Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:01 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac city morning show. I am your host Elliot Pierre, and we're going to start the show off the same way we start every episode off with a moment of gratitude. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. And the fact that you spend with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hit him with the intro.
Speaker 1 00:00:20 She caught me loves you're listening to the next city morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:29 All right. And we're back. Okay. I'm excited about this guest today, as you guys know, I don't introduce my guests, so I'm going to let him do that himself, but I've known this guy for many years. We've gone to school together, back in the day, but we've never had a real chance to hang out and chat as adults. So I'm excited about this one. So on that note, sir, please tell everybody at home who you are and what you're about.
Speaker 3 00:00:47 Absolutely. Well, thanks for having me here today. Uh, I'm Jason McDougall, I'm owner-operator of climate control limited, uh, born and raised here in Fort McMurray. Uh, as you know, like you said, and went to school together and went to school with your brother and, uh, you know, uh, grew up here, graduated kind of, and then, uh, took off to Calgary for a couple of years, Kenmore for a couple of years, and then decided, you know, I wanted to be back home with my friends and family and, uh, came back to Fort McMurray and, uh, you know, started adult life, as you say.
Speaker 0 00:01:17 Yeah. So right before we started filming, though, you said something, I didn't know. I always thought you went to Merck for the whole time, big up to Merck, but you were just saying that you transferred to Westwood for low
Speaker 3 00:01:28 Yeah. Grade nine and 10. I did father merch and I had a couple really good buddies I grew up with and, uh, you know, in grade 10 they took off, uh, both of them moved at our town and I had some more good buddies at Westwood. And for some reason I just, you know, let's make a switch. And so I switched over to Westwood to be with some other group of friends and just, just for purely that reason. And you know, it was a nice little change and, uh, I missed merch at the same time, but it was nice to kind of see both worlds.
Speaker 0 00:01:54 See, this is crazy. My parents would have never allowed that. What was that conversation like with your mom and dad when you're like, Hey, I want to switch high schools.
Speaker 3 00:02:01 Good question. Um, I think I pretty much just like this is happening then. Um, it just kind of happened there. Wasn't too much of a conversation there really think about it. Yeah. Wow.
Speaker 0 00:02:11 You have a very understanding
Speaker 3 00:02:13 Parents. My parents are saints hands down the best parents. I know. I think you've met. Oh yeah,
Speaker 0 00:02:20 Yeah. Yeah. Your dad's awesome. Like I remember back in the day, um, I was working for a company and I interviewed your dad. Oh yeah. He came in and I had known him prior to like, just cause for Macquarie small town, but I got a chance to sit down and like do a formal interview with him and he blew my socks off. I was like, this guy's unreal. And I just remember, like, I don't know if it was in the interview or if I called him later on, I was like, there's no way we can afford you. I'm just like going like, but you deserve every penny that you're about to get, like, he's a very impressive individual. So, but he was a, as far as companies are concerned, he was helping you with this organization. Yeah. Just started to like, tell me about like the company and how that all got off the,
Speaker 3 00:03:02 Yeah. So I started climate control about almost nine years ago now. And, uh, just decided to kind of step out on my own trying a new thing. Um, I was lucky growing up. My parents always put me in like entre, young entrepreneurship courses, young leadership courses, army cadets. So I always had a desire to kind of run my own show. And so nine years ago I stepped out a couple of clients had asked me to start my own business. So I went off on my own and, uh, you know, it was good for about two or three years, got about three or four guys going. And, uh, it was just me and a couple of guys. And then, um, ended up going for the fire. I had to go evacuate downstate with. Uh, so I landed with mom and dad down there. And, uh, I just realized the opportunity coming back to Fort McMurray, there was my phone was ringing 10 times a day, Hey, we're going to need this.
Speaker 3 00:03:47 We're going to need this. We're going to need this. Or I need some duct cleaning services. We're going to need some help with their HVAC systems. We're going to need help rebuilding. And like I was on the phone, we hired about six people that one month we were away and I was like, dad, I was at his house with like, I'm really gonna need some help. Like, I don't know how to manage 15 people. Like I can do five 15 is going to be a big step. And so I needed some help with some processes and procedures. And so he came and just kind of helped us get like that basis set up so that can, you know, we have the building blocks to grow into a medium sized company. And so he came back with us and me and him drove into town with a loaded trailer, duct cleaning, all this stuff. Like I couldn't fit another thing on that trailer. And we showed back up in town first day, we were allowed back in and hit the ground running and he stayed with us for about four and a five years. Just kind of helping us grow that business internally, making sure it's just running smooth. It was the oil and the grease of that place for sure. There every morning, shoveling the snow off the sidewalk, getting things done, making sure we were
Speaker 0 00:04:43 Successful was awesome. And now he's retired officially,
Speaker 3 00:04:46 Officially about three months ago. He, uh, he retired for good for him. I had to pretty much push him out the door, but, uh, I'm glad that he finally did go and
Speaker 0 00:04:55 To your dad a few times since like he started helping and not helping, but working with you. Yeah. And he loved doing it like you, like when you enjoy what you're doing, it's not really work, you know? And like, obviously he loves you as his son and he has a passion for what you guys are doing. So I could see how it would be challenging for him to be like, no, I want to stop doing this because it'd be fun. Good for you though. I think that's very mature of you in regards to asking your dad for help.
Speaker 3 00:05:23 I mean, I feel fortunate too that I don't think a lot of people maybe couldn't have that same relationship with their father and work with them day to day. And I was just, I just feel very fortunate that we were able to do that together and yeah. And, uh, yeah, he was just the biggest hurdle.
Speaker 0 00:05:36 That's awesome, man. Yeah, I couldn't do it. I love my dad. I love you GP, AKA uncle silky, but like working with my dad day in and day out would be a struggle. Like I don't mind asking my dad for help. And like in small doses, I think we could work together, but like on a full-time basis, we'd butt heads. There. There's no doubt about that. So we should get them in for an episode. Oh, listen, GP on this show, it would be epic, but it won't happen. DPA won't happen. But yeah, that's good for you for like asking for.
Speaker 3 00:06:07 Yeah. And I mean, there was the odd times that we butted heads and stuff. I mean, that's just natural, the way things go. It was the best experience.
Speaker 4 00:06:14 You know, leadership role is going to clash with anybody else in a leadership role. Doesn't need to be your dad.
Speaker 0 00:06:20 So as far as the services, I don't totally know what you guys do. Like I know there's the furnace aspect. Cause I filmed a video with you a few years ago. I got a Mitchell's. So, but since then you guys have grown in regards to your services and the size of the company. So what is it that you offer as far as your services?
Speaker 3 00:06:38 Yeah, absolutely. So we got about 15 people. We've got HVAC, refrigeration, plumbers, gas fitters, sheet metal mechanics, and we're pretty much a commercial, residential HVAC plumbing, duct cleaning organization. So the main focus where we were, we were trying to grow on is kind of, um, or I guess our bread and butter is commercial maintenance, HVAC servicing, and retrofitting. Right? So restaurants, um, rec centers, um, shopping centers. We look after the HVAC, the heating, cooling plumbing, making sure that they have everything, they need fixing things, replacing units. And that's kind of our, day-to-day about 80% of our businesses, commercial HVAC. And then we do some residential. We don't do a ton of it, but we do help out anyone. If your furnace goes down, we'd be glad to come over and help you out. But commercial's our main focus. And then a lot of duct cleaning as well, pretty much every day, since the fires, since we got back, we've had one day clean trailer running twice a day since then, no doubt.
Speaker 0 00:07:35 Um, I think the duct cleaning is very important just in regards to like yes, the fire component, but based on where we live, there's a lot of things in the air. Yeah. A lot of dust, a lot of dirt, a lot of construction takes place here. And so
Speaker 4 00:07:48 The things in the air everywhere, Elliot it's there, everything is in air.
Speaker 0 00:07:52 Oh, fair enough. Okay. Tanner, thank you very much.
Speaker 3 00:07:54 Very well.
Speaker 0 00:07:55 Ah, that is the best. So for Macquarie, what are some of the benefits and downsides to like managing your own company?
Speaker 3 00:08:06 Ooh, um, definitely a benefit of being born and raised here. I love being a part of this community everywhere we go. Like I know the business owners, I, you know, I went to high school like with half the people here, so that sense of community and um, growing up here, being involved in the YMCA, being involved in the Legion and being involved with the non-profit organizations and being able to help them out is something that just brings me a lot of joy to be able to provide a good service to these people that are nonprofits. Um, and just being able to help out. I mean, my favorite thing hands down about being an HVAC tech was like, my first day is like, people are happy to see you walk in the door because you're there to fix a problem for them. That's right. And then people are happy to see you leave because they don't have to pay you anymore. That's right. It's just always, people are happy around you. And so it's just, and you help provide comfort and it's just a nice feeling. Um, the downsides yeah. Employees. Yeah. It is one of the hardest things to find good skilled trade employees for me.
Speaker 0 00:09:02 Right. Yeah. I was going to ask you that in regards to like OSI as a company that has 15 individuals who are specialized in what they're doing, that's tough. My background prior to this, like used to be human resources. So I get the recruitment process. Where are you finding these people are like they being homegrown. Are you having to go outside of town to find them, like, how has that been working for you?
Speaker 3 00:09:22 A little bit of both. Um, we have one employee that's gone the full probably six years with us from duct cleaner too. He's going for his journeymen ticket here on January 1st. So show it to Colton, congratulations for him. So he's gone right through the whole program. And other than that, we've got about three or four home grown people. And then, uh, you know, we do some advertising in Calgary and Edmonton and try and bring people up. Uh, one or two people do a little bit of shift work here and there, but realistically we want people to live in, in town and make this part of their home. Um, so I would say 13 of the 15 do live in Fort McMurray and it's, it's a challenge. But, um, the biggest thing I say is trying to, I try to think of the organization somewhere that people want to work. Right. I want to make it a desirable place. People show up every day, they're happy to be there. You know, they get to go home happy and yeah, that's the biggest thing. And that kind of drives people to want to be at work in Fort McMurray because it is a bit of a sell. You should move from Calgary and live in Fort McMurray. Sometimes
Speaker 3 00:10:20 Alicia needs to move.
Speaker 0 00:10:22 Yeah. Get here and listen to that. Yeah. Yeah. So, okay. So you've been, that's a good approach of trying to get people here. I truly believe like culture trying to make like that employee culture that people want to be around a hundred
Speaker 3 00:10:35 Percent. Yeah. That's
Speaker 0 00:10:37 How did you get into this industry? Like you went to high school, you graduated, this is not something that you probably got talked to the student or a guidance counselor about how did you find yourself like doing what you do? Um,
Speaker 3 00:10:49 That's a good question. How I ended up there. Um, right when I finished high school, I became a power engineer. Dad wanted me to go do some power engineering, uh, cause it's a good solid trade, make good money and you'll never have to worry about anything. Okay. So I did that for about six months. Got my ticket. My fourth class was onsite and I found it was kind of sitting around and doing a lot of nothing. I read some books, I cook some meals, I didn't do a lot of work. And so at 19 I needed my brain going, I quit and moved down to Calgary and um, just started just looking at opportunities. I was running an irrigation company down there and just kind of poking around. I like to fix things. I like to always had a meter on me. I like to just kind of fix whatever.
Speaker 3 00:11:26 And then I'm not sure how the opportunity came, but I got a job offer at Honeywell, uh, to be a first-year apprentice in refrigeration. And so they moved me out to Canmore and I'm trying to think how that conversation even happened. I think it was probably, uh, a contact through dad somewhere that he knew. I was kind of looking for something that can just like fixing stuff all the time. So I think that opportunities came along and moved up to Canmore and started for Honeywell. He lived in a hotel for six months to make sure that, you know, really wanted to actually do this first. Cool. And I would never recommend living in a hotel for six months, but, uh, it was a, it was definitely a time and a live in camera for a couple of years. It was awesome. Started the refrigeration and apprenticeship there and um, loved it. Same thing right off the first day. Like people are just happy to see you show up and you can fix something. You get accomplishments every day. Cause, and it's always a different atmosphere. You're in a hotel one day. You're in somebody's house. You're at the Y YMCA you're at the every day is something different. And so it's just very cool.
Speaker 0 00:12:22 Very cool, man. All right. Tanner gave me the signal that he is ready for the back city minute. He's going to ask you some questions. I don't know what they're going to be. I wish you nothing, but the best of luck Tanner hit him with the max any minute.
Speaker 4 00:12:33 Alrighty. Question number one. What is the biggest thing you missed when you left Fort McMurray?
Speaker 3 00:12:38 Oh, definitely friends, friends and family. I went down all my own pretty much. And um, yeah, just having those like high school friends that you grew up with and knew like closest friends. Yeah,
Speaker 4 00:12:50 Definitely. Question number two. What is your favorite part of running a business in the town you grew up in?
Speaker 3 00:12:57 Uh, the friendships and business relationships that you have.
Speaker 4 00:13:02 Question number three. What is one personal goal you have for yourself from owning a business
Speaker 3 00:13:11 More free time? Uh, um, lately it's been a lot of just go, go, go. And so, uh, it's changing. I've managed to accomplish a couple goals in the business. And so now it's coming more personal goals of, uh, enjoying more of my time and not so much work time.
Speaker 4 00:13:27 Question number four. What is the most unexpected job you've had to work on?
Speaker 3 00:13:34 Um, I ended up getting in a service call to a house, a normal, you just walk in, ready to go. But it happened to be, um, where the entertainers for Showgirls were, uh, were all staying at once. And, uh, so there was about four of them in the, in the basement, just hanging out. And, uh, it was quite the entertaining, uh, service call. It was probably the best one ever had. It was a
Speaker 4 00:14:00 Did. Is that like a reverse order? The stripper event, you know where the repair guy comes, but he's actually a repair guy and everybody else is strippers.
Speaker 3 00:14:10 Yeah. It's a little too hot in here.
Speaker 4 00:14:12 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:14:15 That's
Speaker 4 00:14:15 Awesome. And your final question, what is one reason somebody would want to work for your company in Fort McMurray?
Speaker 3 00:14:23 Uh, culture, as Elliot said earlier, the biggest thing is I want everyone to show up today. Happy. I want everyone to leave happy every day and we just provide resources for all our guys. Anything they need. We give them
Speaker 4 00:14:34 Those have been you five questions. Thanks man.
Speaker 0 00:14:37 So back in the day I used to be a recruiter, so I never lived in a hotel for six months straight, but I did live in hotels for about three years. So let's hear your experience living in like, was it the hotel
Speaker 3 00:14:51 For the same hotel room? Yup. We're six months.
Speaker 0 00:14:55 So what about it? Did you not like,
Speaker 3 00:14:58 Oh God, it was a hotel room. I, yeah, I really learned to cook on a George Foreman was probably one of the pros I had like this girl cheese sandwich with garlic and bacon and cheese figured out, down to the T.
Speaker 0 00:15:11 So it wasn't like a, you didn't have a kitchenette
Speaker 3 00:15:14 Kitchenette. Oh no. It was a microwave and a bar fridge. Wow.
Speaker 0 00:15:20 Was terrible. That would have been terrible. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:15:23 Holes. Cleaners came once a week. I had to have, like, I had to keep my tires because I went in the middle of the season. The tires were on the other bed, so it was two single beds. So I had to keep my tires on the other bed and it was just like this storage room slash sleeping quarters.
Speaker 0 00:15:36 Wow. And it wasn't another hotel you could find that had like a kitchenette,
Speaker 3 00:15:40 Not for the price that I was paying. Nope. I was pretty broke, so yeah. Wow. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:15:47 We had very different hotel experiences. Yeah. I loved living in hotels. I'm not going to lie though. It's just like, what's he talking about? Why is it challenging? I was just like, they come to clean your room every day for
Speaker 3 00:15:57 You. Oh no. Housekeeping was once a week. Oh geez.
Speaker 4 00:16:02 Somebody was paying for their own hotels and somebody else had a company credit card to pay.
Speaker 0 00:16:07 That's exactly it. I think that made a big difference. I've stayed in some really amazing hotels. I got to say yes. And I've stayed in some really bad ones. Like my, my thing with, uh, not hotels, but motels I've always been kind of like weary about motels. It's kind of weird to like you open the door and the parking lot is like right
Speaker 3 00:16:29 There. So the murdery about it. That's
Speaker 0 00:16:31 Right. Yeah. So I've had to stay in lots of motels, hotels, even if it's a bad hotel, it's still a hotel. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:16:40 Nice. It's comforting. I've never done the motel. I don't think I've ever been brave enough.
Speaker 0 00:16:44 I had to do it many times. Yeah. Yeah. Cause like some of the communities that I had to go to, um, to recruit in and some of the, like the service areas where I had to like help with like human resource manuals and stuff, or like pretty backwards. And yeah. Like the communities that I was in didn't have a hotel. Your only option was the motel. Yeah. Yeah. I got a creepy story that I'll share really quick. Yeah. I was in a motel and this was a motel that actually had like a gym in it, which I thought was like, Hey, cause I like to, I like to work out, like to run and stuff. So that was something I always looked forward to. Is there, like, it doesn't have to be a huge gym, just like a treadmill and some weights. That's all I'm looking for.
Speaker 0 00:17:22 And uh, anyways, so I went to the gym and I was having a good time and I used the gym. I was there for a week. So I was in the gym for three days. And then on day a four, I had to go to talk to front desk about something. And I realized that there was a camera and I was like looking at it, a TV and the TV only looked at the gym. I was just asking, it's like, Hey, uh, does that security camera like flash into other things? Or is it like only in the gym? He's like, yeah. It's only in the gym. Like, so when I'm in, when I'm in there working out, like, are you looking at me? And the guy's just like, yeah. He's like, you're a fast runner. And I'm like, uh, okay, thanks. But this guy, cause there was nothing else to do in this community. I won't say what the community was like. I was his channel. So I was like, that's kind of weird.
Speaker 3 00:18:18 Okay. Good thing. You're just working out in
Speaker 0 00:18:20 There. That's right. That's exactly it. Yeah. So it was, uh, now everybody watches me. So he was my first fan. So I have a question for you because you're born and raised in Fort McMurray. Um, it's uh, it's a, it's an issue. It's a, it's a question. It's a hot, hot topic. You might get in trouble for your answer. Okay. Where's your local pizza spot.
Speaker 3 00:18:41 Oh, Hughes
Speaker 0 00:18:43 Hughes. That's a safe answer. Yeah. You can't go wrong.
Speaker 3 00:18:47 No, the best speeds in town. Since we were like 16, you get in a car, you leave Merck at the time you don't get here.
Speaker 4 00:18:54 You had seven pizzas for $4. Yeah. But you're lucky if he's open,
Speaker 3 00:19:01 You have to, you never know.
Speaker 4 00:19:04 It's just a show up and hope
Speaker 3 00:19:06 Everyday you roll the dice with Hughes.
Speaker 0 00:19:07 That's right. But now have you been lately with the RK? Daddy's God. Oh man. My little guy loves it. They're like,
Speaker 3 00:19:14 It's good to see these small businesses adapting. I mean, it was a little bit as COVID was happening, but you have to be adapting and changing and evolving to be successful. And it's great to see people do that stuff. So your kid loves it there.
Speaker 0 00:19:26 Yeah. The food's good. And like it's so funny. Cause you go to other like fast food restaurants and stuff and you get like paper plates or like not even a plainer, like just a bag and you go to Hughes and he has like ceramic plates like you have at home. And my kid is just like, what is going on here? And then he gets changed and he gets to play the video games. And he's just like, this place is different, but in the best way possible, like it's, there's not too many of those left in town that it's like, this is an old school family owned business
Speaker 4 00:19:56 Restaurants. That aren't necessarily great. And that's what makes them great. Like you don't feel like you're going there and you're getting the same thing everywhere. You feel like you're going into like somebody's local shop and getting a homemade pizza.
Speaker 0 00:20:09 Yeah. So yeah. Yeah. Keegan loves Hughes. Awesome. So my dude, man, that's it. I know Tanner hit his watch a little bit. So I know we went a little bit over on time, but that's okay. That's what the show is all about. Anytime you want to come back, I've got so many more questions for you. We could chat way longer than this. So please feel free to come back again. But that being said though, before everybody leaves, they get a shameless shout out or plug. So you got the lights on you, you got the camera on, you have fun.
Speaker 3 00:20:35 Uh, I would just say that, um, you know, with COVID here, I think a lot of our non-profit organizations around town like Northern lights, health center, uh, SPCA are really a need and some help right now. So if anyone has some time to volunteer or has some extra
Speaker 0 00:20:47 Change lying around, I think that's a really good spot to, uh, to put some effort. There you go. Great. Shout out for the non-for-profits. All right. Fort McMurray with Buffalo and the rest of the world. That's been another episode of the Mac city morning show. Thank you so much for tuning in. I really do appreciate it. I hope you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. talk about quenching your ugly thirst.
