to maintain a good reputation. We’ve had a good reputation from the start, and that’s one thing that sets us apart. Our mantra is quality, commitment, integrity, and we stand by that. We try to deliver a quality product and commitment to our customers while doing business with integrity.”

Greg explains how JA Tech has evolved over the last 20 years since its formation in 2003. “It was formed by a husband and wife doing electrical field service consulting and smaller field service maintenance jobs and basically operated with a few people up until about 2007.” He mentions that it was during this period that the company began to grow, transitioning from seven employees to the current staff of around 75-80.

“JA Tech’s growth has been steady,” Greg says, “due to expansions in Saskatchewan.” Today, JA Tech’s construction work accounts for a significant percentage of their business.

“We’ve always done a bit of construction work but ramped up more construction in 2011/2012. Up until then, we were mostly testing, commissioning, maintenance, field service type work in the electrical systems, medium and high voltage. We started doing construction work, specializing in medium and high voltage equipment, substation installations, and assembly on oil field transformers.”

Greg and his colleague, Jason Dierker, Director of Technical Services, explain that clients choose JA Tech for several important reasons that tie back to their focus on quality, commitment, and integrity.

“We’ve always gone into a project with the schedule in mind and maintaining or exceeding schedule requirements when we can,” Jason says. “We identify problems we can see in the field and bring it to the stakeholders before it creates an issue schedule-wise or money-wise. Those are some things that clients have appreciated, and they come back to us because they trust what we bring to the projects.”

Greg adds that JA Tech goes to extraordinary lengths to care for clients. “I would say we have a commitment to servicing all of our clients,” he says. “We provide 24-hour service. When one of our industrial clients is down, we bend over backwards. As owners, we get the call first then we assemble a team to get them back up and running. We’ve also assisted our competitors in helping their clients in the past.”

When it comes to integrity, Greg says, “A lot of it is doing business ethically, being honest with our clients whenever there’s issues on our side whenever unforeseen things come up. Having that open relationship and being transparent.”

JA Tech has long-standing relationships with clients that go back to the company’s inception. Greg notes, “A lot of the repeat business has to do with the service we give.”

Turning to corporate culture and relationships with in-house employees, Greg says, “From an owner aspect, Jason and I co-manage the company. We also get out in the field, participate on jobs, work with the employees, get to know them, and form relationships with them that way. They appreciate that we’re willing to get out in the field and put in an honest day’s work.”

With a commitment to employee satisfaction, JA Tech prioritizes a positive corporate culture. Kim Born, Human Resources, notes, “I think it’s a good place to work because employees come first. Whenever there is an employee issue, Jason and Greg are more than willing to help us make it work. Whatever family issue we have, everybody pitches in and helps make it work. Everybody is approachable and willing to help out wherever they can.”

She adds that the comprehensive benefit package and events for employees and their families are also good perks of the company. All these factors contribute to employee retention. “We have several employees who are over the 10-year mark. We have a group within the five-year mark as well.”

The leadership team emphasizes that JA Tech maintains strong partnerships with most of its key vendors and suppliers. Gar Bird, the Business Development Manager, elaborates on the collaborative dynamics with manufacturers specializing in particular products.

“We cultivate associations with specific manufacturers for the purpose of marketing distinct products. For instance, we specialize in the sale of variable speed drives, catering extensively to the mining industry. Our connection with the manufacturer of these drives is a key factor in our success in this market segment.”

JA Tech is part of several professional organizations and holds industry-related credentials. They are an indigenous-owned company and a Certified Aboriginal Business with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

Additionally, the company is an active member of ISNetworld, ComplyWorks, Avetta, and CanQual. JA Tech is also a member of SIMSA, CanREA, First Nations Power Authority, IMCN, APEGS, the Electrical Contractors Association of Saskatchewan, and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

Looking at the company’s potential for future growth, Greg states, “Right now, our building and our support staff are at a good size for the amount of people that we have. But that being said, we’d like to grow in other areas.”

“We’re more specialized, and we’d like to take on more of the specialized electrical. We want to expand our engineering a little bit more. We have a few engineers on staff, so we’d like to take on a few more engineering projects. Growth, not so much in personnel, but in different services.”

“We’re getting more into renewables,” he added. “We want to expand our instrumentation services as well.”

For more on JA Tech Power Systems, including details about their mission, values, and their comprehensive range of field, technical, and engineering services and products – and to get in touch with their expert team, including Gar, Greg, and Jason – visit https://jatechpowersystems.com/.