On Being a Jack-of-All-Trades and Finding a Home at Price
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: Steven Berg.
Price Industries: What is your current title and role at Price Industries?
Steven Berg: Currently I’m designated as the Project Manager for Noise Control, in the applications team. How does the saying go? Jack-of-all-trades, master of none. That seems to sum up my role within the Noise Control group, and it’s a role I take on with pride.
It’s also an ever-growing aspect that makes the Noise Control group unique to Price. Every day, it seems that there is a project or request that lands in our inbox that doesn’t flow into any standard product line. Whether a project requires heavy industrial construction, existing facility integration, structural support or some other unique design configuration, we are a product group that doesn’t like to say no! These are often the type of projects that end up on my desk. It’s a different challenge every day, which is what makes the Noise Control group so engaging and exciting.
PI: How long have you been with Price Industries, and what other roles have you worked in since you started?
SB: I’ve been with Price a total of 12 years, in two stints (2007–2015 and 2020–present). All 12 years have been in the Noise Control group. Back in 2007, when Noise Control was in its infancy at Price, I came on as a designer. Much of the groundwork for the department was laid in these years. It was a lot of monotonous work, but it gave me a deep understanding of mainstream noise control products. From there, my role has continually progressed to Engineering Leader, OEM Designer and finally to my current role of Project Manager. It creates a remarkable career path, being with a product group from essentially concept and design to launch and beyond.
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?
SB: I’ve always had an aptitude and felt a pull toward anything manufactured or mechanical. I love diving into how things are built and how they work. My background outside of Price has been as diverse as the projects we deal with at Price – RVs, grain equipment, hog barns and large construction projects. It has given me the wide range of experience needed to deal with not only the diversity but also the multifaceted nature of the projects in Noise Control.
PI: What was the career path that brought you to Price, and what was it about Price that inspired you to join this team?
SB: Some of the worst things in life happen for a reason. Both my paths to Price involved previous job losses that were out of my control. My dad once said to me, “Treat every day as if you are being interviewed for your next job.” That always stuck with me, and so when the opportunity to return to Price presented itself, I was excited to be coming back. Who says you can’t come home?
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?
SB: There are just so many opportunities within the industry to apply noise control products. And this includes opportunities that just didn’t exist even 10 years ago, such as those in data centers. Management at Price has awarded the Noise Control group with the flexibility and ability to take risks and chase after some of these complex and challenging projects. This has definitely caused me to think outside the box in terms of what we can offer in noise control.
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| The application of noise control products is endless and even extends to the heavy industrial sector |
PI: What is your favorite project you’ve worked on in your time in the industry?
SB: My favorite project has been our warming hut on the Centennial River Trail at The Forks in Winnipeg, MB. So many times at Price, you’re involved with the quoting, engineering, design and manufacturing of a certain product or special build. After that, you almost never see – or think of – the job again as it can be buried in an HVAC system in a building thousands of miles away.
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| Steven shows off the warming hut on The Forks river trail to his wife, Sara, and his boys, Sam and Luc |
However, in the winter of 2020/2021, the Noise Control team was presented with the opportunity to participate in a warming hut build, which would be featured at The Forks river trail every winter when the river freezes. I was fortunate enough to be involved in this project from start to finish, including picking up the tools and being the “contractor” that builds and assembles the entire enclosure. It’s a great conversation piece and a tangible product that can be seen and interacted with by family and friends. It’s always a proud moment when you can show your kids what Dad builds.
The warming hut project also ties into my passion outside of Price: fishing and ice fishing. A colleague who used to work at Price said it was a missed opportunity when we didn’t put fishing holes into the floor of the hut (noted for next time!). The only thing I’ve been doing longer than mechanical engineering is fishing. Recently, the ice fishing sector in Manitoba and Western Canada has really taken off, as showcased at the annual Winnipeg Ice Fishing Show. At the show, I’ve competed in the Manitoba Walleye Filleting Championship. I’ve taken home first place with a time of 34.33 seconds for a fully filleted walleye, with no penalties for bones, skin or wasted meat. I always have time to chat about all things fishing, so come on by the Noise Control office sometime!
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| Gone fishin’! Steven on the lake with his sons, Luc and Sam. |
PI: What do you feel is the biggest contribution you have made to the professional community?
SB: As with all aspects of life, giving back is always important. Through my more than 20 years of being in the manufacturing, engineering and construction industries, I’ve had many mentors and people who have inspired me. Of course, you never want to stop learning and becoming a better professional. However, I feel now that as my years of experience keep adding up, I find myself in a position to become the mentor. I feel that passing on my knowledge, experience and mentality to the next generation is a legacy worth striving for.
