A Leader in Safety in Trade Work

Matcom
Written by Mark Golombek

We spoke with Matt Rix, President of Matcom, last year for July’s issue of Construction in Focus, where he outlined his role in the industrial machinery moving company. At the time, Matcom was upgrading its operation software, seeking a ‘red seal certified rigger,’ and in the midst of rebranding to focus on its core services.
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This year, we also included Public Relations Associate Alexander McCleave, Health and Safety Supervisor Robert Low, and Health and Safety Coordinator Victoria O’Neil in the conversation, to discuss the year’s progress and Matcom’s focus on being an industry leader in health and safety within the Greater Toronto Area.

The company has been redefining its abilities to focus on its four specialized services: machinery moving, industrial service, industrial mechanical and its unique warehousing. As Matt identified last year, Matcom recognizes the value of this focused approach; putting the right equipment in the right spot, installed correctly and working perfectly.

“We are comfortable dealing in a fast-paced, high-output plant or factory environment, it’s critical that you have a company you can rely on for timely, professional, and cost-effective services. Whether you need a complete filtration system or a single valve, hose or fitting, Matcom has access to all major brand filtration parts and accessories. We specialize in knowing what products are right for you and which ones will be the most effective for your industrial needs,” says Matt.

Matcom also owns and operates large specialized machinery warehouse. Matcom’s warehousing and logistics department is fully equipped and spacious enough for all storage needs. Matcom’s onsite support makes sure everything is readily available.

Looking back on the year’s goals, Matt admits that finding the right red seal certified rigger is taking longer than anticipated, but this is not something to be rushed. Matcom is confident that it will find the right person for the job in time. Considering this issue, Matcom is pleased to partake in community events and media to raise awareness of opportunities in the trades.

For example, Matcom is hosting the Lift & Move event at the end of May, with the goal of resurrecting interest in some of the forgotten trades and raising awareness of an issue that persists throughout Canada; the need for trade workers and the ‘skills gap’ problem the industry is facing.

“Matcom is always acquiring new skilled employees, we make it our goal to always add qualified members to the Matcom family. This year we will be hosting a Lift & Move event/career fair in order to help inspire students into joining a trade. This is one of the unique and different ways we are trying to acquire new employees,” says Alexander.

The company wants students to get excited about industrial machinery moving. One of the challenges associated with acquiring new employees is that students are not really shown what trades work looks like, and this is where Matcom is stepping up in partnership with Lift & Move to help enlighten students.

Matcom will be holding this event with title sponsors such as Anderson Haulage and the Crane Rental Association of Ontario. This industry-led initiative will be the first of its kind in Canada. The well-known brand of Lift & Move is normally held exclusively in the United States; however, Matcom sees the value in how this program really goes above and beyond to inspire today’s youth.

“Popular shows like ‘How It’s Made,’ represent only a small part of the industrial sector. It’s time to show the next generation of workers how the industrial machines they were watching were installed in factories. With the help of Lift & Move, Matcom and its partners will deliver a peek inside the world of rigging, heavy hauling, and cranes. Students will learn that this industry is the backbone of the industrial sector, and how these services impact their daily lives,” says Matt.

We asked Alexander about the significance of the Lift & Move event to Canada and the community, and he brought up the growing problem within the trades industry in Ontario and across North America. Younger generations seem to be straying from more traditional trade jobs, partly due to an increase in technology advancements.

“The trade industry can often be viewed as unsexy, boring and tedious work. Nothing could be further from the truth. Canada was built on hardworking and dedicated tradesmen. This hard work mentality needs to be reinstalled within the Canadian workforce and Matcom has stepped up and with the help of Lift & Move they are determined to begin the installation,” says Alexander.

Industrial machinery moving is a specialized industry, fraught with potential safety issues for obvious reasons. It incorporates the handling of heavy machinery and process equipment, and utilizes the work of riggers, millwrights, technicians and engineers, to name but a few.

Industrial machinery moving requires a dynamic approach to health and safety, because every job can bring its own challenges. While industrial safety in Ontario revolves mainly around the regulations as set out by the Ministry of Labour, who publishes, regulates and enforces The Occupational Health & Safety Act and the Related Regulations, Matcom knows the importance of going above and beyond on this front.

“As Matcom is a dynamic environment, we fall under various sections of legislation which puts us in a unique safety situation. As such, we strive to be pioneers in our field in how we perform our work safely while adhering to various safety regulations. The main health and safety focus at Matcom is to ensure that a safe and healthy environment is guaranteed for all our employees during any operation, at all work locations, always,” says Robert.

Matcom is dedicated to identifying, correcting and preventing health, safety and environmental hazards that could adversely affect its employees, customers or the general public. Matcom is a leader in accident prevention because it is committed to adhering to strict safety protocols. All Matcom employees undergo task-specific training as well as all regulatory or required training.

“We believe that being a leader in accident prevention means all workplace parties must be committed to, and active participants within the Internal Responsibility System,” says Victoria.

Matcom strives to be an industry leader in training, technology and safety. As it continues to hire members of the next generation of employees, the lessons and expertise are passed down and improved upon. The aim is to grow the organization into the future, redefining its capabilities to provide customers with the best industrial problem-solving service on the planet.

“It takes hard work, focus, skilled employees and most importantly, the ability to adapt. At Matcom we need to constantly be adapting to meet our clients’ needs, which is something we specialize in. At the end of the day, Matcom wants our customers to be happy and satisfied with our services. This means that we must adjust to meet their needs,” says Alexander.

Matcom believes in superior quality and customer service. “There are daily meetings that address clients’ needs and the goal is to exceed customers’ expectations, by employing skilled project managers and trade professionals. The better the people it employs in the field, the better the service received as a valued client and the more effective these companies becomes as a result of Matcom’s expertise,” says Matt.

From day one, Matcom’s goal was to build the best reputation in the industry by dedicating itself to perfection. It treats every job with a high level of precision, hard work and the respect that a client deserves. Matcom understands the importance and impact of its clients’ projects and strives to foster partnerships with all its clients.

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