D.A. Watt Consulting:
Engineering powerhouse ‌ with a heart
25th Anniversary
Table of Contents From the Ground Up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Current Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Art of Consulting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Faces Behind D.A. Watt Consulting. . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A Challenging Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Environmentally-Friendly Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . 12 Giving Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Published by: Business in Calgary, 1025, 101 – 6 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 3P4 Tel: 403.264.3270 Fax: 403.264.3276 info@businessincalgary.com www.businessincalgary.com
Publisher: OT Communications
The Outlook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Director of Custom Publishing:
A Winning Attitude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Bernie Cooke
2
Project Coordinator Stephen Fedlow
Writer: Doreen Vanderstoop
Art Director: Cher Compton
Graphic Designers: katalist studios & Kenji Doshida
D.A. Watt Consulting: Engineering powerhouse … with a heart
The team at D.A. Watt
‘A
phoenix rising from the ashes’ isn’t too strong a metaphor to describe the birth of D.A. Watt Consulting. The early ’80s spelled bleak economic times in Calgary. David Watt had just been named president of Entek Engineering Ltd., the in-house engineering group of Nu-West Developments Ltd. His first mission: fold the company. Watt himself had been assured at least a short-term safety net with Nu-West. The other Entek employees, however, had no protection from the prospect of unemployment in a declining economy. And that just didn’t sit right with the Saskatchewan
…beneath a stagnant economy lay hidden opportunities for the discriminating entrepreneur. farm boy with solid family values. So, with the strong support of Entek colleague, Tom Medlicott, David Watt negotiated with Nu-West to start his own engineering and land surveying business with Entek employees, Entek assets and six months worth of residual work. August 1, 1983: D.A. Watt Consulting is born. “I told my wife, ‘We could lose it all,’” Watt recalls. But beneath a stagnant economy lay hidden opportunities for the discriminating entrepreneur. “I bought $100,000 worth of computer equipment for $20,000,” Watt explains. “And I renegotiated a lease for office space from $7.50 per square foot down to $1.75. The alternative for the landlord was to have the space sit empty.”
Message from the Mayor
2008 May 5
Mr. David A. Watt, P.Eng. President D.A. Watt Consulting Group Ltd. #310, 3016 - 5 Avenue N.E. Calgary, AB T2A 6K4 Dear Mr. Watt: I wanted to take this opportunity to offer my personal congratulations on the 25th Anniversary Celebration of D.A. Watt Consulting Group Ltd. on August 1st, 2008. Your success and growth reflect your commitment to good business planning and quality customer service for which your company is widely known and admired. I hope you all have a great time with your friends and colleagues reminiscing and celebrating your achievements over the years. Best wishes for many more years of success and growth. Yours sincerely,
Dave Bronconnier MAYOR
3
From the Ground Up
D
.A. Watt president, David Watt, and vice president, Tom Medlicott, soon began bolstering their small team of engineering and survey professionals. “At the low ebb, in about 1985, we had a complement of approximately eight employees,” Watt explains. “We made the decision to expand with a view to providing high quality, personalized service to the private land development industry.” “We wanted to create a strong organizational foundation during the recession of the early 1980s,” Medlicott notes. “Despite tough times, we began hiring talented professionals as an investment in the future.” Watt is quick to credit a devoted early client, Morguard Investments Limited, with being D.A. Watt’s bridge to better times. “After Nu-West went under, Morguard hired us to manage their raw land holdings in Calgary and Airdrie. It was the ‘leg up’ we needed to begin developing and expanding our long-term business plan.” D.A. Watt’s initial focus was on land devel-
4
opment engineering and legal survey of residential subdivisions. Then, municipal work for The City of Calgary and surrounding communities began to prove viable. There have been many changes over the years. One of the most notable began in 1987 with an association with the Calgary office of B.A. Group, a national transportation engineering firm headquartered in Toronto. Nick Finn and his B.A. Group staff sub-let office space from D.A. Watt, and the two firms provided consulting services to each other. In 1994, D.A. Watt Consulting acquired the Alberta operations of B.A. Group, and gained a new transportation division. The division benefited from the long-standing reputation of Nick Finn in the Calgary area, and operated for some years
The company has continued to grow and has diversified from its land development roots into endeavours such as road safety consulting, highway engineering and project management. under the trade name, Finn Transportation Consultants. D.A. Watt later acquired MWK Engineering Ltd. and practised highway engineering in southern Alberta, designing pavement overlays and intersection treatments for Alberta Transportation. In a joint venture with G.D. Hamilton and Associates of Vancouver, D.A. Watt established Hamilton-Finn Consultants to bring Hamilton’s road safety engineering expertise to the Alberta market. This practice was later sold to Opus International when Opus acquired the Vancouver-based business of G.D. Hamilton. About 10 years ago, the company also expanded into British Columbia by opening an office in Kelowna. Operations in B.C. are focused on transportation studies and vacation property development. In 2004, the various operating divisions and companies of which D.A. Watt Consulting Group Ltd. was comprised were combined, forging the D.A. Watt Consulting ‘brand’ that we know today. The company has continued to grow and has diversified from its land development roots into endeavours such as road safety consulting, highway engineering and project management. This has led to a broader corporate aim that includes both private and public sector projects ranging in scale from single-family real property report surveys to multifaceted industrial and residential subdivisions encompassing the design and development of hundreds of acres and all the associated services and facilities.
Current Operations
T
he professional services at D.A. Watt are segmented into four divisions: engineering, transportation, legal survey/geomatics and project management.
Engineering
At the core of D.A. Watt’s practice is the civil engineering group, which provides a full spectrum of municipal engineering services focusing on land development and municipal infrastructure. Effectively overcoming project issues such as tight and complex scheduling, resource coordination, budget constraints, contract administration, design complications and approval-related negotiations is of prime importance.
In recent years, the company has completed projects in Calgary, Airdrie, Crossfield, Okotoks, Medicine Hat, Lloydminster, Camrose and Canmore. Clients have included private builders and developers, municipalities and public sector organizations. Specific consulting services range from project feasibility studies and subdivision design, to storm water management systems and water distribution and sanitary sewer infrastructure design. In recent years, the company has completed projects in Calgary, Airdrie, Crossfield, Okotoks, Medicine Hat, Lloydminster, Camrose and Canmore. Clients have included private builders and developers, municipalities and public sector organizations.
Legal Team
Engineering - (L-R) Scott Illingworth (Project Manager), Elise Harlick (Senior Project Manager), Eppo van Weelderen (Manager), Mike Smith (Senior Project Manager), Ron Husack (Senior Project Manager), Mike Henderson (Project Manager). Absent - Jennifer Lefevre (Senior Project Manager).
R E A D Y- T O - G O H O M E S
TA I L O R E D H O M E S
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S D.A. WATT CONSULTING GROUP On your 25 years in business!
CUSTOM HOMES
From your partners and friends at Baywest. Here’s to the journey ahead.
You have played a significant part in Baywest’s growth throughout the years.
WWW.BAYWESTHOMES.COM
EVERYTHING WE BUILD, WE BUILD AROUND YOU.™
5
Transportation Team
Transportation
The transportation engineering division offers a broad range of specialist transportation planning and engineering services to private development, institutional and public sector clients. Specific activities include everything from transportation planning and roadway design to parking facility planning and noise attenuation studies. The company also makes extensive use
6
Senior Staff
of the Synchro/SimTraffic and Autotrack Modeling software to predict traffic movement patterns.
Legal Survey/Geomatics
Employing state-of-the-art total stations, real-time GPS and advanced CADD software, D.A. Watt’s geomatics/legal survey division provides a full range of survey and mapping services to land managers, plan-
ners, architects, engineers, builders and homeowners. Services range from site survey and topographical plans to computerized mapping and GIS data management.
Project Management
The project management group delivers a broad range of project administration, financial analysis and contract supervision services. They guide land development and infrastructure projects through from inception, design, approvals and construction to the final sale. Through a contract with ENMAX, D.A. Watt has played a key role in the provisioning of shallow utility services to new residential subdivisions in Calgary. The company developed and maintained a comprehensive stand-alone project database application that allows for the combined tracking of scheduling, administration and costing information by partner, job, developer and/or contractor. In addition to the project management services provided for shallow utility construction, they also work with land development clients, doing comprehensive cash flow analyses and financial modelling to look at the viability of new development opportunities, or assess the performance of ongoing projects. To expand the company’s capability from its core, staff members are ‘cross-pollinated’ between the four divisions. Watt says: “Allowing employees to challenge themselves in other areas allows them to increase their depth of knowledge and skills, which also enables the company to provide better service to our customers.”
The Art of Consulting
D
.A. Watt Consulting’s guiding principles inform all aspects of the business: • “We value our clients as partners and strive to exceed their expectations. • “We hold paramount the health and safety of the public. • “We approach our practice with honesty and integrity. • “We commit to sound professional practices. • “We commit to stable, long-term career opportunities for our employees. • “We provide a fulfilling and safe work environment. • “We emphasize a balanced lifestyle. • “We generate fair profits to reinvest in strengthening our organization and people.”
business volume is high in a hot economy, we have to be extra vigilant about ensuring we are providing the best professional advice to clients and not just ‘selling widgets.’” D.A. Watt abandons all notions of growth for the sake of growth. “We decided long ago that if we practised in a professional
and client-focused way, growth would happen,” Watt states. “If growth is the only goal, then you’ll hire people quickly and work them very hard. We want to create space for people to grow in our company, in a way that also respects their health and family time.”
The company believes that the selection of a consulting engineer based on qualifications provides the client with the best value for his or her money. As such, D.A. Watt Consulting is a proponent of Qualifications Base Selection (QBS), bringing the following ideals to each project: • Technical competence • Managerial ability • Dedicated personnel • Relevant experience • Proven performance • Professional integrity As Watt explains it: “Selection of services on the basis of cost alone tends to limit the engineer’s ability to explore innovative avenues that can result in optimal project performance in such areas as capital cost, scheduling and downstream maintenance costs.” One issue that pervades all business operations at D.A. Watt is that of ethical standards. “Engineering consultants need to uphold the values of the engineering profession at all times,” Watt notes. “When
One issue that pervades all business operations at D.A. Watt is that of ethical standards.
ST R A TE GI C
7
The Faces Behind D.A. Watt Consulting David Watt, P.Eng., President and Chairman Watt began his foray into engineering as a student at the University of Saskatchewan. For a while, the spark just wasn’t there. He worked for five years in Edmonton as a construction labourer, surveyor, draftsman and designer. Then marriage, children and a concomitant rise in maturity led him to earn a civil engineering degree with distinction from the University of Alberta. That’s when Nu-West’s Entek Engineering Ltd. asked Watt to open an office in Red Deer. Entek’s Red Deer branch started in Watt’s basement.
Tom Medlicott, ALS, Vice President and Director Tom Medlicott is a proud SAIT Survey Technology graduate who worked diligently to achieve his survey commission in 1978. That’s when he was named survey manager of Nu-West subsidiary Entek. Supporting Watt’s bid to re-brand Entek as D.A. Watt Consulting was a gamble he doesn’t regret for a moment.
“Job satisfaction has never been an issue,” he asserts. Medlicott has worn many hats for D.A. Watt over the years, including that of founding partner, project manager, human resources officer, hirer/firer, whip cracker and mentor. He is grateful that the hiring of a personnel manager two years ago finally allowed him to cut back his work week from 60 hours. These days, he gets to pick the projects he enjoys and works with management to keep the D.A. Watt team of “enthusiastic, keen, well-educated” employees working in concert.
Nick Finn, P.Eng., Vice President and Director Nick Finn’s engineering skills were first honed in his home country of England. He immigrated to Canada in 1972 and immediately settled in Calgary, where he earned a master’s degree in transportation planning. Having been associated with D.A. Watt since 1994, Finn is proud to have been a part of the company’s success to date and speaks highly of its “principled”
Colette Hyde, CGA Controller and Director
Colette obtained her CGA in 2000 after 25 years of working as an accountant first in the development industry, then in oil and gas , then in Engineering and Surveying. In 2005, Colette was looking for a change and found D.A. Watt. D. A. Watt was attractive because it was in a great growth cycle and offered a great opportunity to contribute to that growth. Colette is currently a shareholder and is on the
8
“We quite literally started from the ground up,” he comments jovially. “My assistant was my greatest asset. She served variously as secretary, draftsman, survey assistant and babysitter.” By 1982, the Red Deer branch had moved out of Watt’s basement and boasted 35 employees. Watt was soon on his way to Calgary to ignite his future prospects as an entrepreneur with his own fledgling company. As the fortunes of D.A. Watt Consulting gained a foothold, Watt had time to become a certified pilot and, for a while, was a partner in Springbank Air Training College, a flight school in Springbank.
chief executive. “David has always cared about people,” he says. Projects such as the development of a Master Transportation Plan for Mount Royal College, working with the Tsuu T’ina First Nation on Calgary’s new ring road, and doing transportation planning for ‘The Bow’ and ‘The Bridges’ are points of pride for Finn. Recently, the company won a contract to conduct a major transportation study of Red Deer’s “Gasoline Alley.”
Board at D.A. Watt and is excited to be part of this growing company. The culture at D.A. Watt is very respectful, entrepreneurial, professional and fun. It is a great place to come to work every day, the people here are what makes the difference. In her spare time, Colette is Treasurer of the MEOW Foundation, a volunteer with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and and on the organizing committee of the 2009 Tim Horton’s Brier.
Grant McDonald, BA (Hon.), Vice President and Director Like Medlicott, Grant McDonald’s association with David Watt has long roots. To fund his honours degree in economics, McDonald worked as a land surveyor during the summers. Eventually he was hired by a residential developer in Red Deer, where he contracted Watt and his small Entek crew to perform engineering and survey work. With goodnatured humour, McDonald notes, “That’s when David worked for me.” McDonald solidified his relationship with the affable entrepreneur through shared work interests as well as their efforts as co-founding board members
of Red Deer’s Urban Development Institute. After moving to Calgary, McDonald reconnected with Watt in the early ’90s to do project management work for D.A. Watt, which led to his first becoming manager of engineering and then, four years ago, vice president. He works with the controller on the financial end of the business and continues as project manager on several long-standing contracts. One that McDonald is particularly proud of is D.A. Watt’s work on the Urban Residential Distribution System, a shared venture between ENMAX, Telus, Shaw and ATCO to install shallow utilities in new subdivisions. “Since 1996, we’ve helped them service 7,000 to 10,000 lots per year,” he explains.
Michael Szarmes, CD, P.Eng., Manager Legal Survey/Geomatics
Michael started his surveying career with Department of Surveying Engineering at the University of Calgary after graduating from SAIT in 1987. Working full-time, he completed his B.Sc. Degree in Surveying Engineering with Distinction and the APEGGA Gold Medal and went on to win a prestigious NSERC graduate scholarship and complete his M.Sc. Degree in Geomatics Engineering in 1997. With degrees in hand, Michael worked as a Research Associate at the University of Calgary before securing an engineering position at The City of Calgary. There, Michael worked in the Geomatics Division for nine years working on numerous geospatial information management projects including the development of an internationally-recognized and award-winning Base Mapping Management system.
Bruce Nelligan, M.Eng., P.Eng., PTOE, Manager Transportation
Bruce obtained his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of New Brunswick in 1993. After graduation, he began working at the University conducting road safety research while also completing his Masters degree in Transportation on a part-time basis. Bruce moved to Vancouver in 1996 and began working as a consultant for a firm that specialized in transportation engineering and road safety. In 2003, Mr. Nelligan received an offer of employment from the City of Calgary’s Network Planning Division and decided it was the right time to move
“Working at the City was a great experience, but I felt the entrepreneurial itch, so to speak. D.A. Watt Consulting was a natural fit for my abilities and point in my career,” he says. As Manager, Michael says “Our selling feature is our professional service from field staff to office professional. We pride ourselves on the quality of service we provide to our valued client partners.” In his part time, Michael is a commissioned officer in the Canadian Forces Reserves. “The fact that Dave so readily recognizes reservists’ contribution to country and the workplace really highlights the type of individual he is as well as the company he has built.” Michael is proud to be considered key in the transition from the old guard to the new guard and looks forward to continued growth and success started by Dave, Tom and the others.
him and his young family to Calgary. His career in transportation engineering took another turn in 2006 when David Watt took Bruce out for a game of golf and offered him the position of Assistant Manager, Transportation. Bruce was attracted to D.A. Watt because of the flexibility offered by a smaller sized consulting firm, the opportunity for professional development and the company’s growth-oriented culture. Since joining the firm in 2006, Bruce has since been promoted to Manager of the Transportation Division and has been involved in numerous transportation planning projects. Most recently, Bruce was the Project Manager for the Crowchild Trail and Flanders Avenue Interchange Transportation Planning Study. 9
Eppo van Weelderen, CD, P.Eng., Manager Engineering and Director
PI -RH %Y EW Y VY I WXV Q M 'E R R MEP )R PP SV 0S IVK
XL XW ] IE JS 4E WX V W VO )H EPI QS S R V XSR
Eppo graduated from the University of Calgary in 1994 and began his professional career under the mentorship of Nick Finn and Glen Holland as part of Finn Transportation Consultants. He received his professional designation in 1997 and worked for eight years as a Transportation Engineer focusing on the provision of transportation planning support to land development projects in the Calgary region. “We had a heck of a lot of fun delivering transportation solutions to our clients and that was due in no small part to the team that Nick and Glen brought together� he says. In late 2005, David asked Eppo if he would take on the challenge of managing the Engineering Division. The transition happened and the Engineering Division has grown from eight to twenty staff in just under three years, including the growth from one project manager to six. “My philosophy was simple, as a transportation engineer in a civil world I was incapable of micromanaging so I was forced
to focus on the big picture – attracting, training and retaining great staff. With David’s continual assistance and mentorship on the ‘practice’ side of our Division, I’ve been able to focus on the ‘business’ side and I’m having a blast doing it.� Eppo is also a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Forces Reserves and is in his twenty-second year of service. He has just completed a two-year posting as an instructor on the Army Operations Course, which teaches Majors and Captains the skills necessary to work in the all-arms environment of a multi-national formation headquarters. “The skills we teach are very pertinent to today’s contemporary operating environment and many of our students have gone on to complete successful deployments as staff officers in Afghanistan�. He is now preparing to take command of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, a Reserve unit based in Edmonton that will have Engineer Squadrons in both Edmonton and Calgary. “Currently ten percent of our firm are reservists and we have really gained from the free leadership and professional development training that the military has provided.�
&%.0/50/ "-#&35"
'6563& 1)"4&4 40-%
40-%
40-%
137th
Avenu e
1)"4&
H E R I TA G E PA R T N E R S and A U R U M E N E R G Y PA R K congratulate DA Watt on a successful 25 years! 10
2800 Barlow Trail NE Calgary, AB T1Y 1A2 T:(403) 291-2800
CONGRATULATIONS To DA Watt & Associates on your 25th Anniversary and thank you for a great relationship over the past 25 years.
11
A Challenging Time
I
n Calgary’s current boom, it goes without saying that finding qualified staff is the biggest challenge for any business. To keep pace with housing prices and other cost of living expenses, university graduates are seeking salaries commensurate with those earned by professionals who have 10 to 15 years of experience. D.A. Watt’s focus on professionalism and integrity makes finding qualified staff all the more critical. Although it isn’t easy, the company has been able to attract talented individuals who exhibit such values as strong ethics and a sense of family. “As we grow, we have a lot to offer our current and prospective employees,” Watt affirms. “Incentives include competitive salaries, a reasonable work week, lifestyle benefits, social events, and opportunities for further technical training. And we encourage our staff to gain from the company’s success by becoming shareholders.”
Environment-friendly Engineering
S
ociety’s increased sensitivity to environmental issues is just starting to show an influence on industry. Sediment and erosion control methods are becoming standard operating procedures in construction. Alternative sources of energy and water conservation initiatives are also impacting design and building practices. D.A. Watt is current with all the latest storm water management technologies such as rainwater harvesting, green roofs and bioretention areas. “This is an exciting time in our industry,” Watt notes. “Implementing new environmental technologies in our buildings and communities gives us the capacity to conserve our water resources and dramatically improve water quality in our lakes and rivers.” The company makes every effort to find other innovative ways to save the planet. “Putting in practice new methods of on-site treatment and disposal of sewage reduces strain on municipal waste water treatment plants,” Watt explains. “Storing and using geothermal energy reduces our reliance on conventional forms of energy and saves money.” 12
In the area of transportation planning, the company helps its clients reduce reliance on single occupancy vehicles in favour of more sustainable methods of transportation by incorporating car-pool stalls, attractive pedestrian and bicycle connections, and access to transit into a design.
Giving Back
W
ith D.A. Watt’s ongoing success, Watt’s position as president has afforded him some welcome opportunities for community service. He sat as a volunteer board member for the Consulting Engineers of Alberta and served on the Code of Ethics Committee, the Practice Standards Committee, and the Practice Review Board for the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA). Watt also speaks with obvious pride of his 10 years of service as volunteer chairman of the Baptist Union Development Foundation, which distributes resources to 180 churches and ministries in Western Canada and supports activities from summer camps to overseas mission work.
the development of this most important resource pool.” The company also makes an annual contribution to the Transportation Association of Canada Foundation to provide continuing support of their program entitled “Educating Tomorrow’s Transportation Leaders.” ‘Giving back’ also has a military slant at D.A. Watt. In 2007, the company received its second Canadian Forces Liaison Council (CFLC) Award of Excellence, citing continued strong support for the Canadian Forces Reserves. Reservists and former military personnel currently form nearly 10 per cent of the company’s workforce. To support Canada’s military and to demonstrate its understanding of the benefits that reservists bring to the civilian workplace, D.A. Watt Consulting adopted a military leave policy that allows reservists time off annually for training or courses of up to two weeks, with pay top-up. As well, they formally allow time off for operational tours, with no loss of seniority or rank. The 2007 CFLC award citation notes: “D.A. Watt Consulting is a leading example of a private-sector company, small in size, that ‘walks the talk’ when it comes to support for its reservist employees. Its president, Mr. David Watt, P.Eng., received recognition from the CFLC in 2005 for its exceptional support, and the CFLC is honoured to be doing so again in 2007.”
‘Giving back’ also has a military slant at D.A. Watt. In 2007, the company received its second Canadian Forces Liaison Council (CFLC) Award of Excellence, citing continued strong support for the Canadian Forces Reserves. Besides Watt’s personal contributions, the company that bears his name donates a percentage of its profits as contributions to dozens of charitable organizations. Backing the engineering profession is also a priority. D.A. Watt Consulting is a strong supporter of the Civil and Geomatics Engineering Technology programs at SAIT. Starting in 2006, the company has provided scholarships to assist emerging engineering technologists with their school tuition. Michael Szarmes, CD, P.Eng., manager of legal surveys/geomatics, also a graduate of SAIT and the U of C, notes: “The students that SAIT generates are technically strong individuals with an ambition to make a difference in their chosen careers. The graduates from these programs who have worked with us excelled in their fields. I feel honoured that D.A. Watt Consulting continues to play a role in 13
Congratulations to D.A. Watt Consulting on your 25th Anniversary as Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors!
Land Measurement Systems Inc. Bay 1 - 1435 40th Ave N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 8N6 Tel - 403- 291-9575 | Toll Free - 877-291-7503
www.lmssurvey.com
ø
25
ø
Congratulations! D.A. WATT Consulting! We celebrate your many accomplishments over the last 25 years!
5605_dawatt ad_final.indd 1
5/14/08 1:31:44 PM
Congratulations to D.A. Watt on 25 great years! Calgary International Airport Parkade
2001 Expansion
2008 Development
Calgary - Vancouver - Toronto - Victoria - Naniamo
Your Partner in the Field
years 30
Congratulations D.A.Watt on your 25th Anniversary! Having served you for the last 25 years, we look forward to serving you for many years in the future.
• Paint & Flagging • GPS & Total Stations • Lasers & Levels • Pipe & Pin Locators • 2D/3D Machine Control Calgary: 1-800-661-1129 Edmonton: 1-800-661-8816 Regina: (306)525-6422 Richmond: 1-800-667-5944 Prince George: 1-866-399-8940 www.butlersurvey.com 14
The Outlook
D
.A. Watt Consulting passed the quarter century mark on August 1, 2008. Its goal is to build on the strength of the first 25 years of solid performance by expanding its client base, adding to its team of qualified and specialized staff and pursuing new market opportunities across Western Canada. Continued smart growth is key. “We need to maintain a vision of who our clients should be as the company grows and matures,” Watt says. “We are constantly looking for clients that share our values and create projects that are innovative, leading edge, and environmentally responsible.” Compared to the competition, D.A. Watt is a one-stop shop that provides a more personal level of service than larger firms can offer. “Many comparable companies are selling out to larger firms, which leaves a vacuum that a medium-sized firm like ours can fill,” Watt explains. “We offer expertise in engineering, legal survey, transportation and project management plus more personalized service from senior executives and professional staff.”
Succession planning is also a big part of the company’s long-term vision. “We will continue to resist the option to sell,” Watt insists. “Instead, our focus is on business development with a view to continuing to increase equity in the company so that it can carry on. Opportunities for healthy profits have existed for the last 10 years. We are confident that the future of this company will be just as healthy as its past.”
A Winning Attitude
W
att is unequivocal in the pride he feels for his staff and the future prospects of D.A. Watt Consulting. His greatest ongoing satisfaction in founding and developing the multi-disciplinary company is in supporting his 70 or so employees and being a positive influence on their growth and success. “Our company boasts a new generation of highly-qualified professionals. It’s a
great place to work. We have a solid reputation for integrity, honesty and a strong work ethic.” Then his face lights up in a Saskatchewan farm boy grin. “And the future is going to be a lot of fun.” D.A. Watt Consulting is an engineering tour de force where the enjoyment of life and relationships is not trumped by the bottom line. Notably, the bottom line doesn’t seem to suffer at all. In fact, this phoenix just keeps rising…
15
Congratulations & Thank you Dave Watt ...and his very competent team for exceptional engineering services in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. We count on them and we get results. Musgrave Agencies Ltd.
MUSGRAVE AGENCIES LTD.
Real Estate & Land Development
If we can’t find it, we’ll build it.
Okanagan Condos on Wood Lake - NOW SELLING! Telephone: (780) 875-9159
Fax: (780) 875-5958
www.musgraveagencies.com Lloydminster, AB/SK