"About Us" Continued
It may surprise people to learn that Heinrichs, who still thrives on getting his hands dirty and solving unforeseen problems, had no intention of becoming an electrician when his family moved to Abbotsford. Instead, he followed in the footsteps of his father, who was a poultry farmer. “I still love farming,” he declares. Indeed, he maintains early-rising farming hours even on weekends and enjoys working on projects around his acreage. Heinrichs took an electrician apprenticeship in 1968 after his father got out of the farming business: “I figured that I could do more than farming. I like working hard and felt I could do more; often, the harder you work the more you enjoy it.”
This comment prompts a smile from Rempel, who sets the record straight: “Bert loved being an electrician from the get-go.”
To which Heinrichs replies, “Once I got my papers and a few projects under my belt, I developed a real thirst for bigger jobs. My dream was to have a business that would constantly grow in terms of assignments, ability and staff.”
Bert’s Electric was established in 1975. Early work in the Fraser Valley included providing electricity to farms, small apartments and, of course, new homes. Heinrichs’ first major assignment was to outfit a bulk fuel station in Surrey. Similar light-industrial assignments followed, and in the late 1970s Bert’s Electric, manned by only a dozen professionals, handled multiple jobs in Tumbler Ridge and Fort St. John. “In Tumbler Ridge we worked on houses, large apartments and City Hall – frequently in minus-30- degree weather,” recalls Heinrichs.
The company’s origins may seem quaint considering that today it’s relied upon to provide complete electrical services for facilities as complex as the recently-completed Quest University in Squamish. But Rempel points out that “a lot of practical experience was gained during the early years. As innocuous as a barn or bulk storage construction may sound, these facilities had many challenges that tested one’s skill.”
Friesen and Albertson joined the company in the early 1980s, the former coming straight out of high school. “We got busy with a lot of stuff related to Expo 86, such as a 160-unit housing project at the University of B.C. that led to other work on that campus over the next 10 years,” says Albertson.
Friesen organized numerous assignments in Whistler, including the Chateau Whistler expansion for the Scott Construction Group. “Scott and Van Maren Construction were two of several early clients who helped put us on the map, and they’re still amongst our most valued clients today,” he says.
Rempel has been working for Heinrichs since age 17. “I was one of the very few electricians in my high-school graduating class, which shows just how poorly regarded the trades were by baby boomers,” he says. “The joke’s on them, as the construction industry has not only produced exceptional, well-paid tradesmen, it has also provided opportunities to advance to supervisory roles or management positions. Personally, my family leads a good life and I’m part of a great team that supports each other and enjoys company perks such as a golf tournament, Vancouver Canucks nights and other social gatherings.”
As Heinrichs and colleagues gained additional skills, Heinrichs kept securing increasingly demanding assignments. “People in the industry said we were crazy to take on some tasks, but what was there to be afraid of ? We knew the trade, and if we encountered a problem we weren’t shy about asking for help. All young tradesmen should know this: if you ask, everyone will help you out, from municipal engineers to building inspectors.” In fact, Heinrichs’ only regret is “the odd occasion when we would turn down a project. Saying no always came back to haunt me later.” One practical advantage of his large appetite for work was that his company was always busy when others suffered seasonal downturns. “In all our years, we only had a few lean periods during the 1980s, and today the pace is constant. With our range of expertise and the way we organize assignments, we’re fairly impervious to economic cycles.”
Friesen concurs. “Basically, we’re always open to opportunities. When we were up in Whistler doing all that elaborate hotel work, for example, we also lined up a few smaller wood-frame jobs just to keep us busy.” Albertson laughs when he looks back on his early years with the company. “Back then, with our home base in Abbotsford and all the development going on in and around Vancouver, it seemed we were as far out as we could be,” he says. “Now, with all the rapid growth throughout the Fraser Valley and more to come in the future, we’ve become centrally located.”
In typical down-home fashion, Bert’s Electric goes out of its way to foster new talent. “We don’t have barriers,” says Rempel. “If you come to us looking for work but don’t have any experience and can get through an interview with us, we’ll supply you with a hardhat and tools, and get you started.” This support ensures a steady stream of new talent, not to mention loyalty. “People who start out as apprentices with us learn the trade and our company values from the inside out. We feel that continuous coaching and promotion allows our journeymen to be among the best in the industry today. Our site foremen are brilliant; in today’s industry, they are both sophisticated managers and technical experts in an extremely challenging, constantly changing industry,” says Rempel.
At 70, Heinrichs turns on the lights at the Abbotsford headquarters every morning before 5 a.m. and dispatches crews to their various points of call. “It helps that I live on the property,” he says good-naturedly. Still, he is constantly on the go, and when asked if he plans to retire, his expression of impatience provides the answer. “It’s not about age, it’s about who you are,” he says. “I’m an electrician who’s just as motivated today to do a good job as I was 40 years ago.” Heinrichs points out that given the wide age range of his partners (Friesen is 46 and Albertson is 60), continued leadership at Bert’s Electric is assured for years to come.
The company also keeps up with the times, a major example being its new subsidiary, Cascade Communications, a firm that allows Bert’s Electric to be a one-stop-shop for clients for communications (phone, Internet) and security installation, as well as electrical services.
For their part, Friesen and Albertson are eager to take advantage of whatever market trends come down the turnpike. “Today’s boom is in highrise towers, but demographics indicate that seniors care facilities and social housing – many of such projects that we undertake with Van Maren – will dominate the construction sector down the road,” says Albertson. “As for tackling jobs outside of Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, we’re not planning anything – but we’re not ruling anything out either. If opportunity moves, you move with it.”
As if mirroring the ambition that drove Heinrichs during his early days, Rempel summarizes the future of Bert’s Electric in four words. “We’ll go full throttle. It’s taken a lot of effort to get where we are, but there’s nothing we can bite off that we can’t chew.”
This promotional feature was prepared for Bert’s Electric Ltd. by BCBusiness magazine’s Special Advertising Features Dept. Writer: Robin Brunet. | 
