Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 6

121 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 6 MATCOR INC . While MATCOR is known for innovation, remaining innovative and competitive requires staying abreast of advancements in the industry. “Some of the advancements we are seeing and adopting include electrical systems like remote monitoring units used for checking safety systems and rectifiers,” says Johnston. The company is also banking on advancements in drilling technologies that are safer, more effective, and efficient, including HDD (horizontal directional drilling) rigs that incorporate high- tech sonar equipment, hydro-excavation, and air excavation technologies. “From a broader perspective, MATCOR is embracing the overall industry shift towards safer operations and installations and a reduced overall footprint and environmental impact,” says Huck. “For example, we might drill a small hole during an installation instead of a long trench, or remediate drilling areas by extracting water from drilling fluids like mud for reuse and generating dry dirt that can be easily disposed of. In keeping with this trend, we design our products and processes to support safe installations, lower intrusiveness, and deliver less environmentally impactful installations.” Another area MATCOR is keeping a close eye on is the labor market. Like most other companies in the construction industry, finding skilled tradespeople can be a challenge. All CP technicians must be certified by the industry’s governing body, the AMPP (Association for Materials Protection and Performance). The certification process assures that technicians in the CP industry have a demonstrated minimum proficiency level before going out to work on critical service infrastructure. Unfortunately, the demand for certified CP professionals is limited. “Our industry is chronically understaffed for experienced professionals,” states Huck. “It’s always a challenge finding good technical people, and it probably will continue to be so despite it being a great career choice. Fortunately, MATCOR is a great place to work with a good history and a solid business base, plus a continued dedication to developing our people.” Looking forward, MATCOR has a bold five-year agenda. “Our goal is simple; we want to be the world’s best cathodic protection company,” says Huck. On the path to being the best CP company globally, Johnston is clear on what the company’s priorities will be. He shares, “MATCOR remains focused on customer satisfaction and ensuring that we maintain that high level of quality in our manufacturing, engineering design, and installation processes. Five years from now, we want to be known as the company that has the best quality work and the best quality installations in the market.”