Byron Martens
“Our industry is always changing and there’s always new and different things coming up. You should challenge yourself. Make the commitment to do your Gold Seal Certification, and help make our industry better.”
Byron Martens, GSC, Superintendent, Mierau Contractors
Daily, Byron commutes nearly an hour to and from his place of work and has been for over two decades. He is a site Superintendent for Mierau Contractors out in Abbotsford, B.C. His current job site is located at a women’s hospital in Vancouver. “I love my job, and it’s a challenge. Doing hospital work is more of a challenge than a regular construction site. There’s a lot of patient and worker interaction. We’re working in the emergency ward for labour and delivery. With some infection control boards in the middle, on one side new life is coming into the world, and on the other, we’re demolishing the old.”
Byron began working in the construction field right out of high school. He immediately began with an apprenticeship and began framing in residential construction. When he turned 20, he had already earned his Red Seal and had begun his post-secondary education. Byron has an enthusiastic personality, and with that comes the desire for adventure. By the end of his post-secondary education, Byron signed a contract to go work in Japan for 6 months, building houses and touring the country. “It was interesting, and one of those life experiences you cannot substitute. It was a lot of fun and unique.” Byron describes his inspiration for his personal drive is the satisfaction he gets from accomplishing something that can be, in some instance, a little unusual.
He discovered Gold Seal Certification while in school. “I was studying at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), and some of the courses I was taking were accredited GSC. The reason why it was exceptional for me was because it combined your experience with post-secondary knowledge. The certification is not a degree that only the most intellectual people can take. It is a unique program that suits a variety of people and learning styles.”
Byron received his Gold Seal Certification in April 2015.
“I like to try new things. I’m not happy or comfortable staying at one spot for too long. I always like to challenge myself. That’s why construction is something I enjoy so much, there’s always something new to learn.”