The first hurdle? The CIMCO team needed to track down a replacement compressor. After touching base with CIMCO’s account management team for another facility, they found the company had two used compressors on hand in Leamington, about a 3-hour drive from the Aspire Bakeries facility. “Not all compressors will serve the same purpose, so the fact that we found one that met our customer’s specifications was really fortunate,” says Bradley. “Everything aligned for the customer.”  

With the compressors sourced, the next challenge was building a team, no easy feat during a long weekend, with people and resources scattered all over the place. Numerous calls were made to rally a team of welders, electricians and the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). Away on a weekend fishing retreat, Account Manager Dennis Hoogenboom was doing air traffic control, trying to coordinate everything from his boat despite spotty cell reception, until his phone’s battery eventually died.   

The next goal was getting the compressors up to the facility’s second floor. This type of compressor, which weighs over a ton, needs to be moved with a crane, so a crane operator was required. There were also piping modifications that needed to be made before the compressors could be hooked up. Rich Szabo was the lead technician on site. “It was a very technical feat,” says Bradley.  

By pulling a lot of strings, and working throughout the long weekend, the team was able to get everything up and running by Tuesday morning with no loss of product or halt in production for Aspire Bakeries. Without a team effort, everyone dropping their long weekend plans, and a little serendipity, this monumental undertaking with a tight turnaround wouldn’t have been possible, says Bradley. “In the middle of urgent and challenging jobs like this, it’s overwhelming, but once it’s behind you and the customer is happy, it feels great.”