The business is 99% residential that is heavily focused on rural water and small-town water issues. One key area you have to be ready for in Saskatchewan is the windshield time when you cover a territory from Buffalo Narrows to the US Border and into Alberta and Manitoba. It is over 900km of very different geographical and geological terrain. Like most water companies, there have been trial and error, but Kalen indicates that those are great learning opportunities and with their detailed service plans offered to their customers, the equipment is always well maintained.
Kalen has a master’s in psychology along with a strong background in sales, and with his hometown having a continuous boil water advisory for 10 years, he really began to wonder how he could make a difference. As 4th generation farm kids from Saskatchewan, Kalen and Amanda were also aware of the need for water treatment on farms. They had always wanted to start a business, and finally found an industry they truly believed in which could be lucrative while genuinely helping families in their community. So, with the idea to improve the quality of life through better water they dove into the water business.
With two retail locations, 8 full time employees and 2 part time; the business has grown substantially, and by investing in the employees through education and never becoming complacent to learning; the recipe is working. Knowing when to try and solve the water issues is also key. Sometimes 13,500 TDS and 450 grains of hardness is the water of the day.
Speaking of education, Kalen would like to see the water industry do a better job of educating consumers so they understand the value of having the right equipment installed in their homes so they are ready for boil water advisories or other water contaminants like lead that may impact the water they drink, and a simple UV or reverse osmosis might just be the answer. Also, helping the consumer understand what a water report really means, by understanding the primary and secondary contaminants and how that impacts their family. It isn’t just a simple yes or no to bacteria, there are a plethora of other contaminants to now consider.
Infinite Water chose to be a CWQA member because sometimes being an independent dealer is lonely and having a group of like-minded companies to build relationships with, and share best practices makes it a little less lonely. As well, their goal for 2022 is to have every staff member be certified through the CWQA and they are well on their way to make that happen with their ‘Power Hours of Learning’. Lastly, being a member of the CWQA means being held to a higher standard so doing it right is important.
The challenges to a water business in Saskatchewan is not just the windshield time, but the costs associated with it, like increase in gas, and downtime driving, but Kalen is hoping that the investment into the employees through training and now to a new software program will make the business more efficient. The number one priority is still live customer interaction and excellent customer service.
Learning curves in the water treatment industry can be very expensive, so training, networking and sharing of best practices are all reasons that Infinite Water Solutions is one of the CWQA’s newest members.
