By / Natalie Bruckner
When Steve Huculiak entered the insulation industry after spending almost a decade in the restaurant sector, he felt like he had finally come home.
“It’s a relatively small industry and it has a very close family feel to it,” says Huculiak, sales representative at Nadeau Isolation in Quebec. “I really enjoy the human touch of the insulation industry. That’s what really appealed to me—the people side of things and honestly, since making the transition, I haven’t looked back.”
Huculiak’s break into the industry came when a friend learned about the great strides he was making at Magnacharge Battery Corporation and made him an offer to join Manson Insulation. “I wanted to get out of the restaurant and bars business because, well, it’s a young man’s game and I grew out of it,” he says. “My friends were all having families, and I found myself mixing with a younger crowd, and it wasn’t my scene. So I transitioned, spent a year with Magnacharge before I finally entered the insulation sector.”
At first, Huculiak says Manson Insulation wasn’t quite sure what to do with him, but they recognized his ability to relate to people was a huge asset, so they decided he would be perfect to oversee the American side of the business. During his first month he travelled—a lot—meeting with people to try and grow the Manson brand in the United States, which at the time had zero penetration.
But plans changed as the company pivoted, and the manufacturer decided to put him in charge of Eastern Canada. “That was great for me,” says Huculiak. “I was divorced, with two kids [two girls, now aged 15 and 13], and the travel was a bit much. So, it panned out really good. I did that for five years with Manson.”
In 2014, Nadeau, his current company, approached Huculiak with an offer to jump across from manufacturing to distribution; a transition that was much more in his wheelhouse as it focused on relationship building. He had found his fit. “I love that every day is a different day. It’s never boring,” says Huculiak.
Over the past 13 years, he has seen the industry change; some good changes, and some not so good, as he explains: “Things are moving a little too fast, to be honest, which is creating a skilled labor shortage, and customers are demanding more—this has been exacerbated by COVID. Everyone just seems to have a little less patience. But I’m hopeful things will get back to normal, and honestly, it has been our most successful year yet.”
Speaking with Huculiak, he still has as much if not more passion for the sector than when he first dipped his toes in the water. When you ask him about his proudest and most memorable moments, he will tell you there are many, but it’s the insulation conferences that really stand out to him as it’s during those times where the connections are cemented. And as a member of the events committee at Association d’isolation du Quebec for the past ten years, he enjoys nothing more than bringing everyone together.
“Meetings at TIAC and AIQ really helped shape my view of the industry,” Huculiak says. “I’ve made so many friends across Canada because of those events. I’m getting married in October and a bunch of my insulation friends from every corner of Canada will be coming!”
While the past couple of years have been challenging for all of us, Huculiak says it has offered him a chance to reflect on what has and hasn’t worked, and how to better the industry. “People are important to me, and I feel it’s time we reconnect with the people we work with and focus on the good values. I believe if we all just slow down and listen to people it will prevent burn out and benefit everyone,” he says.
As for Huculiak, his secret to preventing burnout is to get his adrenaline going. You can either find him on his stationary bike in his gym/office, on his road bike—every year he joins fellow folks in the insulation sector for the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie’, a 1,000 km tour that raises funds to promote healthy life habits among young people—playing hockey, or strapping on a set of skis, which is a new passion for him.
“I recently bought my first pair of skis and I can’t wait to rip it up on the slopes of Bromont, Mount Sutton, and Owl’s Head,” he says. “It’s going to be a great year!” ▪
