Connecting and supporting Canada’s fastest-growing multi-trade company
“Fast response is a core value for our company. As our technology partner, Bell understands that need and has really helped us enable that.”
Robert Riopelle, President and CEO
Smith & Long
Smith & Long, a multi-trade services company, has an ambitious goal: to respond to service calls faster than anyone else. This means answering every service call within an hour, regardless of the time or day. It’s a challenging target, especially given the company's rapid growth over the past 15 years.
As Smith & Long expands its services to every major Canadian city, it must maintain the high quality of service that has built its reputation. President and CEO Rob Riopelle credits Bell's support and solutions as crucial to the company's smooth and successful growth.
A legacy of innovation
Smith & Long has provided trade services to Canadian industries for over 90 years, starting with electrical services in the Greater Toronto Area. The company has expanded its portfolio to include mechanical, maintenance, engineering, construction and other services in more regions. Today, Smith & Long operates in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and Nova Scotia.
Despite its extensive history and cross-Canada presence, Smith & Long operates in a traditional industry with a start-up mentality. Riopelle explains, "We wanted to build a company where people don't want to leave because it's so fun here, it's their best option."
This start-up spirit extends to the company's approach to innovation. Smith & Long takes pride in leading the evolution of its industry through ongoing innovation and improvement. Riopelle emphasizes, "Any time we hear 'that's the way we've always done it,' for us that's an opportunity to change."
Meeting the demands of rapid growth
As Smith & Long continued to grow, Riopelle and his team recognized the importance of ensuring rapid response to service calls. This required reliable, always-on connectivity across their entire operating area.
Offering support nationwide, Bell became the technology partner Smith & Long needed to connect its workers and offices across the country with internet, collaboration, fleet tracking and mobility services. Bell's comprehensive suite of solutions has helped the company save money through service bundling while simplifying operations by providing a single point of contact for support. These advantages will continue to be crucial as Smith & Long expands their operations into new cities and provinces.
"As we've acquired more companies, we've been able to port those over to Bell and have a simple way to manage those devices across Canada. The team at Bell makes that process simple."
Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams from Bell allows Smith & Long employees to make and receive calls directly from the video conferencing platform, enhancing efficiency and conversation clarity. The remote call forwarding feature ensures customer calls are always answered.
Bell manages wireless services for Smith & Long's field technicians, powered by Canada's largest and fastest 5G network.1 This ensures technicians can easily access corporate resources and business applications wherever they are in their service area. Bell also manages asset and vehicle tracking across the company's fleet, providing real-time updates and autonomous vehicle tracking that help the company improve operations and response times.
Well-connected and ready for the future
With a single provider supporting them nationwide, Smith & Long has streamlined management and operations by keeping all staff on one platform. At the same time, the company has the support of Canada's largest mobile network1 and number one internet provider2 to ensure it can continue to deliver on its commitment to rapid response wherever it expands next.
Bell serves as a trusted advisor and solution provider, supporting Smith & Long every step of the way. Riopelle expresses his appreciation: "Bell makes sure we're getting the best value from the services we use. Whether it's helping us take advantage of volume pricing or save by pooling data, it's always great advice from a great partner."
Contact your Bell representative or request a call back to see how we can help your business.
Sources:
1. Based on a third-party score (Global Wireless Solutions OneScore™) calculated using wireless network testing in Canada against other national wireless networks.
2. Based on total number of Internet service customers in Canada.