Imagine, you’re on your way to work on a nice spring morning and discover the main entrance door of the office is closed with a bailiff leaving you only 10 minutes to get your personal belongings and leave the premises. That is what happened in 2006, two years after a group of investors purchased the assets of the company Technomarine. The company I was working for at the time.
On my way home, confused about what just happened, I called my wife and told her that a chapter of my life was over, the business went bankrupt. Maybe it was a good time to rethink my career after being there for 22 years, I thought. I had the job opportunity after completing naval architecture. In the early years, Technomarine designed and built commercial aluminum boats. After three years, they decided to stop shipbuilding to focus exclusively on floating docks and wave attenuators. That is when I decided to stay and spent those years designing, building and installing marinas.
After two days at home thinking of alternative opportunities, the phone starts ringing; shocked clients at first, then potential buyers of the bankrupt company were calling to inquire on my feedbacks, intentions and ambitions. It was around the same time that Yves Lépine, founder of Technomarine, longtime collaborator and friend, allied to Yves Fontaine, enthusiastic about the project, convinced me to be part of a new group to buy the assets of the closed business. This transaction did not work, never mind, we decided to regroup and with the help of Lucille Lasalle start a new company.
This is how Structurmarine was born in June 2006. Failing to look for a new job, we decided to regroup and start a new company. To our experience, added to that of a dozen employees who also decided to join us and a full order book, it was a pleasant start to a new adventure.
It was 15 years ago and I have no regrets following this decision regarding my professional career in the marina industry.
– Karl Giroux