Tech Firm Finds a New Home in Squamish

By Bronwyn Scott
Published: July 20, 2013

Quantum Technology Corp., a firm specializing in helium systems, will now call Squamish its home.

Earlier based in Burnaby, the company moved into a new office space at Quest University on Monday, July 1.

The company makes helium recovery systems for universities, medical superconducting magnets for magnetic resonance imaging systems (MRI’s).

Quest University was an appealing choice because the majority of its clients are university researchers, ranging from UBC to universities overseas in Korea, Australia and Europe, said Calvin Winter, company president.

In addition to their office space, they also have a second facility in the rail yards where they can bring in semi-trailers and test equipment like compressors and piping systems.

“The community sense is quite different from the big city and I think that that’s a real positive feature,” said Calvin Winter.

He’s eager to host free, weekly hands-on science lectures for the Quest community and possibly having them open to the public as well.

But it wasn’t just the warmth of the people that drew Quantum to Squamish.

The demographic of highly educated people at the university and the slightly more cost effective workforce as compared to the city were the other attractions.

There are a lot of people in the knowledge based and technology industries in town, said Chris Pettingill, a member of Inside Edge Squamish, a group that promotes tech-based industry in Squamish.

Quantum will be right at home, he said.

“Vancouver is going pretty crazy too, so I think we get a bit of a spillover from that,” he said.

There have been whisperings of other tech firms moving to Squamish, but they haven’t gone public with their decisions yet, said Pettingill.

“It does seem like there is a bit of a momentum here for sure.”

Quantum is on the lookout for local talent and is hiring for an administrative and engineering position.