2021 in Review

'Tis the season for new beginnings! As we head into the new year, we wanted to look back at how SMT has evolved and grown in the past year.

SMT grew exponentially with the projects we've taken on, we got the chance to collaborate on the Vancouver Post, and it was a pleasure to contribute to the modernisation of this iconic heritage building. This was the original main regional processing facility for Canada Post, a historic landmark and important example of Vancouver's mid century architecture. It occupies a full city block, filled with retail and office space. In order to preserve the integrity of the building's historic features, as well as protect the newly renovated spaces, we installed our FutureCast automated monitoring system and used our DigiSCAN 360 to check the new roof for quality assurance. This project is still ongoing, and every time we are sent to do work it's always a pleasure seeing the progress (and the views are amazing too!). We will be posting a more in depth post on this project, so stay tuned!

Photo on top of The Post, curtesy of one of our field technicians

Another memorable project we worked on this year was New York City's Javits Centre. Also an iconic and historic building, Javits Centre remains one of the busiest event centers in the entire United States. It has held some important events, such as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 election watching party, and the New York Comic Con. Javits Center also transformed into a COVID-19 treatment center with a total of 1,095 patients during the height of the pandemic, and also acted as a vaccination center shortly after. It was crucial that this important landmark (and it's assets) were protected for generations to come. Like The Post, SMT installed our FutureCast automated system as well as used our patented DigiSCAN 360 for quality assurance on the center’s roof.

NY's skyline view from the top of Javits Centre, curtsy of a field technician

SMT also had the pleasure of being included in Construction Tech Review's May 2021 edition of their magazine. Construction Tech Review is a knowledge sharing platform that brings insider information from within the construction industry to it's audiences, and they also honour leaders in the industry and share them with their readers. SMT was recognized as the Top Intelligent Building Solutions Provider of 2021, and had a two page feature detailing our company and the developments we've made using IoT. It was a pleasure being recognized by them, and we hope to have more reasons to be recognized by them in the near future!

In terms of internal growth, this year SMT took on six temporary interns at different points in the year, of which three became permanent employees. We asked them how they've enjoyed their time at SMT, and this is what they had to say;

"When I joined SMT, I was fresh out of university, and very unsure of my new environment. At first it was intimidating, not knowing when to take initiative or when to look for guidance. But, with the encouragement from my mentors, I was able to settle into my new role as a product designer quickly and smoothly. I was able to take on new and old projects with ease knowing I had the support necessary for my success. Since then, I've been able to help create the next generation of leak detection solutions for SMT. I was also fortunate enough to make connections with my colleagues, whether that was playing basketball out back, or friendly banter about soccer."

- Jimit, Product Design Engineer

"Last fall, after finishing my studies from BCIT's electronic program, I joined SMT as an electronics intern. Because of the global pandemic, my studies were transferred online, and I went into this internship with the hope of gaining hands on experience. My expectations were not only met, but exceeded. I've had the opportunity of working on all different sectors of what SMT has to offer, from field work to research and development. Through this I have gained a plethora of valuable experiences and insights into the fields of building science, construction, instrumentation and how they all tie together. I look forward to my future and hope to continue to grow and learn with SMT as my career progresses"

- Miles, Electronics Technologist

"Before joining SMT, I had no idea what leak detection was or that it existed. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have virtually no trades skills (people are often shocked when they find out how bad of an electrician I am). But when SMT posted that they needed a Communications and Sales intern, after my search for work in the Communications field I thought to myself 'Let's try applying, why not!'

Construction is a predominantly male industry, which can make it a challenge to break into as a young woman, but I've never been one to shy away from challenges. I didn't know about roofing or anything construction related, but I knew as long as SMT was willing to take a chance on me, that I would be able to prove my skills. They did exactly that, so for the last two months I've been learning all that I can about leak detection and building monitoring in order to showcase our products to the best of my ability. I've been able to write blog posts, manage our social media accounts, and outreach to potential future partners. I've picked up a lot of information along the way, and I can say that for someone who has never been gifted in the world of STEM, I've done quite well for myself! I'm looking forward to growing with SMT, and am very thankful I've found my place in our team."

- Caitlin, Sales and Communications Coordinator

That was nowhere near everything from this past year, but this post would be too long to include it all! Most of all, we're happy and thankful for all the opportunities we've had in the last year. Our hope is that 2022 will bring new challenges, new opportunities, and maybe even new faces too!