BC's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 66
66
BC’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
It’s a caring culture at Smith Bros. & Wilson
K
rista Chisholm has
been blown away
by her employee
experience at Smith
Bros. & Wilson since
day one, when she arrived at her
office to find a new phone, laptop
backpack and swag bag on her
desk. But it was her birthday a few
weeks later that really took the
cake.
From top to bottom,
people are here to do
the job that they’ve
been hired to do and
the company gives
you the confidence to
spread your wings and
soar.
— Krista Chisholm
Health and Safety Manager
Employees at Smith Bros. & Wilson are supported through a wide array of health, education, and career
development benefits that are built into the company’s culture.
“I came into my office; it had
been decorated and there was
a cake sitting there. Smith Bros. &
Wilson takes that extra step to
make their people feel valued,”
says Chisholm. “It makes you
excited to get up and go to work.”
Smith Bros. & Wilson is a
small company that takes on big
projects. Headquartered in Surrey,
the company’s 127 employees
build infrastructure people
depend upon. From the Marpole
Transit Centre to the Peace Arch
Hospital Expansion Project in
White Rock, they provide the nuts
and bolts that keep services in
Metro Vancouver and elsewhere
humming.
As health and safety manager,
Chisholm has 15 safety
coordinators reporting to her.
She and her team work with
employees and management to
create a strong culture of safety
that is at the core of company
operations. The scope goes
beyond worksite safety rules to
encompass not just physical safety,
but mental health and wellness.
And while she may have the title,
Chisholm says in a way every
Smith Bros. & Wilson employee is
a safety manager.
“The company gives people the
knowledge and the tools so they
can look after themselves and
each other,” she says. “Everybody
has the opportunity to participate
and know the hazards. That’s so
important.”
President and co-CEO Jeff
Musialek says the company’s
commitment to a proactive safety
culture is illustrated by its work on
extending the SkyTrain network’s
platforms to accommodate
TransLink’s recently purchased
longer Mark V trains.
“Our specialty is to work in
environments that are difficult,
and with SkyTrain, we have a
four-hour window to get the work
done — it’s like changing tires
on the Indy 500 racetrack,” says
Musialek.
“Everybody has to be ready. We
have cranes, people, equipment
all working at speed. We’ve been
working on it for two years now
without an incident. That’s the
kind of organizational structure
and safety culture you need to be
successful. It’s very challenging,
but it’s very rewarding.”
Chisholm says one of the reasons the company’s safety culture
is so strong is because of the sense
of belonging that Smith Bros.
& Wilson has cultivated among
employees and management.
“People working for the
company are all here to work for
each other, and there’s definitely a
family feel,” says Chisholm.
“They make sure that everybody
