Reader Pipelines: Technology a Blessing and a Curse

Reader Pipelines: Technology a Blessing and a Curse
Mark Maurier owns Cam-Trac Inspection Services Ltd., a pipeline inspection company in Edmonton, Alberta.

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Drain cleaning contractors all have a story to tell, whether it’s about the ring you recovered from a drainline or the pro bono work you do in your community. This exclusive online Cleaner feature gives you a chance to tell your story, in your words, in a Q-and-A format that reaches beyond the confines of your business. 

As the owner and president of a pipeline inspection company, Mark Maurier has seen, and inspected, quite a bit in his 32 years in the industry. The owner of Cam-Trac Inspection Services Ltd. in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, says staying on top of the latest industry technology, and maintaining strong relationships with his employees and customers helps his sewer and drain cleaning and inspection company stay successful. 

Maurier shared some of his insights on the industry, including how new technology can be both a blessing and a curse for a pipeline inspection business. 

Cleaner: What is your favorite aspect of operating a drain cleaning and pipeline inspection business? 

Mark Maurier: For me, it’s being able to operate a successful business in today’s evolving business world. We must constantly evolve to meet the new challenges of labor, safety and the market. 

Cleaner: What is your approach to finding (and keeping) quality employees? 

Maurier: I truly believe that you have to make them an integral part of your business. Always give credit when it’s due, and provide good benefits and pay, and good employees will stay and remain loyal to your business. 

Cleaner: How do you see the industry changing in the next decade? 

Maurier: As infrastructure across North America is getting older and the associated cost for repair is rising, the way CCTV reporting/reviewing and assessment is done is the area where I think the biggest challenges and change will be. Because the regulations are constantly changing, the technology must be upgraded frequently. High-tech equipment is great, but it’s also costly for a small business. 

Cleaner: If you had an unlimited operating budget, what new equipment would you buy, and why? 

Maurier: I’d love to have a lateral launch inspection system. Right now to inspect the lateral from the property to the water main, we need approval from the homeowner for access. Owning a lateral launch inspection system would completely eliminate this issue for us. 

Cleaner: What is the biggest misconception about your line of work? 

Maurier: People think you’re standing in it! Every time I talk with anyone about my line of work, they look down at my shoes, looking for you know what. They don’t realize that the vast majority of the work we do occurs outside of the pipe and sewer. 

If you’d like to see your company featured in Reader Pipelines on www.cleaner.com, email craig.mandli@colepublishing.com.



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