“They help us and we help them,” Tim says. “When we get in a pinch, they’ll step up. They’ll expedite deliveries. Maybe they’ll help us with pricing to help us land a job. And when they need us, we’ll help them. The relationship works both ways.” Imperial Welding also enjoys strong relationships with competitors, who they will also help out in times of need, and vice versa. “If somebody else gets in a pinch and can’t meet deliveries, we’ll step up and build them a trailer load or two, just to help them meet schedule,” Doug says. “I don’t like the word collaboration – I think it’s over used – but we all work well together, we help each other out, and everyone benefits.” Moving forward, Imperial Welding’s goal is to continue building longstanding mutually-beneficial relationships with industry stakeholders of all kinds – including competitors, subcontractors, employees, and especially clients. The company also aims to continue growing, and they believe the best way to do that is through diversification. They see a lot of upcoming opportunity in the mining sector, for example, and they also have their eye on some Ministry of Defense and Canadian Armed Forces projects. Furthermore, they anticipate a resurgence of public infrastructure work – hospitals and schools – which has been quieter in recent years but appears to be coming back. “We’ll grow with the market,” Doug concludes. “We’re not trying to be twice as big in two years, but Vancouver Island is growing and we’re going to grow with it. That’s what we’ve done so far and it’s worked out well for us. Slow and steady wins the race.” MAY 2026
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