February 16, 2017 – Melissa Schitz, Postmedia Network – It’s an exciting time for one local Sarnia company; Integrity Millwrights Inc. is in the midst of major expansions after merging with American based company Turbine Pros.
Just last week, it was out with the old signage and in with the new, phasing out their old name and bringing something new to the table.
Jeff Astolfi first started his business in 2005 – it was originally run out of his home with just one employee, and now he’s taken on a role that will have him overseeing operations across Canada.
And while the rumour mill has put out word that they are closing up shop, Astolfi said he’s doing just the opposite. They are working to become bigger and better than ever before, while offering the same solid work ethic that has made them a go-to company to work with in Lambton County.
It’s the same people and the same integrity, just under a new name with even greater resources.
“Often we were viewed as a mom and pop shop, and in a roundabout way, we were,” Astolfi said. “Now, it’s completely changed.”
Since first opening over a decade ago, they’ve continuously grown in terms of employees and clientele. They moved into a building on Roper St. just off of Confederation, in 2011, leaving his home office behind.
After the oil industry collapse last year, it wasn’t just Astolfi’s business that suffered, he said it impacted millwrights across the board. But the slow season brought them a positive spin later on, one that Astolfi is happy to have found.
Out of his 26 employees, six went to a job in British Columbia, where the general contractor was Turbine Pros. This is where their relationship first blossomed, and after seeing the impressive work of Astolfi’s former employees, Turbine Pros took a shining to Integrity Millwrights.
“They started a communication with me…they wanted me to teach their people the way I taught mine, in a sense of work ethic,” Astolfi said.
Soon enough, the pursuit began, with the Minnesota based company asking Astolfi to work for them. He was dedicated to his small business, which he had grown from the ground up, but when Turbine Pros offered to merge companies, it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
In the fall of 2016, the merge began, slowly making the change over to their new name, TurbinePros R.E. Services, Ltd. Now they have the ability to handle bigger and more complex jobs for all rotating equipment.
“We’ve created four jobs in the month of January alone,” he said. “It’s giving millwrights here in our area a much larger opportunity for work.”
While Astolfi’s specialty is refineries, oil and gas, Turbine Pros are experts in power generation. Coming together means bringing even more capabilities to the table, including nuclear, hydro, steam and gas, just to name a few.
“Together, we’re unlimited in what we can do in regards to industrial rotating machinery,” he said.
TurbinePros R.E Services, Ltd. is currently working toward ISO9001 and 14001 Certifications, as well as becoming COR certified.
With offices in Vancouver, Rogers, Minnesota, Chattanooga, Tennessee and now Sarnia, there are still further plans to open a fifth office in Alberta and talk of one somewhere in the Maritimes by 2018.
Renovations are now underway, with new offices being constructed on the second floor of their building, as well as a brand new computer server, phone system and new gear for employees.
Astolfi is also pleased to be getting new multi compartmental service trucks, enabling them to do even more on job sites in what he calls ‘island mode’.
“We’ll be one of the only millwright providers in our area that has these service trucks,” he said. “The very best, top-of-the-line tools are on board, everything you need to do the job is right there.”
On top of that, Astolfi said response time to service calls will be dramatically reduced when everything they need is already on board and ready to go.
“There’s no financial limitations anymore,” he said.
It was important for Astolfi to be able to retain all of his current employees and keep his long-standing clients happy. Turbine Pros agreed to honour all contracts and pricing for those who have been loyal customers of Integrity Millwrights Inc. Along with that, they are offering an economic driver in the area for this field of work.
“We’re getting much larger,” he said. “We’re telling millwrights that you will have more choices of where to work and clients to work for with these resources.”
Astolfi said they will be continuing to hire new people as they progress, and he’s looking forward to what will come in the years ahead. With a changed job title and more people to manage, work will be busier than ever, but he said he has a solid team behind him that is sure to succeed.
“we are all very excited about it,” Astolfi said. “We are all up to the challenge.”
For more information on TurbinePros R.E Services Ltd., visit www.tpres.ca.
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