Values and History
TBT Engineering Limited’s roots trace all the way back to 1968 when a gentleman by the name of Aldo Martinuzzi opened up a small construction materials and analytical testing laboratory in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The TBT Engineering logo was originally designed by Aldo to be symbolic of concrete cylinder compression testing in the lab where the two “T’s” are compressing the “B”.
Aldo sold the material testing operation to Conrad Hagstrom in 1984, and in 1994, a young engineer and aspiring entrepreneur named Rob Frenette brought a soil sample in to Thunder Bay Testing. Rob got his results back along with an unexpected offer to buy the business. After much deliberation, Rob and his wife Liana acquired the company in February of 1995 and renamed their new venture Thunder Bay Testing (1995) Limited.
From the very beginning, the company began to grow organically by adding new processes and customers. A vision for growth by diversification rather than the traditional geographical expansion was adopted and the company has since followed a strategic growth strategy that has resulted in service diversification across a wide range of technical and professional disciplines.
As the company’s diversification strategy has crystallized, so too has its identity. Thunder Bay Testing became known as Thunder Bay Testing and Engineering in 1997 and later became TBT Engineering Limited (TBTE) in 2009. The change in 2009 cemented the fact that TBTE was no longer just a testing laboratory, and no longer served clients only in Thunder Bay.
TBT Surveyors Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of TBT Engineering Limited) was formed to allow for the provision of Legal (Cadastral) Surveying, Geomatics and Reference Plans.
In recognition of the evolving corporate structure TBT Engineering Consulting Group was subsequently registered as a trade name for the growing commercial entity.
Corporate acquisitions of Profor Engineering (Mechanical and Electrical) in 2015, followed by the acquisition of Sostratus Engineering (Structural and Civil Engineering) in 2016 and then EXP’s Fort Frances and Dryden offices (Surveying and Geomatics) in 2017 has expanded our ability to provide “One Stop Shopping” for our clients throughout the region – and beyond!
Guided by the philosophy "Doing things right has never done us wrong” TBTE continues to grow – both in terms of service offerings and human resources – from our humble start with two technicians in 1995 to over 130 full-time staff with an additional 70 seasonal and contract staff today.
TBT Engineering strongly values a corporate culture that is fun and safety-conscious for all employees. "This success doesn't really belong to me but rather to the women and men who have worked side by side with me with the same goal of creating a company where we want to be, where we have fun, where we collectively believe in providing exceptional service and where we care about each other and the community," says Liana.
TBT Engineering has worked hard to build a first-rate reputation with its stakeholders over the years. "It's really hard to build a good reputation and it is easy to lose it," says Rob. "TBT Engineering will constantly strive to go the extra mile every day - to do things right for our clients, our employees, and the communities in which we all live, work and play”.
Indigenous Relations
TBT Engineering (TBTE) is committed to providing opportunities for First Nation communities to assist with economic development and community capacity building and wellness through the employment of Aboriginal peoples and support for development of Indigenous businesses.
Procurement from Indigenous businesses and First Nation communities involves trust, respect, relationship building and sustained partnership development.
TBTE currently participates with First Nation communities through formal business ventures, partnerships, Memorandums of Understanding and informal partnerships.
TBTE requires that company directors, managers and employees as well as subcontractors and service providers
- Promote positive relations with Indigenous peoples, communities and businesses always.
- Provide employment opportunities to Indigenous peoples and businesses.
- Procure goods and services and promote and participate in viable and competitive procurement opportunities with Indigenous business.
MISSION
To provide our clients with exceptional service and innovative solutions through an emphasis on quality, integrity, safety, cost-effectiveness, responsiveness, and timeliness. Our employees will be client-dedicated, environmentally sensitive and uphold the highest professional standards in the practice of engineering, earth and environmental sciences, technical services and land surveyors.
VISION
To be service leaders in the communities where we work by providing exceptional service to our clients and providing satisfying careers for our employees through integrity, hard work, accountability and honesty in a collaborative and solution orientated environment.
VALUES
Client Satisfaction: Our clients are our most important company asset and we are committed to servicing their needs. We are dedicated to not only achieving, but exceeding client expectations.
Employee Satisfaction: Our company's most important and valued resource is our experienced and trained professional, technical and support staff.
Relationships: We have positive, long-term relationships with our customers, joint-venture partners, business partners, subcontractors, suppliers, and colleagues that are built on trust, respect, and collaboration.
Professional & Ethical Integrity: We employ the highest level of professional and ethical standards and believe that our projects reflect who we are as a company. In providing professional services, we are dedicated to competence, honesty, fairness, dependability and excellence.
Quality: We are committed to striving for excellence and to doing it right the first time. Our reputation stands on our delivered services to every client and every community we serve.
Social Responsibility: We are committed to making a positive contribution to the well being of our staff and the communities in which we operate and to assist in improving the quality of life in communities where we work by respecting local cultures, engaging local people, and protecting the environment.
CULTURE
Our Environment: We actively build a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative work environment where all views are welcome, respect is the norm, openness is encouraged, and teamwork and merit are cornerstones. We are proud of what we do and how we do it and we enjoy doing it.
Our People: We inspire each other with important work full of purpose, challenging development opportunities, and rewarding careers. We aspire to be the employer of choice in our industry.
Our Teams: We know that teams produce superior results over what one can do as an individual.We believe that an open culture characterized by mutual respect, sharing of ideas and a commitment to common goals contributes to the overall productivity of our firm. Our philosophy is that each team member plays an important role in our company by providing individual expertise and a distinctive perspective to each project that they are involved in. We openly share relevant information and contribute to the success of others by helping others solve problems, meet deadlines and work efficiently. We ask for and welcome assistance and guidance and offer and give it freely.
Our Efficiency & Improvement: We remain accountable to our clients for the efficient execution of any project. We will work to identify and execute cost savings and improvements wherever we can. We will continuously look for ways to improve our services by ensuring the latest technology, training, education and research.
Our Safety & Health: We are relentless in keeping people safe from harm, and we continuously strive to provide and improve our healthy and safe work environment. We understand that safety is everyone’s responsibility and we commit to look out for each other in all work environments. We are committed to ensuring a healthy workplace for physical as well as mental health.
Our Respect: Everyone feels important and contributes and we make no distinction based on position. Everyone recognizes the uniqueness of each individual. We treat people with respect and dignity. We listen actively. We communicate in a timely and forthright manner. We never undermine colleagues.
Our Trust: Everyone will do what is best for the client, each other and the company. Everyone takes commitments responsibly and always keep their word. Everyone will perform their jobs, be accountable and demonstrate openness and honesty in coworker and business relationships.
Our Competitive Advantage: We place a high priority on time and deliver work on time to both internal and external clients. We work to reduce time required to perform tasks by removing needless steps. We act in a timely fashion to accomplish our goals and meet commitments in a professional manner. We respond to questions and issues immediately or as soon as appropriate information is available.
