WHAT GETS US FIRED UP AT EACOM – ÉRIC GRAVEL
Each month we speak with one of our colleagues to showcase the great talent and people we have at EACOM.
Conversation with Éric Gravel, IT Analyst, part of the EACOM team since 2013.
Why did you choose EACOM?
Before I started working at EACOM, I didn’t know anything about the lumber industry, but I knew two people in the IT department, including the manager, whom I had worked with in the past and that I completely trusted. The people you work with are so important! I knew I had great IT skills and I was excited to start a new adventure as I love challenges. When there are challenges, we overcome them as a team.
At EACOM we have a foundation built on respect, integrity and camaraderie like nowhere else, which makes working here so enjoyable. Over the past few years, senior management has put in place a real corporate culture and values that are felt and lived by every day!
What do you like about the industry?
I appreciate the industry’s involvement in the renewal of this resource and I know the industry wants to build and not destroy; that’s how it earned my respect, as I am a man of principle. Thanks to senior management’s beliefs, it led the company in the right direction, as well as the industry as a whole.
What I also love about the industry is the diversity of people that are from all walks of life. There is a great diversity of professions and career opportunities as well.
Tell us more about your role?
As an IT analyst I am in constant contact with people, which I like a lot. To work in a call center you need great listening skills, compassion, self-control and a lot of patience! People who call us are often experiencing problems. My goal then is to reassure them, calm down the situation and not panic! Even if we don’t have an answer right away, we’re going to find a solution.
My motto: “We won’t let the computer win, ever!”
At EACOM, I am able to be part of everything; I am involved in many projects and support a number of applications. It’s not like some large industries where everything is compartmentalized. Since my arrival, I’ve always had the opportunity to increase my knowledge and advance in my career, whether through training or internal and external knowledge transfer.
I like the fact that I can be called upon to go to factories, which allows me to get away from the everyday life at the office. I love how we are received with open arms during these factory visits as well!
Your favourite story?
When I started at EACOM, I was faced with an emergency situation on my way home from work while I was on public transportation. I had to log onto my cell phone to resolve the situation; at one point the person asked me where I was and I said “on the bus!” I could feel his disbelief through the phone until a fire truck siren confirmed that I was indeed not at the office. That’s when he discovered the possibility of connecting remotely with a cell phone (Hot Spot); the joys of IT!
What’s your favourite expression?
“We transform much more than wood!”
This phrase makes so much sense when you look at the evolution of people at EACOM.
A word to the next generation
Working at the IT level in the lumber industry differs somewhat from other industries, apart from office automation. The main challenge is to support the development of computer equipment related to wood production, which evolves over the years and which the industry is becoming increasingly dependent on. It’s a great challenge in itself that allows us to step out of our comfort zone, expand our IT knowledge and put teamwork into practice.
These challenges are easily overcome at EACOM because young people are well integrated and surrounded by the values put in place by our senior management team, such as respect and knowledge sharing. Believe me, EACOM is a dynamic environment that makes its employees flourish. It’s a company where you can be yourself, which makes all the difference because you have to feel good where you are. This is why I believe that a career in IT at EACOM is more than desirable, it’s fun and unique in all the right ways.
