Firefighting, Electrical Engineering, and Community-Building with Michael Wrinch

If you can’t tell from the title, there’s a lot of variety in this week’s episode. Michael Wrinch is the President and CEO of Hedgehog Technologies, an engineering consulting firm based in British Columbia that specializes in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and risk management. From rides and attractions to projects that impact sustainability, Hedgehog’s motto is fitting: “We make complex visions a practical reality.”

In this episode, Mike gives a little background on why his company is called Hedgehog Technologies and where his interest in electrical engineering stems from. He explains his people-first approach to business and why that’s so important when creating infrastructure.

Mike also takes us through some of the complex projects he’s worked on. We round things up by getting a glimpse at some of the other interesting experiences he’s had. Spoiler alert: It’s everything from chimney cleaning to cheesemaking.

In this episode, find out:

• How Mike came up with the name Hedgehog Technologies for his company
• The importance of trust and accountability in teamwork
• What inspired Mike to transition from firefighting to engineering
• Mike explains his company’s core value
• How diversity fuels innovation
• Why Mike picks hard projects
• The trick to working with high-risk machines
• Mike’s experience as a fish factory worker and a cheesemaker

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “Unless you have a real good understanding of how people are working within the infrastructure of this world, you can’t design great things.”
• “Different perspectives create insights into designs that we're working on that really matter.”
• “If you want a high-performing team, you need to trust each other, be accountable, and be hardworking.”

Links & mentions:

• Hedgehog Technologies, an engineering consulting firm based in British Columbia that specializes in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and risk management
• Ontario’s most northern First Nation goes green with their first solar project, an article on one of Hedgehog’s most significant sustainability and community-focused projects
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Michael Wrinch
• Weekend Warrior: Michael Wrinch has a taste for danger, a 2019 article about Michael from BC Business

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.