Welcome to Startup of the Week. A column highlighting BC’s most innovative and exciting tech startups. Today, we’re featuring Vancouver’s Faber Technologies.
Construction work isn’t just business, it’s personal. The team that created Faber Connect knew that to be true. They talked and, more to the point, they listened to construction workers and contractors. They confirmed that tradespeople care about the jobs they do, who they’re doing it for, as well as why, when and where. They want to be sure of a good fit, just as the contractors who hire them want the right match. So that’s what Faber set up to deliver.
Faber is a platform that empowers construction workers to find short-term and long-term projects that meet their interests, through local contractors and developers. And its rating system means high-performing Faber candidates can show up as superstars. The extra mile? An in-house team, which together has more than 30 years of construction experience, verifies all workers and contractors on Faber, and can remove the burden of managing worker payroll.
Co-founder John Reid shares how Faber Connect began in a small apartment in Kitsilano and his source of motivation that helped the company evolve into what it is today.
Q: How would you describe your company to a grade 7 class?
A: Faber is a company that helps build the world around you, including your school. We empower men and women in the construction industry by connecting them with opportunities in their city. Workers can input their skills, equipment, location, and we hold their work quality accountable with ratings. It helps contractors connect with their workforce and enables workers to utilize their skills.
Q: What don’t people know about Faber that they should?
A: Something people don’t know about Faber is that we actually started in a small apartment in Kitsilano with the goal to build a construction marketplace. We also went to an accelerator program in San Francisco where we continued to build the product before building our headquarters in Vancouver.
Q: What future trends do you think will most impact your company?
A: It’s hard to answer this question. I personally don’t like to spend too much time predicting the future, but prefer to focus on present challenges. One trend I can focus on is the decline of unionization which, I believe, has set the tone for the current workforce desire for a marketplace, or gig economy.
Q: What keeps you up at night?
A: Besides the amount of coffee I drink daily, I would have to point to overthinking, which can happen late at night. I’ve really started to combat this by making sure I read before bed so I can turn my brain off from thinking about the day-to-day of building a business.
Q: What quality do you think is most important for any startup?
A: I personally believe it comes down to the team that’s building the startup. Having a super passionate and hungry team is crucial to building a successful business. I don’t think Faber would be where it is today without our hard working team.
Q: What’s your source of motivation?
A: My source of motivation is building a product that can empower a group of people to better their way of life. Before the Faber platform came along, there wasn’t a ton of tracking being done on individual construction workers in the industry. Our platform is empowering these workers to gain more knowledge, earn more money, and showcase their skills.
Q: Ocean explorer or astronaut?
A: Ocean Explorer, no doubt about it!
To connect with John, message him on LinkedIn.
Want to be featured as a Startup of the Week? If you are a BC-based tech startup that we should know about, or would like to suggest one, reach out to startups@switchboardpr.com.
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