Trust is built on a long legacy at Smith Bros. & Wilson

When Jeff Musialek was brought on as president of Smith Bros. & Wilson (SBW), he was given a 127-year-old journal that had been kept by everyone who had held the position prior. As he pored over it, a theme jumped off of the pages: resilience.

“There were so many nuggets of wisdom, but resilience was such a key part of the company,” says the president and co-CEO of the Surrey-based contracting company.

Through over a century of global uncertainty including world wars, the Great Depression and a pandemic, the company has stood strong. “Resilience is important to understand in the philosophy of our business, its structure and the kind of work we do,” Musialek says.

Beyond resilience, keeping SBW’s legacy close at hand has been key to maintaining its open door work culture.

It’s that kind of authenticity that stood out to Daniel Metry when he first interviewed with the company.

“The conversation was very warm and transparent,” the project manager recalls. It was a stark contrast to bigger companies he had met with. “SBW had a more family-oriented feeling that really stood out to me.”

Metry’s first impression proved correct, and nine years later he’s still with SBW, tackling new challenges every day. He says the opportunities for growth have felt endless.

“In a company whose culture is about growth, it’s important to take on new challenges all the time,” he says. “It’s one of the big things that keeps me motivated and makes me really proud of my work.”

Whenever Metry has wanted to pursue a career development opportunity, it has never been denied, thanks in part to that culture of trust.

“Trust is a big one. Nobody is micromanaging you,” he says. “They trust you to get the job done and it builds confidence.”

Being proud of the work isn’t something employees keep to themselves, either. The open culture at SBW includes walkthroughs for colleagues at different job sites, an experience that promotes knowledge-sharing and is extended externally to partner firms or learning institutions.

It’s an invaluable opportunity for young students, says Metry, who is also active in presentations and career fairs with the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

“I did five years of schooling without ever setting foot on a job site,” he says. “Encouraging students to come here and learn in a safe environment is hugely beneficial for them.”

Metry also gets to live out his passion for mentorship on SBW’s engineering committee, which provides guidance and opportunity for engineers-in-training and professional development hours.

“I see young engineers and it reminds me of my younger self. That excites me,” says Metry. “I like giving back to the community, so if I have an opportunity to help young, aspiring students, I absolutely will.”

Blending the old guard – SBW sees very little turnover – with the new also makes for a stronger team in the long run, Musialek explains.

“Technologies change but those values don’t change,” he says. “Pride in our workmanship, commitment to excellence, service to our clients and the commitment to our people stay the same.”

That commitment also includes an employee-ownership model and benefits that make life easier for young families thanks to such offerings as 100 per cent maternity leave top-up pay.

“It's such a stressful and difficult thing for young people coming into our field, so we’re going to make sure we support them to the end,” says Musialek. “Family takes care of each other, so we’re going to do that.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's BC’s Top Employers winners, published February 11, 2025 in the Vancouver Sun. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.