Everyday Heroes: Meet Finning's service ... - Finning Canada

In those days, there were no phones. Butan engineer with the mining company hadone of those old style radio phones. We droveto the top of a mountain, he stood on thetruck and held the aerial, and I was able to callinto the Williams Lake branch to order parts.”Bev Davis, Finning career 1947-1988“Travel wasn’t easy. We often travelled bysteamship or had to hitch a ride on a fishingboat. You’d have a one-day job at a camp andbe stuck for 10 days waiting for the next boat.One time, I got so bored I asked the landladyif there was anything I could do. She said shehad some wood that needed splitting. I’venever split so much wood in my life.”Ed GreenEd Green, Finning career 1946- 1983“I once walked from Sandspit to CumshewaInlet (about 30 miles) on the Queen Charlottes.I’d been working at a logging campand didn’t want to wait 10 days for the boat topick me up, so I walked, carrying my toolbox.I had to take off my pants, shoes and socks tocross a few creeks and rivers.”Derwyn Dew, Finning career 1954-1996“At small logging camps, you took your ownsleeping bag, chopped firewood and stokedthe bunkhouse heater. On several occasions,I woke up with two inches of snow on mysleeping bag. Your lift tools consisted of acomealong and a couple of jacks and whateverequipment the customer had. It was yourGREAT SERVICE: Rain or shineown ingenuity and ability to improvise thatgot the job done.”Bart Finning, Finning career 1950s“A mining outfit in Tahsis had an older modelD8 2U. To make the repair, we had to pullthe tracks off and the sprockets – without liftingdevices. The company had an old dumptruck, so we borrowed a 12-by-12 piece oflumber and strapped it into the back of thetruck. After chaining the dump body down,we attached a chain hoist to the 12-by-12 andtore the machine apart that way.”Peter Clarke, Finning career 1945-1989“I was called on to rebuild two D311Es atHorsefly Lake, B.C. On completion, it wasnecessary to carry out a load test and safetyshut-down. The unit performed well and afterit shut down, I noticed the manager’s wifeheading my direction without a smile. Fondof the Monarchy, she’d been listening to thecoronation on the radio. At the time of shutdownthe Queen was about to be crowned.So was I.”Jim Kilner, Finning career 1947-1985“When I started with Finning, my Navy pensionpaid 75% of my wages and the companypaid 25% as part of a training-on-the-jobscheme. I think Finning succeeded because ofthe service support we provided and the followup we did with customers. Nobody justsold a tractor and walked away. You alwaysfollowed up, advising the customer when todo overhauls and repairs. You paid attentionto your customer.”Joe Adams, Finning career 1933-1967“I was asked to call on a customer near Vanderhoof,B.C., in the dead of winter. To get there,I went in stages by car, on horseback and evensnowshoes. When I eventually arrived, allthat the customer wanted was some literatureon Caterpillar tractors for his 12-year-old son!And once, to reach a logging camp alongthe Arrow Lakes, I took an old sternwheeler.I hadn’t visited this particular logging campbefore, the crew dropped a plank on to theshore and I disembarked. It was pitch darkand I had to pace the beach until dawn whenI could follow a tractor trail into camp.”www.finning.ca Spring 2008 • TRACKS & TREADS 35