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Focus Corporation Suite 900, 707, 7th Ave SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2P 3H6
1-(888)466-6555 www.focus.ca
Focus Corporation
Focus Corporation Stays On Top After 35 Years
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H aving just celebrated its 35th Anniversary, Focus Corporation has a diversified and adaptable business
model that has allowed the company a staying power and continued growth throughout the years. A geomatics and engineering firm, the company began as a small survey company in 1977, and has now become a trusted
Focus Corporation
Stays On Top After
35 Years of Diversification
After 35 years, several acquisitions and continued
expansion of services offered, Focus Corporation
is stronger than ever
Written by: Jamie Robinson Produced by: Mike Terry
Focus Corporation
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Energy Sector. This transition has been significant and I now see this as one of our strongest areas for growth.”
To facilitate their growth and strategically explore new growth options, Focus Corporation created a strategic growth division last year. Ackert says that among other things, this division helped create a new group within the company in the geomatics realm that focuses on big-inch pipe oil and gas lines that are typically 20-inches and above. Ackert says Focus now has a unit with 60 people dedicated to big-inch pipelines, where he says rapid growth is approaching.
partner operating in the energy, land development and infrastructure sectors, and with far-reaching offices and partnerships in places including Quebec, Nova Scotia, the United States and India.
Strategic ManagementAlthough in terms of consulting firms, Focus Corporation has considerably older roots than many competitors, the company has been constantly adaptable to new trends and technologies, attracting new talent and stimulating organic growth. Focus, which now has more than 1,400 employees worldwide, is comprised of six divisions – geomatics, facilities engineering, transportation, land and municipal engineering, strategic growth and air quality – of which 85 per cent of clients are related to the energy sector, according to Marketing and Communications Manager Steve Power.
In 1995, Focus Corporation expanded from the oil and gas sector to offer other engineering services, doing so by acquiring smaller engineering companies and larger geomatics firms, and began
aggressive acquisitions in 2006 and 2007, says Vice President for the Geomatics Business Unit, Adam Brash.
“The market was booming and the world as we know it was hopping along at a fairly quick pace,” Brash says. “Trying to grow things organically with a shortage of people was a tough uphill climb. After weighing our options, we decided to move into acquisition mode. We have equity partners that supported our acquisition approach, and we got really aggressive.”
David Ackert, President and CEO says since the worldwide economic distress in 2008, Focus Corporation has been growing organically, and only now are we starting to do acquisitions again. Focus acquired its first company in five years this September and now is all about diversification.
“We’re looking to diversify and are continuously exploring all new growth opportunities.” Power says. Chuan Kua, VP Civil Engineering agrees. “We have recently expanded our traditional civil engineering services in to the
We’re looking to diversify and are continuously exploring all new growth opportunities
— Marketing and Communications Manager Steve Power
Pipeline and Integrity Projects - 24” Pipeline for Altagas
Focus CorporationStays On Top After 35 Years of Diversification
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Focus CorporationStays On Top After 35 Years of Diversification
Brash says Focus’ bench strength, which supports projects like the big-inch pipelines, are part of what sets Focus apart, especially in the geomatics arena.
“There’s not a lot of other companies in the geomatics world that have 615 employees and 140 field crews to go to work every day,” he says. “We also have an entire business development and research and development department of 20 people dedicated to new technology and enhancing and promoting our business, as well as a full-on sales group that goes out and works the street every day.”
Executive Vice President for Facilities Engineering Jim Bell says the strong support in Focus helps facilitate a very diverse project base. He says a customer focus is an integral part of the employee culture at Focus.
“We will run from small to medium to large projects, where some of our competitors have specialized in one or two areas,” Bell says, crediting a strong industry reputation and significant roots from their DPH culture, which has assisted growth on the facility engineering side. “The big thing is to try to stay client focused – every client has different needs and requirements, so we have to be
able to adapt the way we do our work to meet those needs. We feel we’re very flexible, adaptable and client-focused.”
TechnologyFocus recognizes that technological advancements are important to adapt to clients’ varied requests. Brash says clients are at the forefront of new technology, for which the company has several offerings, including products like LIDAR and 3D-laser scanning, as well as the use of some unmanned aircraft for aerial imaging, all which provide clients detailed data sets. Focus also can create custom code and data storage for large clients. Requested by both clients and internal employees, Focus is developing applications for paperwork that will integrate information in a central, portable location.
People ManagementIn order to recruit for its diverse gamut of projects, Focus has partnered with schools that offer geomatics programs, namely the University of Calgary and the University of New Brunswick, which offer geomatics engineering programs. Bell says in his Facilities Engineering division, driving forces
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Facilities engineering - Gas plant
STATISTICS
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Industry: EnErgy, InfrastructurE, Land dEvELopmEnt
Founded: 1977
Headquarters: Calgary, Alberta
Key PeoPle/tItles: David Ackert, President & CEO
Products: Engineering and Geomatics services for oil and gas, land development and infrastructure sectors
revenue: $200 million +
emPloyees: 1400
WebsIte: www.focus.ca
Visit us online:
Visit us online:
Choice Survey and Construction Supplies Ltd.Employees: 05
Established: 2011
Industry: Geomatics & Construction
Services: Surveying Instruments and Supplies, Asset Management Services
Management:
President - Marsha Thurlin www.choicesurvey.ca
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for employee recruitment and retention are open communication lines and mentoring from more senior employees and the opportunity for continued training.
“They’re always striving for something new and something bigger and better,” Bell says about prospective employees. “We’ve been able to diversify our work force and client base so we can offer them a wide variety of projects … and we have an open-door policy with mentorship, so they can go and ask questions of not just one person, but six or seven to learn and grow.”
Brash says new recruits want defined career paths and to know that Focus is a place where they
Focus Corporation
can advance their career. As the company continues to
explore new growth options, the heritage-rich company is sure to attract quality employees, enriching them with the knowledge from a practiced management team and supportive culture.
