30 Years Strong | Leadership Series 3 of 12: Growth Through Trust
By George Chung, Chief Sales Officer
When infrastructure projects carry real public impact, sales cannot be about persuasion. It must be about alignment.
In underground utilities and critical infrastructure, what Customers are ultimately buying is not a service. They are buying certainty — certainty that work will be completed safely, on time, and without unnecessary risk to their operations, their teams, or the communities they serve.
As OE Utility Services marks 30 years of operating in Ontario, that certainty has never been accidental. It is the product of disciplined execution — built project by project, relationship by relationship, over three decades.
I joined OE in 2021, stepping into an organization with nearly three decades of established reputation in this market. What became clear quickly was this: OE's history of operational discipline was not a marketing story — it was the foundation every Customer conversation was built on. My job, from day one, has been to protect and extend that foundation as we grow.
Following our COO Tony Kerwin's recent article, Reliability at Scale: Leading Operational Excellence, I want to share what that discipline looks like from a business development perspective — and why sustainable sales begins long before a contract is signed.
Growth without discipline is instability. Sustainable growth is built on trust.
Sales in Infrastructure Is Different
Infrastructure work is complex. It involves regulated environments, tight timelines, multiple stakeholders, union considerations, safety-critical tasks, and real public consequences if things go wrong.
In this environment, traditional sales tactics don’t apply. Customers are not looking for aggressive proposals or ambitious promises. They are looking for clarity, capability, and confidence.
That means our role in business development is not to push work into the system. It is to ensure the work we commit to aligns with operational capacity, safety standards, and execution discipline.
Sales must protect the organization as much as it pursues opportunity.
At OE, that alignment is rooted in the same values that have defined our operations for 30 years — safety first, quality execution, and accountability to the communities we serve. These are not sales principles. They are operational ones. And they are the foundation every Customer conversation is built on.
When alignment is strong between Customer expectations and operational reality, projects move smoothly. When alignment is weak, strain appears quickly — in scheduling, communication, and performance. Sustainable sales begins by eliminating that gap.
In practice, this means we walk away from opportunities that would strain our operational capacity or compromise delivery standards — because a project delivered poorly costs far more than one declined with integrity.
Growth With Operational Discipline
Over the past several years, OE has expanded its capabilities across Ontario. That expansion required more than adding assets or increasing geographic coverage. It required stronger internal systems, clearer handoffs, and tighter coordination between sales, operations, and field leadership.
Having worked across multiple industries and markets in North America before joining OE, I’ve seen what unsustainable growth looks like — and what it costs. The organizations that scale well are the ones that build systems before they need them.
Growth only works when scope is clearly defined before mobilization, expectations are documented and understood on both sides, capacity planning is realistic, safety and quality standards are non-negotiable, and communication remains consistent throughout execution.
The foundation of all of this is something no process can replace: the right people. From field crews and project managers through to leadership, sustainable growth depends on having capable, supported teams at every level of the organization — people who understand the standards, are empowered to uphold them, and have the backing of the company behind them.
When those fundamentals are respected, growth strengthens the organization. When they are ignored, growth creates risk.
As Chief Sales Officer, my responsibility is not simply to develop new business. It is to ensure that new business strengthens OE’s long-term stability and reputation.
LEAN Thinking in Business Development
As a leadership team trained in LEAN thinking, we apply the same principles to business development that we apply in the field.
LEAN is not about speed for the sake of speed. It is about eliminating friction.
In sales and business development, friction appears as incomplete information at the estimating stage, rework due to unclear scoping, delays caused by handoff gaps between departments, unnecessary back-and-forth that slows decision-making, and misaligned expectations that surface mid-project.
By standardizing how we gather information, structure proposals, and coordinate internally, we reduce uncertainty before work begins.
Clearer processes mean fewer surprises.
And fewer surprises mean stronger partnerships.
Transparency is part of that standard. When site conditions change or a project encounters unexpected challenges, our commitment is to communicate openly — across our teams internally and directly with our Customers — before issues escalate. That kind of honesty at all levels of the organization is what builds the confidence Customers need to keep coming back.
When sales and operations are aligned under shared standards, Customers experience consistency from first conversation to final restoration.
The Power of Integrated Capabilities
One of OE’s strengths over the past three decades has been our ability to evolve from a single-service provider into an integrated infrastructure partner.
Bundled internal services — including hydrovac, coring, traffic control, restoration, soil recycling, and project coordination — create operational simplicity for Customers.
Instead of managing multiple vendors and disconnected schedules, Customers can rely on one accountable team aligned under shared standards.
Integration reduces complexity. Reduced complexity lowers risk.
That is not a sales message. It is an operational reality.
When teams operate under unified leadership and consistent expectations, coordination improves, timelines stabilize, and safety performance strengthens.
Sustainable growth means building systems that make execution easier for everyone involved.
Building Long-Term Partnerships
Trust is not built in a proposal. It is built over time.
"You don't close a sale; you open a relationship." — Patricia Fripp
In Ontario’s infrastructure environment, relationships matter. Customers need to know when unexpected conditions arise — and they will — their partner responds with transparency, capability, and composure.
That requires listening carefully before speaking.
It requires understanding each Customer’s pressures, internal constraints, and strategic priorities.
It requires respecting that infrastructure work affects communities and public safety.
And it requires humility — the understanding that no organization improves without learning from those it serves.
For me, this extends beyond business hours. My volunteer and charity work has reinforced something I carry into every customer relationship: that sustainable partnerships are built on genuine investment in the people and communities around you — not just on contract terms.
Our participation in industry associations, conferences, and community initiatives is part of that commitment. Growth is not just commercial. It is relational.
Responsible Expansion in 2026 and Beyond
As OE enters its 30th year, the path forward is not about expansion for its own sake.
It is about deepening relationships with Customers who value disciplined execution, continuing to refine internal processes so growth does not dilute standards, leveraging technology to improve communication and transparency, aligning innovation with real field needs, and ensuring our people have the clarity, resources, and support required to deliver consistently.
Sustainable sales is not measured by volume. It is measured by durability.
If a Customer continues to choose OE year after year, that is the true indicator of growth through trust.
In Closing
Thirty years in infrastructure is built on thousands of projects, countless conversations, and the daily work of teams who deliver under pressure.
My commitment — and our sales team’s commitment — is simple:
We will pursue growth that strengthens our operations, supports our people, and serves our Customers with clarity and integrity.
Because in infrastructure, trust is not a marketing concept.
It is earned through disciplined execution, consistent communication, and long-term partnership.
George Chung
Chief Sales Officer | OE Utility Services | www.oeservices.ca
What does sustainable and responsible growth mean to you? Please contact us to discuss and find out how OE Utility Services can help you!
