In the beginning
It was the objective from the start to create a company that specialized in materials testing for the construction industry and manufacturers/suppliers for the same.
As a major part of this mission, overhead and bureaucracy were to be kept to a minimum while providing the most expedient, accurate and experienced reporting and interpretation possible.
Past experiences have told us that such ventures can become mired in un necessary structure, professional arrogance, costly duplication and complacency. From the beginning, the founder insisted that no such behavior and corporate overload be tolerated.
Foundation
1987 saw the creation of Metro Testing Laboratories Ltd. In a 400 ft/2 lab.
Against advice from others, Harry Watson occasionally hired people green and trained them into the system. Some have now gone on to very specialized fields and others to professional status. However, everyone was retained on their own merit. You couldn’t be a slakker and get a job at Metro.
An emphasis was also placed on bringing the amazing talent that comes with immigrants to Canada. Unlike most companies in this field that tend to be selective and somewhat tribal in whom they hire, Metro hires from around the world with great success to the company and all staff. To date we have brought people from 15 different cultures into the group. No small thing for a small company.
After several years in the small lab we moved to our own building with 15 times the space. We immediately set ourselves to outgrow it, which we did in less than 10 years. After moving to our present location we now find ourselves out of room again.
During this period we established our first satellite office in Abbotsford as Valley Testing with 1 employee, Ron Alvaro. Ron’s group now employs up to 20 staff at all levels and continues to grow in leaps and bounds.
Next up, offices and labs in Surrey, Whistler and Kelowna. Where the Whistler and Surrey operations remain small but very productive group members, the real success story has been Okanagan Testing Laboratories which is on the verge of becoming its own empire with its 1 satellite in Salmon Arm and probably more to come. Under the direction of Rod Shelast the company has rapidly grown from 1 to over 20 staff.
Later came Geomedia, adding a whole new dimension to the group with a dedicated geotechnical engineering company set to do big things. Still more success with the creation of Northern Geo Testing in Ft St John along with its satelite in Dawson Creek. The list goes on to add the talents Geo Tac Tic’s Media in Sechelt and more recently Tri Environmental in North Vancouver, Midland Geo in Red Deer, Alberta and Goal Engineering in Victoria.
Areas of Expertise
When the company was founded it carried a very limited variety of testing and inspection procedures emphasizing concrete, soil and asphalt testing. It has now become one of the largest and most diverse companies in the business in Western Canada. While staying away from the high profile, “look at me” style of the mega Engineering Groups, it has become the most recognizable name in technical expertise and reliability in the West. You won’t see our names on expensive advertising venues at airports or on tower cranes, but you will see us on every type of construction project around, on the ground and doing the work that needs to be done to protect the public safety, the integrity of our clients and of our professions.