By Lauren Elmore, Firmatek President
Firmatek has changed a great deal since 2014. Back then, we had a few lasers and some trucks in Texas. Now, we have many lasers, many more drones, and a team of people spanning the country. We have enterprise drone programs with some of the top producers in the country. We have clients in a variety of industries from aggregates, to landfills, to construction, to soil and mulch, just to name a few.
As I look back over the years, and over 2018 in particular, I am grateful for the incredible team around me and the multitude of lessons we have learned along the way. Through the changes in the industry and the team over the past 4 years, we have changed significantly as a company. I think the thing I’m most proud of in 2018 is that we really narrowed in on finding ourself as a company in knowing what we stand for, what we believe, and the value we add to our clients.
Finding that has been a bit of a bumpy road at times. We took a few wrong turns. We took on work that wasn’t necessarily a good fit for us. We didn’t always deliver what we hoped we would. But we took those bumps and wrong turns, and we learned from them. They led us to where we are today. At the start of 2019, we have a strong sense of self and a bright vision for the years ahead.
So, what is it that we found? We found the pillars of our brand and our purpose by taking a look back and really looking at what continued to shine through, regardless of our circumstance. And we thought a lot about why we do what we do.
Back in 2015 and 2016, we saw a ton of new entrants with new technology and one of our core businesses being commoditized. That’s a scary thing. It can make you want to get out, to hide, or to stubbornly hang on to what you think is a better way to operate because it is your way. But at Firmatek, we didn’t do that. We adapted. We learned. We solved our business problem like we solve our clients problems on a daily basis. We iterated and iterated, trying new technologies and new business models until we found the ones that truly worked for us and for our clients. We worked with those clients to develop the solutions. In 2016 and 2017, it was about a general drone solution, and in 2018 it was about enterprise solutions. Our clients trust us to do what’s right and to help them solve problems, and we are so thankful that they do. That is core to who we have always been as a company and who we will continue to be.
Which brings me to our people. The heart of Firmatek. This year, and every year, our people rise to the challenges that face them and the company. We brought many new members onto our team this year. Each and every one of them has been a great addition. They go the extra mile for the team. They spend time serving each other and our clients. They have servant-hearts. It is an amazing thing to see how much they care for our clients and each other. We are, at our core, a service organization.
All of these pillars of our organization – our learner mindset, being trusted advisors, having servant hearts – came together in 2018 to help us solidify who we are and where we add our value.
At Firmatek, we believe that our client’s ever-changing environment can make decision-making difficult. We are here to provide our clients with insights and confidence that will help them improve their businesses. Our mission is to give the companies who build the world supreme confidence.
And while that has remained the same mission, how we get there has been clarified this year. It truly is about offering our clients more than just data. It’s about giving them insights and the confidence that they need to make their decisions. It’s also about being services-led and technology enabled. We love new technology and we will continue to suggest the best to our clients. But we also know our people and the service they provide to our clients is our best asset.
So as we head into 2019, we are excited to continue to grow and learn and serve. We are excited about the new opportunities and new services we will provide this year. Most of all, we are excited to continue to serve our clients and provide them with confidence and insights that they use to keep our world moving forward.
