Learn About the
History of Engcomp
A good reputation means a lot in engineering. Good work—done right, on time, on budget—can increase production, boost productivity, protect human and environmental safety, save millions. Reputation features strongly in Engcomp’s evolution from a small structural engineering consulting firm to a full service design firm.
Push start.
2004 to 2006.
Engcomp begins as a one-man narrative in 2004, but it quickly expands into a story of engineering entrepreneurship. The one man at the beginning is Jason Mewis, age 31, a University of Saskatchewan Civil Engineering grad who was working as senior project engineer with a large multinational company. One day, he got a call from an engineering firm in Alberta. They wanted to open an office in Saskatoon, and they wanted to build it around him. It is the kind of validation a professional engineer likes to hear, but for Mewis, it was strangely unsettling.
Back in 2004, Saskatchewan’s resource industry was still a sleeping giant in terms of global interest and investment. Mewis saw the potential, so he focussed his attention and began serving the small scale engineering needs of heavy industry. He used his extensive network of contacts to land his first contract: installation of a large transformer at PotashCorp’s Cory mine. Engcomp was officially in business.
“Our view is that if we focus on our people first, they will be as motivated as they can be, and out of that will come a good product for our clients.”
Growth.
2007 to 2010.
In 2007, Saskatchewan was in full boom. Commodity exports were soaring — potash alone was up 38.4 per cent year over year. Corporate profits were up, investment in new capital equipment was up, value of manufacturing shipments was up. Employment grew, personal income grew and the housing market skyrocketed, with residential building permits up 75.3 per cent over 2006.
The economy was attracting people to the province, cause for celebration among residents more used to waving goodbye to friends, family and colleagues heading to Alberta in search of opportunity. Now, the opportunity was here. With projects growing in size and scope, Engcomp deepened its bench in structural engineering experience and developed more multidisciplinary expertise in mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and process engineering.
Engcomp was building a good reputation. They were innovative, problem-solvers. They got the job done, on budget and on time. Their cost estimates and risk analyses were sound.
Good work was leading to more good work. Now, Engcomp faced one of the biggest decisions in its corporate life.
Evolution.
2011 to 2014.
2011 was a watershed for Engcomp. The company had almost two dozen employees, but it faced a dilemma. In the heavy industrial and mining sectors, projects were often large, multidisciplinary and complex. Engcomp provided specific services for specific parts of larger projects, and they wanted to do more.
Engcomp literally doubled in size in the space of a year. The company expanded its Structural and Mechanical Engineering Groups, added an Electrical Engineering Group, recruited more senior engineers and more designers.
In 2012, Engcomp formed an alliance with Consultec, a Toronto-based firm with a 35-year history in cement and mining projects around the world. The alliance lets both firms take on a wider variety of work, across Canada and also abroad.
In 2014 Engcomp celebrated its 10th anniversary in much the same way as it celebrated its first — eyes forward and a strategic plan in place to grow the company to the next level.
Eyes forward.
2015 to Present.
As markets shifted and clients' priorities changed due to decreasing commodity pricing in the heavy industrial sector, Engcomp faced the challenge of how to appropriately respond and, more importantly, succeed under a new set of rules. A intentional focus was made on improving communication and predictability of outcome within their projects, and these improvements have been well received by the industry, creating separation between Engcomp and other service providers.
With over a decade of corporate experience in the engineering sector, Engcomp began to seriously plan a meaningful community engagement strategy. This strategy began with an Indigenous Engagement Strategy, and continues to mature and develop.
Engcomp maintains a reputation of being a stable and mature company throughout the recent market transformations.