JULY 2021 “Our people have the autonomy they need to make decisions quickly,” agrees Gary. “That sets us apart from a lot of larger companies. There’s very little bureaucracy here. We don’t have to jump through hoops to get things approved. We have the ability to react quickly to changing markets and changing dynamics in the marketplace. Our people can adjust and deal with those changes on a day-today basis.” “If you only had one word to describe the culture here, it’s ‘entrepreneurial,’” Shaine says. “That’s the spirit we tap into at every level, at every division of every department. Whether you’re in sales, whether you’re in operations, whether you’re in management – you treat your piece of the business as if it was your own. You have ownership in your area of responsibility. You get to make decisions.” As a result of that culture, Shaine believes that Noramco has been able to grow in ways that companies with more restrictive cultures cannot. “Our businesses are truly unique in every market,” he says. “That’s because the managers and the sales teams in a particular market have the right to pursue opportunities that may be unique to that market or may be unique to relationships they have formed.” “You could visit one of our locations, and then visit another one across the country, and if there wasn’t a brand name at the front of the building you might not recognize right away that it’s the same company,” he adds. “We believe that’s a good thing – not every market is the same, so not every office should be the same.” Again, Shaine says, the freedom and local empowerment is advantageous, not just to team members, but also to customers. When talking to prospective clients, he often cites that freedom as one of the company’s main points of difference: “Our people don’t have to go through 12 layers of bureaucracy before they can make a decision, or before they can address a problem. The decisions are made at the local level. That’s attractive to our staff, and it’s attractive to our customers.” That attractiveness is reflected in the company’s history of employee retention and longevity. Noramco typically has very little staff turnover and has a long list of employees that have been with the business for over a decade. The attractiveness is also reflected in their history of repeat business, as customers have also stuck with the company. In Western Canada, some of the company’s longest standingcustomersgobackover 40 years. In central and eastern Canada, many relationships go back to the commencement of the company’s offices in those regions. Again, Shaine credits the strength of those relationships to the freedom Noramco gives their employees and offices, and to the sense of personal ownership that results in. “Our client relationships are owned on the local level,” he reiterates. “They go back to when locations were opened, or when managers started, because the people in those locations are managing those relationships. They have the responsibility of growing them and nurturing those relationships. They take that responsibility very personally.” Gary further credits that customer loyalty to Noramco’s longstanding commitment to continuous improvement. He says that started with his father, continued with him,
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