Price’s ever-growing team is made up of extraordinarily talented individuals from different backgrounds. We periodically profile a “person of Price” to give you a glimpse at the person behind all those emails or the voice at the end of the phone! This post: Andrew Victor.
Price Industries: What is your current title and role at Price Industries?
Andrew Victor: I’m the R&D Engineering Lead for the Control and Automation team at Price Research Center North (PRCN). Our team handles calibration, equipment purchasing, control system design and software programming. A big part of my role also involves collaborating with the Marketing and Price Technical Center teams to design and automate customer displays located in Suwannee, GA; Casa Grande, AZ; Winnipeg, MB; Toronto, ON; and at Pottorff in Fort Worth, TX.
On top of that, I work with our engineering teams to design and deploy factory calibration and test systems, and I serve as an industry member on the Instrumentation and Control Advisory Board. If it plugs in, turns on or talks to something else, it’s probably on my radar.
PI: How long have you been with Price Industries, and what other roles have you worked in since you started?
AV: I’ve been with Price since graduating in 2009. I started as an Instrumentation Technologist, focused on maintaining and supporting our laboratory systems. As the company and our capabilities expanded, so did my role. I gradually took on more engineering responsibilities, working on increasingly complex automation and control projects. That progression eventually led me to my current position. It’s been a rewarding path with plenty of opportunities to learn, lead and contribute to some exciting innovations along the way.
PI: How did you find yourself in your current area of specialty – was it a lifelong interest and aptitude, or did it evolve later in life?
AV: I’ve always been curious about how things work, both mechanically and electrically. Growing up, I’d follow my dad around and “help” with whatever project he had on the go. He was an electrician by trade and a handyman by necessity, so there was always something to take apart or fix. I’m not sure how much help I actually was back then, but the interest stuck.
| Andrew poses on the ice, 1993 |
It wasn’t until later that I realized this field was a perfect marriage of both disciplines: taking physical properties from the real world and converting them into signals that can drive automation. That discovery really sparked something for me, and the passion has only grown as new technologies continue to emerge.
PI: What was the career path that brought you to Price, and what was it about Price that inspired you to join this team?
AV: I’ll be honest – I didn’t know much about Price before coming here. I was in my last semester of school when I saw a job posting for an “instrumentation” role at some HVAC laboratory in Winnipeg. My first thought was “Who has a 29,000-plus sq. ft. HVAC laboratory?” (Seriously, who does that?)
I applied in late 2009 and started working a couple of months before being hired full time in January 2010. From the moment I stepped into PRCN on that first tour, I knew this place was something special. I had never seen that level of commitment to engineering, design and testing – it was eye-opening. That first impression stuck with me, and over the years, I’ve only become more inspired by the incredible culture and innovation this company continues to foster.
PI: What are some industry developments that you’ve seen in your time within the field that have changed the way you think and work?
AV: Being part of a world-class laboratory, we’re encouraged (and are often required) to stay current with evolving technologies, instrumentation, processes and standards. It’s not just about keeping up; it’s about staying ahead. We’re constantly evaluating instrument accuracy, device resolution, data processing methods and reporting strategies to ensure we’re operating at the highest level.
| The PRCN team having a little fun in the lab, 2013; left to right, Michael Holliday, Andrew Victor and Alberto Bathan |
One of the biggest shifts over the years has been the growing reliance on automation – not just in the lab, but across factory systems and data collection platforms. We’ve moved well beyond manual methods. Today, automated processes and real-time data play a crucial role in our continuous improvement efforts. Looking forward, the focus won’t just be on collecting as much aggregate data as possible. It will be on transforming that data into actionable insights that drive meaningful change across the company.
PI: What is your favorite project you’ve worked on in your time in the industry?
AV: I’ve had the opportunity to work on some incredible research projects, customer mock-ups and advanced control systems, but the project that stands out the most, both in scale and impact, is the automation of our Price Technical Center displays.
The tech centers, which span across North America, showcase our engineered products, design philosophies and the overall innovation that defines Price Industries. Automating these displays has been a massive undertaking, but it’s one that’s incredibly rewarding. The centers see hundreds of visitors each year – including customers, sales reps and students – and they serve as both a marketing tool and an educational resource. I’m proud to have played a part in creating something that not only represents the best of what we do but also helps others experience it firsthand.
| Andrew at the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2025 with his son, Blake (left) and his wife, Tara (right) |
PI: What do you feel is the biggest contribution you have made to the professional community?
AV: I’d like to think I haven’t made my biggest contribution yet! Every day is an opportunity to learn, grow and hopefully leave things better than I found them. For me, it’s about showing up consistently: upholding our core tenets, supporting my coworkers and treating everyone with respect.
At the end of the day, my goal is to help make this the best place to work – technically, professionally and culturally. If I can contribute to that in even a small way, I’d call it a success. And if the biggest impact is still ahead, then I’m right where I want to be.