As the sun sets on the year 2023, we want to reflect on these past 12 months that were nothing short of extraordinary. Emerging stronger from the shadows of COVID-19, we witnessed a recovery and a renaissance in our industry. Here is a glimpse of some highlights of 2023 for Evans, a year marked by growth, innovation, and community impact. 

Scaling New Heights  

The year proved to be one of expansion, activity, and growth. This has been a landmark year for Evans as we embarked on over 250 new projects worldwide. Each of these projects represents not just a business transaction but a mutual commitment with our customers to achieve excellence and is a vivid testament to the trust we've earned in the market. 

We approach each project with a tailored strategy, ensuring our customers' unique needs and goals are at the forefront of our collaborative efforts. This client-centric approach is rooted in our deep understanding of the market dynamics and a genuine desire to drive transformative results for those we serve. 

This year’s control room and console projects span various industries, from public safety to electrical utilities and from security operation centers to command-and-control rooms, each bringing fresh challenges and opportunities to fuel our passion for our mission. 

An expanding team 

To support a remarkable and busy year, we sought out and welcomed new talent to help this market expansion. As a result, we have experienced an influx of fresh ideas and perspectives that have invigorated our mission to improve control rooms for mission-critical operators—one project at a time. 

This resulted in the welcoming of 24 new professionals dedicated to the success of the Control Room industry to our company. Finding and adding such talent is a testament to our thriving work culture and industrial presence. Each new member brings a unique blend of talent, enthusiasm, and innovative thinking that improves team dynamics. 

Our new colleagues chose Evans for several reasons. Our innovative projects and reputation drew some, and our mission to design from the operator out in Mission Critical Operations influenced others to join the team.  

For instance, David Jones, our new Vertical Market Manager for Utilities, joined us after being inspired by our reputation as the premier console manufacturer and technology integrator in the Mission-Critical control room industry. David's 37 years of experience working with Mission-Critical Control Rooms, combined with our team's expertise, allows us to create customized solutions that fit the rigorous and specific needs of the Utility market. 

Or consider Nick Yaskiw, an experienced Program Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the air traffic control industry. He joined us because of our strong presence in the Air Traffic Control market for the last 40 years. 

Our commitment to employee development and a collaborative, inclusive work environment attracted others. This influx of diverse talents and perspectives reflects our core values and mission. 

Celebrating our long-standing stars

2023 also marked an annual celebration at Evans, our Employee Long Term Service Awards ceremony, a celebration of dedication and enduring commitment. It was a moment to honor the extraordinary tenure of our team members, some of whom have been with us for a staggering 25 years. Imagine dedicating half of one's adult life to a single mission and vision – it is a profound testament to our employees' loyalty and deep-rooted connection with the company. 

Their journey with Evans is a story of mutual growth and perseverance. The 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service awards underscore the stable working environment we've cultivated, where individuals grow their careers and thrive as part of a dynamic community. 

We are grateful to have such a fantastic team that contributes to achieving our mission. 

In-person events are back. And in a big way! 

After a bleak few years of no in-person events, it was a pleasure to return to live events and to meet and talk with customers and potential customers face to face. In-person events are back, and Evans was there. We enjoyed a busy year with almost 100 separate tradeshows, events, and customer forums.  Some of the year’s highlights were: 

Utilities:  

DistribuTECH and TechAdvantage: We were happy to participate at DistribuTECH in San Diego, the quintessential event for transmission and distribution, and then TechAdvantage in Nashville, a key event around Electrical Cooperatives, which was terrific. Evans demonstrated next-gen control room consoles for power plants, showing off our Response NextGen model and virtual reality, one of our essential design tools. The interactive VR experience was a crowd-pleaser, providing an immersive glimpse into the future of energy management. 

Public Safety:  

APCO Nashville: Our commitment to public safety shone brightly at APCO Nashville. This year’s full slate of events spanned the entire country, allowing us to meet and talk with Dispatchers, Managers, and Technicians supporting the essential 911 industry. The Nashville event was a highlight for us, with large crowds and many opportunities to demonstrate our solutions.

Security:  

GSX Conference: GSX brings the entire world of security together in one place to stay ahead of the biggest trends and challenges—access control, asset protection, surveillance, remote workforces, workplace violence, cybersecurity, business continuity, crisis management, and more. This year, we got to participate in the Vistacom booth, a leading integrator, demonstrating the benefits of partners collaborating to benefit our customers. 

Community and Inspiration   

In 2023, we extended our Dimond partnership with the Denise Amber Lee Foundation - the foundation with a simple mission - to help 911 Dispatchers around the country avoid a “human error” in pressure-filled work environments. You can read more about this initiative here.

Our CTO, Matko Papic, participated as a keynote speaker at the SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) convocation ceremony this year. A SAIT alumnus himself, he attributes a significant part of his successful engineering career to the foundational experiences gained at the institution. His journey from starting life anew as a refugee to rising as a CTO of an international company is a powerful reminder of resilience and determination. 

In a heartfelt display of community spirit, we organized a clothing donation drive for a local homeless shelter this year. Understanding the importance of helping, our team gathered and donated winter essentials for those in need. This initiative is rooted in our belief in the transformative power of community and kindness. We extend this idea to you, our readers. Simple goodwill gestures can impact lives, adding warmth and light to our world.

Looking Ahead 

As we gear up for 2024, we feel energized by the successes and lessons of the past year. Our journey continues, driven by innovation, compassion, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Here's to another year of making a difference together.