South Korea, China, Romania… the Quebec company Nucleom, which specializes in nuclear inspection, has quietly established itself as a world reference in this area. Its founder, Olivier Marcotte, was also rewarded by the Order of Engineers of Quebec (OIQ) in the spring.
At the annual Gala organized by the OIQ on May 31, Mr. Marcotte was awarded the Honoris Genius-Entrepreneurship prize, a distinction awarded for “the exemplary entrepreneurial spirit of a member, his concern for the advancement of the profession and its commitment to the community”.
“I was really happy, especially for the aspect of peer recognition,” says the main person concerned, whose application for the prize was recommended by one of his classmates.
By nuclear inspection, we mean that Nucleom ensures “safe and productive operation” of CANDU-type nuclear reactors using phased array ultrasound and automated systems. To do this, the company uses a highly specialized workforce.
Today, however, its catalog has expanded to eight other types of inspections: petrochemical, aerospace, pipelines, renewable energies, mines, infrastructure, power lines and then pulp and paper. The company also works in welding engineering and research and development, in addition to providing training.
Necessarily, this broadening of horizons was accompanied by strong internal growth. The company, which varies its number of contracts awarded based on current projects, peaked at 214 employees last year.
While the headquarters is in Quebec City, the company has also established bases in Montreal, Ontario and Edmonton. And the boss has to travel to Toronto every other week.
Despite this diversification, nuclear inspection still represents “70 to 80%” of Nucleom’s annual turnover.
This specialization allowed the team to travel to South Korea during the summer to share expertise and supervise projects. An annual relationship with Romania has also been maintained for ten years, and the company is “currently looking at opportunities related to power plant refurbishment projects” with partners in China.
The desire to innovate, for Olivier Marcotte, is essential. It is an integral part of the functioning of his person. “When we have an opportunity for improvement, we take it,” he says.
Nucleom, which generates approximately $40 million a year in revenue, has a contract that “could revolutionize the way reactors are built in the future” due to the nuclear renaissance, Mr. Marcotte believes.
“Energy, whether we like it or not… Humans will always need it. In my humble opinion, I think that nuclear power is part of the solutions. »
As these lines are published, Nucleom is deploying, in collaboration with other Quebec companies, a new robotic system to inspect reactor feed pipes, which has the potential to “improve occupational health and safety” because the robot does the work instead of the human.
“We want to push for change. Someone who likes the status quo is not in the best place to come to work. In my opinion, there is always a way to do things better. »
