Making a difference Moving forward, Norm says that the vision for Advanced Building Materials is to “continue with our basic business philosophies. That means “constantly keeping our eye out for innovations in the construction industry” and “continuing to represent high quality manufacturers” – with a prime example being ERTEC Environmental Systems, whose products they are excited to continue promoting and distributing throughout Canada and the northern United States. Looking to the future, Advanced Building Materials also intends to expand outside of Sarnia–Lambton. Norm says that’s a necessity if they want to maintain and grow the business, as a lot of their clients historically have relied on the oil refining industry, and oil refining activity is coming under pressure. “So we want to grow,” he says, “but it’s important that we make sure that we don’t compromise our service and our beliefs and our culture by getting bigger. We’re paying very close attention to that.” Rachel – who will be taking a more active leadership role in the company in the near future – echoes that sentiment: “I’d like to see us expand and grow but without losing our small business family-run atmosphere. That’s a big part of what makes us special.” No matter how much they grow, however, Norm and Rachel agree that they will continue giving back to the community they started in. For example, this past they donated about 5000 pounds of food to the local food bank. That kind of outreach has always been a priority for Norm and his family, and Rachel fully intends to continue their legacy: “Being in Sarnia for so long, we’ve always tried to give back,” Rachel says. “We’ve always tried to make a difference where we can. We definitely want to continue making a difference.” MARCH 2023
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