Penticton-based electrical company Betts Electric has been serving the Okanagan region and Western Canada for decades. Over eight to be exact. Since 1933, the company has operated with a commitment to customer service and community involvement and currently stands as one of the most successful contractors working in the Valley’s electrical field.
Betts Electric president Cameron Betts has picked up where his father, grandfather, and great grandfather left off. The fourth-generation electrician is carrying on the company’s services that have allowed it to continue thriving for 85-plus years in Penticton, BC. Internally, Betts and his company are intent on their commitment to the employees who are responsible for making the company’s commitments a reality.
It starts with the company’s hiring ideology and process, which ideally would see Betts recruiting employees from the foundation stage of the electrical apprenticeship program and support them as they work their way to Red Seal certification.
“We are training the next generation, the future leaders of our industry” said Betts. “With the current skilled labor shortage, we have taken development in house. We try to expose apprentices to the diverse parts of the electrical industry that we work in and provide them with the skills they need to be successful in an industry that is always changing.”
Betts believes in the importance of investing in his employees and believes there is an onus on employers to do so.
“Training your team helps everyone,” added Betts. “It provides them with skills to do their job, to interact and work with others. I’d really love our staff to be here for the next 20 years. We’re training them. We’re confident in them.”
Betts Electric’s operation is anything but corporate, and Betts himself feels a responsibility towards his electricians and the role that his company plays in their everyday lives.
“We have a lot of young people,” Betts noted. “They have families and mortgages. It motivates me to work hard so they know that they can count on being here next week, being here next month with a steady paycheck to support their families.”
Betts Electric has seen the benefits of investing in their electricians through employee retention.
“It’s nice to see our staff parties are the same people year-in and year-out. The group builds together, and it creates a strong family culture. It’s fun to watch the transition over the years – I enjoy watching the growth and development of our team.”
Betts’ traditional approach to the operation of his family business transcends to the commitments he makes outside of the company as well. He sits on two boards, the Southern Interior Construction Association and the Construction Foundation of BC, with the intention of helping the construction industry push forward.
“My great grandfather Ira sat on the SICA board 50 years ago,” Betts concluded. “My dad sat on the board and my grandfather sat on the board. I think it’s important to be involved in the industry and help it change for the better.”
