Summer has arrived and as well as some welcome sunshine and warmth, it has lifted our spirits by bringing the Belroc team back together in the office again, albeit with some precautions in place. It’s wonderful to be back with our colleagues again and to get our ‘hive mind’ going – we’ve missed that! Of course one person who has been here all along, cutting a lonely figure alongside just one or two colleagues, is Jonathan Pittman, who has been instrumental in keeping the wheels turning at Belroc over the past few months. With his dedication and incredible multi-tasking talents, it’s no surprise that Jon has been voted Employee of the Month for June by his workmates. We caught up with him to see how it feels to be surrounded again…
Hi Jon! Congratulations on your Employee of the Month accolade. How does it feel?
Actually I was a bit shocked to get the nomination, I didn’t feel like I really deserved much of a compliment but I’m glad to know that everyone appreciated me being here to hold down the fort through this situation. I am quite glad to have some of the others back though to help with receiving material and answering the doorbell. It can be a real pain when you are right in the middle of a meeting!
How long have you been with Belroc? Tell us about your career journey to this point.
I’ve been at Belroc for over seven years now. I started here in September 2012 after moving from Toronto to Kingston. My current job title is General Manager and I’m also heading up the Pursuits department now which is a new thing for me, with new skills to learn. Apart from that, my role is basically to oversee all areas of the business and make sure they are running smoothly. That might mean supplying technical information for a client, or dealing with an internal hiccup – no two days are the same! It helps that I have a strong background in construction, which I probably inherited from my father, who had his own carpentry shop. Before coming to Belroc I spent a number of years working in carpentry and house building, where I gained a lot of project management expertise, which really helps.
What’s your favourite thing about working at Belroc?
My favourite thing is working with the leadership team to solve problems and remove roadblocks in the company so that we can keep moving forward. I’m a details person so I enjoy that element of strategizing and I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing the results coming through.
What’s the most challenging thing about your job?
The most challenging thing for me is just keeping up with all the various tasks I have to work on at one time. The word ‘General’ in my job title really means what it says! I have a lot of different things to juggle on a daily basis and I’m always learning and adapting.
Tell us a little bit about your life away from work?
Well, I’m married to Kim, we live in Glenburnie and we have three sons, Lanny, Hans and Ian is 8. Outside of work one of my favourite things to do is spend time taking the kids to ice hockey games and I have been known to play some hockey with them too. I also enjoy hiking in the great outdoors, and when I need to relax after a tough day at the office, I’ll often do a bit of reading.
Tell us an interesting fact about yourself your colleagues might not know:
I spent a bit of time doing commercial painting when I was younger, lacquering store fixtures. I even refinished a piano for my sister in my spare time. It is a very rewarding job when it turns out right.
