Thunder Bay, Ont. — Itec 2000 is one of those companies that people remember not just for their product and customer service or their commitment to their employees, it’s also for their involvement with the community and partnering organizations.

Itec 2000 is a forestry, construction and mining supply company that has been providing equipment, parts and service to Northwestern Ontario industries since 1999.

Kyla Jarvinen, the company’s business, employee and community relations manager, says their relationship with the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission has made a big difference for their company.

“Since we’ve become involved with the chamber, we have gained the networking opportunities to make connections with other businesses that we work very closely alongside,” Jarvinen said. "The (Community Economic Development Commission) provides us with a lot of valuable information and resources that we’ve required in order to continue to build and grow the business."

In return, Itec 2000 supports an educational component and introduced a new scholarship in 2022. The Women in Trades Scholarship is aimed specifically for women to learn and train, and show what they can do. It is distributed through the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce.

“This whole partnership is all connected," Jarvinen said.

Itec 2000 has also become immersed in the forestry, construction and mining sectors. The company relocated to Gardner Road in the Rosslyn area in 2014 and continues to grow.

“Business has increased, forestry has been doing well, construction is always constant and mining continues to grow, so we’ve been continuing to see growth in all areas,” she said.

Keeping up with the demand means having a solid staff to meet the needs of the growing industries. With 54 employees, Jarvinen called them “one of the fortunate companies” that always has employment positions available as they continue to grow.

“We have a large number of employees that have been with us for over five years and we don’t have a labour shortage like most businesses seem to be wrestling with these days,” she said.

Jarvinen explained how the company recently implemented a work-life balance schedule.

“Work and life balance can mean different things to different people. We have 54 individuals that all have different types of schedules within their own departments to try to allow them the freedom that they need for their families, or for their personal time,” she said. “In addition to that, we do a lot of team building activities. We believe that’s what makes us different is the fact that we try to build a workplace family. We’ll have multiple events throughout the year for our employees like going for a bike ride or walking around Trowbridge park, or having a hot sauce challenge. We celebrate everybody’s birthdays and work anniversaries. And if somebody has a baby, we’re making sure we’re there with presents. We try to create a family environment for our employees.”

Jarvinen and her team members were on hand at the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Northwest expo last month at the Valhalla Inn with an exhibit for the company.

She says Itec 2000 is a Thunder Bay business that believes in the city.

"We believe in the community here and we want to support other Thunder Bay businesses as well. So if we can all come together, then we’re going to succeed together,” she said.

Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal