M.A.P. Testimonial: Building Community

How do you build a community?

The family-owned M.A.P. Group of Companies in Edmonton knows there’s more to it than preparing ground and installing infrastructure. Although that has been their specialty for the better part of four decades, they feel it’s also all about family and building relationships

Families mean communities.

With more than 500 employees and over 350 pieces of equipment, building and connecting communities are the biggest part of what they do. Like the new community of Keswick which will provide homes to 15,000 people, and the completed Anthony Henday Road that stretches 77 kilometres around Edmonton. The M.A.P. Group of Companies believes in investing in and giving back to their communities by supporting local foundations and organizations too. They’ve donated over a million dollars to local non-profits, charities like United Way and Edmonton’s Food Bank, athletic teams, school fundraisers, and churches.

“You always like to give something back,”

says Paolo Matera, M.A.P. equipment manager. “We make money from the community so it goes hand in hand to help families and some of the community charities.” And he says working hand in hand with SMS Equipment is very much a part of that family and community spirit; M.A.P. Group fields over 75 pieces of heavy equipment from SMS Equipment. “They help us out, we help them out,” he says. “They are very easy to deal with, you feel you’re not just a customer.” Like genuine families and communities, which stick together and help each other during tough times, so SMS Equipment does with M.A.P. and its communities.

“They work with us in all situations; I can just call them any time—that’s key"

For example, they offer us skips for the months we’re not working.” Tony Matera, president of the M.A.P. Group of Companies, says anyone can sell you equipment and help you when things are going well. “But it’s when you have issues that you see how a company really helps you out—and SMS Equipment is great that way. From parts to service to repair to sales to rentals; even the financial end of things.”

Building communities with that kind of cooperative spirit doesn’t fade away.

Tony recently drove around a project they did nine years ago. “I saw how it grew from an empty field to a community of homes,” he says. “It’s surreal. It makes you proud.”