By Natalie Bruckner • Photo : Carolyn Fabing
There is an old adage that suggests you should never do business with friends or family, and yet Joey Fabing, president of Ontario-based Custom Insulation Systems Ltd., credits the success of his business to exactly that.
“My father started the business in 1986, and I joined the company at the age of 18,” Fabing says. “Three years ago my father opted for semi-retirement, and my wife and I took over the business. She looks after the money side of things while I run the operational side.
“Getting my wife onboard was one of the best decisions I ever made. It’s true what they say, there is nobody better to collect your money than your wife,” he laughs.
Understanding when to leave work at home, Fabing says, is the key to the success of their business and relationship. The couple uses the drive into work and home to discuss business matters, but when the car engine turns off, so does the shoptalk… for the most part.
“We both get caught occasionally talking about work, but we will bring the other one up on it if we do. My wife once found me at a vacation resort helping out a guy who was insulating; sometimes it can be hard to step away,” he laughs.
But that’s what comes with having a passion for what you do, and as Fabing rightly says, he and his wife make a “dream team,” which is a reason why they have attracted such a skilled team of anywhere between 30 and 60 staff, depending on the market.
The company’s reputation has even helped with them attract Millennials, which Fabing admits is no easy task. “They like their sleep and a lot of my guys start at 6:30 a.m.,” he says. “But we got lucky through word of mouth.”
The current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, of course, means things are a little uncertain, but Fabing has a philosophy that he inherited from his father, which he trusts will help him get through anything. “My dad’s philosophy was be honest, be good, and you will get the return phone call. I learned this from him early on when I started pushing brooms around the warehouse, and it’s a philosophy that has stayed with me,” he says.
Currently, Custom Insulation Systems Ltd. is keeping busy with its largest project, CIBC Square at 81 Bay Street in the heart of Toronto’s financial district. This innovative 54-storey Class AAA office tower has been pre-certified WiredScore Platinum and is also targeting LEED Platinum and WELL accreditations. “This truly showcases what we can do,” says Fabing, whose firm specializes in the thermal insulation of pipe, ducts, and equipment for industrial and commercial markets.
Due to increasing demand, Custom Insulation Systems has also expanded its services to offer firestop installation and formed NEXLEVEL Construction Solutions Inc. to handle that work. NEXLEVEL has become the first certified 3M-Trained Master Contractor in Canada and works closely with 3M Canada on projects including Toronto Pearson International Airport’s GTAA New Terminal I and Ontario Ministry of Health’s Sudbury Regional Hospital.
For Fabing, being part of the community and supporting the people in every way is extremely important. Through his Local, Master Insulators Association of Ontario (MIAO), he supports The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre mesothelioma clinic, one of the largest comprehensive cancer treatment facilities in the world and the largest radiation treatment center in Canada whose Lung Site Group specializes in mesothelioma.
“It’s important for us to support our community who are there supporting us,” he says. “We live in a tight-knit community and our staff and clients are also our friends. It comes down to being there for people, through the good and the bad.”
Learn more about Custom Insulation Systems Ltd. at www.custominsulation.ca ▪
