SPOTLIGHT
HINES MARINE SERVICES LTD .
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
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Ivan Hines is the second-generation owner of the iconic marine electronics company — and one of West Head ’ s trusted suppliers — Hines Marine Services ( HMS ) Ltd . HMS has been in business since 1977 , selling and servicing top names in marine electronics like Furuno , SI-TEX , Koden , Com-Nav , Icom , Simrad , MaxSea , Olex , and more .
Prior to establishing the company , Ivan ’ s father , John Hines , worked as an on-site marine electronics technician . When he was laid off in 1977 , John decided to go it alone and build his own specialty marine services business . Despite competing against some of the biggest brand names in the industry , the business grew to earn the greatest reputation for quality marine electronics in Nova Scotia .
In 2000 , Ivan ’ s father offered him a partnership role in the company . At that point , there were five other companies in the area all offering the same products . However , through careful attention to detail and superior customer service , HMS rose above the rest . Ivan notes that nowhere else in the region can you find a company that will answer the phone at 4 o ’ clock in the morning to help you resolve an electronics issue . He says he ’ s even found himself up in the middle of the night helping people who aren ’ t his customers .
Ivan laughs as he recalls that “ since starting with the old man , there ’ s been a cell phone glued to my hip for the last two decades .” It ’ s intrusive and it can be frustrating at times , but at the end of the day , it ’ s that dedication to top-notch customer service that sets HMS apart .
The company made its first hire in 2008 . This was no easy task since marine electronics positions have a very niche aspect to them . In one regard , employees need to be physically fit , such as be able to climb and crawl around a rig , lug a certain amount of weight , and use power tools . In another regard , they need to be very bright because they ’ re dealing with sophisticated marine electronics . Ivan has had to find creative ways to attract and retain those valuable people who encompass both skill sets .
From 2012 on , the company grew dramatically , adding one to two more guys to the crew each year . Today , they have 10 full-time technicians in the field .
Industry Appreciation
The thing Ivan enjoys most about the marine electronics industry is interacting with the fishermen he serves . He describes his customers as “ characters ” because they ’ re so unique in their gruffness and their sense of humour . “ They ’ re entertaining as heck to work with ,” he says . Although the dynamics have evolved over the years with changes to regulations and more being on the line for fishermen as they go out to sea , their charm remains intact .
He also notes that , outside of the military , there ’ s really no other job that would allow him to interact with this level of technology .
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