Guest blog by Mike Melenberg
Greg Burghardt, president of Arrow Engineering Inc., started the company with two partners and a handful of dedicated employees nearly six years ago. Their small office’s initial offerings were mechanical and civil engineering consultation for the built industry. The company was started, however, to be more than “just another company.” It was Greg’s personal intention to build a company that would “be the best.” Greg had envisioned that Arrow would be “a fabulous employer that provides its employees with the best possible career experience.” When he said this, he had the livelihood of every current and future Arrow employee in mind and thus began a culture that continues to play an intricate part in Arrow’s organic growth. The leadership team at Arrow knows that by treating their employees with abundant care and respect that Arrow’s clients will be treated with the same care and respect.
The employees at Arrow will tell you that the leadership team cares for its employees by going beyond the typical monetary incentives. They sponsor a plethora of events that create opportunities for everyone to spend quality time together. These events are typically attended by a vast majority of employees and have included activities such as camping, snowmobiling, go-karting, and boating, to name a few.
Despite an uncertain economy, Arrow has continued to grow but they haven’t grown for the sake of growing. Instead they have grown to meet the demands of their clients. Companies, such as Arrow, have been able to foster organic growth.
Like a potted plant, Arrow’s leadership nurtures the roots (employees) and the plant (company) grows, which has led to the plant outgrowing its pot (office space) several times. Once Arrow recognizes the potential for growth, it becomes very planned and calculated so as to maintain the culture and the high level of client satisfaction. Currently, Arrow has expanded its operations to include four disciplines (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, and Automation & Commissioning) in two locations (Edmonton and Saskatoon). About fifty employees work together seamlessly to produce reliable results and exceed the expectations of their clients. Arrow’s recipe for success has produced profitability in each year of operation, and strong growth which has averaged over 40% per year with last year’s number coming in around the 70% mark. As well, it maintains turnover rates around 3% – significantly below industry averages. Arrow’s strong, positive culture is the driving force that will move the company on its journey to achieve its vision to be… “The Recognized Leader—a progressive ‘go to’ company for innovative and responsible engineering solutions.”
For more information on Arrow Engineering visit them online at: www.arrowonline.ca.
Greg Burghardt has been a friend of mine for a number of years and I have always admired the success journey of Arrow Engineering and I wanted to share the story with other business leaders. A great message from a great company with organic growth. Mike Mack, MBA Business Strategist X5 Management
