Did you miss part 1 and part 2?
Community Engagement and Growth
By the 2010s, Epscan had deepened its roots in the community, supporting local causes while continuing to provide stable employment opportunities. The company became a fixture in Fort Saint John, not just as a business but as a community leader.
“We’ve always been very community-based, very family-based, and very person-based. Whenever people come into town, I tell them, ‘Spend some money here. Support the local community’. Fort Saint John is our base, and we’ve always supported local causes. We want to make sure that if the community thrives, we thrive.”
– Shane Stirling, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)
Providing job opportunities for their community that not only provided stability but that was safe was of the utmost importance.
“We really work in a dangerous industry. We spend an exceptional amount of time and effort in making sure that everybody goes home every day safe and uninjured.”
– Dustin Stirling, COO, Vice President
Safety, like employee empowerment, has always been a core value at Epscan, one that would help sustain its growth into the future. Epscan’s Safety Manager, Sonya Wiebe, has witnessed a significant shift in the past five years, with safety evolving into a core part of the culture.
“You know, the tide can’t touch each place independently. The tide has to roll through everything unilaterally. It’s definitely culture as opposed to push. And one of my favourite quotes, is ‘the biggest compliment you can give me is going home in better condition than when you came to work.’”
– Sonya Wiebe OSHP, Safety Manager
Shane and Dustin began to grow in their roles, expand the business, and helped continue Don’s legacy.
“Dustin and myself are now more strategic in our roles. We’re growing by bringing the right people into the right seats to help us expand.”
– Shane Stirling, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)
“The main growth happened, I would say, in that early phase between 2006 and 2012. Once we hit 2012, we got up to 100 plus [employees], which is where we exist today.”
– Dustin Stirling, COO, Vice President
Present Day: Continuing the Legacy
Today, Epscan combines family values with modern innovations, remaining an industry leader while staying true to its original mission of empowering employees and serving the community.
They continuously practice stringent safety protocols, that come from the foundations of the work that they do and are upheld by the workers doing the work, always remaining employee centric.
“You can’t be safe without quality, and you can’t have quality without safety.”
– Sonya Wiebe OSHP, Safety Manager
As the next generation takes the helm, Shane and Dustin remain committed to preserving the core values instilled by Don while also embracing the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing industry.
“The future for us is to keep doing what we’ve been doing well, growing our team and maintaining our family-oriented culture. Epscan will always be a family business in some form.”
– Shane Stirling, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO)
The legacy of Epscan is not just about the company itself but about the impact it has had on the lives of its employees and the Northern BC community. As they look ahead, the Stirling family and the Epscan team are committed to continuing a half century legacy.
Thinking about joining the legacy of Epscan? Click here to learn more.
