Beyond the ordinary
The Story Behind North Point
From Utility Locating to Infrastructure Protection
North Point Infrastructure Protection Consulting was built from more than two decades of experience in utility locating, damage prevention, field operations, leadership, training, and workforce development.
My journey into utility locating began in 2004 in the United States.
At the time, I knew very little about the industry. A friend had taken an opportunity with Stake Center Locating, working with buried fiber-optic infrastructure. Two years later, when the company was hiring in my city, he encouraged me to apply.
I did.
After completing the assessment and interview process, I was hired.
The company provided initial training, and I was given two weeks before I was expected to work independently.
I knew I had a lot to learn.
So I bought a small notepad.
I asked questions. I watched experienced locators. I listened. I took notes. I practiced. Most importantly, I wanted to understand not only what I was doing, but why I was doing it.
That mindset became one of the defining characteristics of my career.
I stayed close to experienced professionals and learned from their knowledge and field experience. I understood early that competency isn't created simply by being shown how to operate equipment. It develops through observation, repetition, questions, experience, and the ability to make sound decisions in real-world conditions.
My responsibilities grew quickly.
Within two years, I was responsible for my city.
Within three years, the county.
Within four years, three counties.
My leadership capabilities eventually led to a Field Supervisor position.
Building a Career in Canada
In 2010, I moved back to Canada and continued my career in utility locating.
The Canadian locating environment presented new challenges and required me to adapt. I developed additional technical skills, including creating field drawings, building on previous AutoCAD 1 and 2 training I had completed in the United States.
My experience continued to expand through private and public utility environments, working across telecommunications, gas, and hydro infrastructure.
Over the following years, I progressed through increasingly senior operational roles, including:
- Field Supervisor
- District Leader
- Field Operations Manager
Each position brought greater responsibility.
But the greatest value was the perspective each role provided.
I learned how field decisions affect operations.
I learned how communication affects safety.
I learned how leadership affects workforce performance.
And I learned that protecting infrastructure depends heavily on having people who are properly trained, supported, and competent in the field.
A Full-Circle Moment
In September 2023, my career came full circle.
Stake Center Locating—the company that gave me my start in utility locating—brought me back to the United States.
This time, I returned to South Florida as an Area Manager, supporting a contract startup.
My responsibilities included helping build and manage the locating workforce for the operation, including hiring and managing approximately 40 people across the South Florida region.
The project lasted approximately two months and was successfully launched before I returned to Canada.
That experience reinforced something I had learned throughout my career:
Leadership is not simply about holding a position.
Leadership is about building people, establishing expectations, solving problems, adapting to changing conditions, and creating an operation capable of performing safely and effectively.
Returning to the company where my career began—this time as a leader responsible for helping start something new—was an important moment in my professional journey.
Why North Point Exists
Today, I work in the municipal environment as a Senior Damage Prevention Technician.
After more than 20 years in the industry, I came to recognize that damage prevention had become more than a profession.
Damage Prevention is part of who I am.
That realization became a major part of the reason I created North Point Infrastructure Protection Consulting.
North Point is built around the lessons I've gained throughout my career:
Workforce competency.
Damage prevention.
Field decision-making.
Training.
Leadership.
Operational excellence.
I believe the industry needs more than people who can complete a process.
It needs people who understand the process.
People who can recognize when field conditions don't match the plan.
People who know when to stop, investigate, communicate, and make a sound decision.
People who understand the responsibility that comes with protecting critical infrastructure.
Technology, procedures, mapping, training, and equipment are all important.
But they are only as effective as the people applying them.
North Point exists to help organizations strengthen that connection between people, process, and field performance.
My career began with a small notepad and a willingness to learn.
It grew through mentorship, opportunity, responsibility, challenges, and the people who believed I could do more.
I was mentored.
I learned.
I trained.
I mentored.
And I advocated for the people I mentored to be elevated.
That's leadership.
That's the foundation of my locating life.
That's the foundation of North Point.
And after more than two decades in the industry, the journey continues.