By Natalie Bruckner • Photos : Brad Haysom / Jessica Kirby
Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely of places, just ask Brad Haysom, director of Burnaby, B.C.-based Tight 5 Contracting Ltd., whose company name was inspired by rugby. In fact, rugby has played a significant role in his business since its inception back in 1995.
“I had been working on the tools as an insulator for six years and decided to go off on my own,” Haysom says. “After winning a couple of bids I realized I needed to build a business and had to come up with a name to get my business licence, but I was stumped. I was advised to come up with a business name that meant something to me, so I submitted three: my first choice was Ruger Insulation, as I am a passionate hunter; the second name was Diawa after my fishing reel; and the third was Tight 5, as that was my position on the rugby field.” The latter was accepted, and Tight 5 Contracting was born.
But rugby’s role in his business didn’t stop there. After joining forces with Peter Brown, who already had extensive experience, the company began to grow organically. However, attracting people to the profession, as many can attest, is no easy task, so Haysom reached out to his rugby team and hired some teammates, who came onboard as apprentices and helped build a strong reliable team. Today, Tight 5 Contracting employs around 60 people, from apprentices, journeyman insulators, and estimators to office staff, and has become an established insulation company providing commercial and industrial services in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
While Haysom no longer plays rugby, the lessons he learned from the sport have served him well in business—one of the most important being teamwork, especially in high-pressure environments.
“I try and run the company like a ma and pa operation, to be honest,” he says. “I maintain a strong work ethic and try and be there for my staff. As an insulator by trade, I know what my guys are going through in the field and that definitely helps in solving challenges and staff retention. When I think about it, over the past 25 years very few people haven’t worked out. If I see someone is more skilled in one area, I put them there so they have every opportunity to succeed.”
And succeed they do. The company has been involved in countless high-profile projects—including TELUS Gardens, a high-end commercial development in the heart of downtown Vancouver that opened the door to other large projects—and despite having gone through some economic ups and downs, work has always remained steady.
“To be honest we survived the downtimes and have managed to maintain our crew,” Haysom explains. “I think it helps that the company grew slowly and so being nimble has allowed us to weather the storms.”
But it’s not all work, work, work for the team at Tight 5. As Haysom knows from his rugby days, keeping a sense of humour helps keep spirits high when times are tough. “We like to let off steam, especially at our Christmas parties,” he says. “One year, I brought in belly dancing instructors and the whole team had to get in a circle and learn how to belly dance. It was very funny! Another year I brought in African bongo drums and everyone had to learn the international beat. I learned who is tone deaf real quick.”
As for the future, Haysom’s goal right now is to keep people employed. “I like being an employer,” he says. “It makes me feel good that people are going home with a paycheck.”
Learn more about Tight 5 at https://www.tight5.net ▪
