Continued from page 48 “Not only do we want our employees to be safe on a construction site, we want them to feel comfortable and confident when they are outside of the normal office envi- ronment,” he said. “In addition to safety, our company is somewhat unique as we encourage our staff to take own- ership for the work they produce and projects they work on. They need to know and understand that they are an im- portant part of a team that is solving our client’s prob- lems.” Sarvinis says these philosophies have contributed to successful employee retention. He says in the past 10 years not a single staff member has left for a competitor. RJC specializes in the rehabilitation of cast-in-place con- crete, precast concrete and post-tensioned concrete struc- tures and building facades. It has developed a niche in the assessment and rehabilitation of post-tensioned structures and will continue to grow its offices and capabilities as the market demands. “The future of the concrete restoration is growth and we see ourselves at the forefront of this growth,” he said. Continued from page 47 Adding to the challenge of skilled labour is a positive: the industry and demand for concrete and building restora- tion is growing. “We’ve seen tremendous growth over the past two decades that is continuing.” Sarvinis says demand for association members' serv- ices is increasing as building owners and managers gain a better understanding of the financial and safety benefits of maintianing properties for longer term use. “There is still always a challenge in educating owners on the right way to do things, compared with the cheapest way to do things,” he said. “But owners are becoming bet- ter informed.” He said new start-up companies can operate more cheaply with less overhead but may also have less experi- ence and knowledge and sometimes less interest in worker safety. BCRAO hosts an annual golf tournament to get mem- bers together for networking, as well as an annual general meeting. Many of the association’s members will also at- tend Concrete World, scheduled for February in Las Vegas. Sarvinis says this event is a strong educational event and provides members a chance to get a first look at new equipment and products. For more information about BCRAO, visit http://bcrao.com. Building Science and Restoration Consultants Toronto 500 - 144 Front Street West Toronto, ON M5J 2L7 T: | 416.977.5335 F: | 416.977.1427 rjc.ca Kingston 103 - 780 Midpark Drive Kingston, ON K7M 7P6 T: | 613.767.6936 F: | 613.767.8276 Kitchener 1014 - 22 Frederick Street Kitchener, ON N2H 6M6 T: | 519.954.6392 F: | 519.744.5489 Vancouver Victoria Nanaimo Calgary Edmonton Lethbridge Kitchener Toronto Kingston The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Winter 2015 – 49