From the London Free Press, october 20, 2013
The Hayter Group has won this year’s Integrity Award from the Better Business Bureau of Western Ontario.
Owner Chad Hayter said the family-based business has built a base of trust with customers by offering the reliable service so vital in rural markets that depend on wells and water treatment systems. “We say we are a service company that also does installations,” he said.
The firm was founded in Alvinston in 1952. His father, Jim, started as an apprentice and took over the company in 1981. Hayter grew up in the business, but worked for Cargill for nine years. He returned to take control of the family business 10 years ago.
Over the years Hayter Group has installed more than 1,500 kilometres of environmentally friendly geothermal piping across the region, always as a dealer for WaterFurnace.
Hayter said consistency is important. “We haven’t switched suppliers of name brands for decades. A lot of companies have come and gone but WaterFurnace is still there.”
The company has 34 employees. Plumbing and heating, geothermal and solar panels each make up roughly a third of the business.
The other finalists for the Integrity Award were Dorchester-based Aveiro Constructors, Fantastic Nails and Spa, and Van Luyk Greenhouses and Garden Centre, both in London.
The awards, in their 16th year, recognize Southwestern Ontario businesses that practise high ethical standards for customers, employees and the community. Wednesday’s awards ceremony included a panel with restaurant owner Mike Smith, Western Fair manager Hugh Mitchell and Libro VP Tania Goodine.