Meet the ESA team – Gabriel Gagné-Marcotte

The story of ESA is above all the story of the people who make up its team.

It is with great pride that we introduce you to those who make our company what it is today.

To learn more about our mission and our team, take a look at our About section.

What is your job title at ESA?

My official title is “General manager”, But my work changes all the time! I mostly manage the general organization of the company,event planning and meetings with potential and existing partners.

For how long have you been part of the ESA team?

I’m one of ESA’s founding members. In 2010, I had the opportunity to start the ESA project with my partners, who are still working with me to this day, and everything started there. The true birth of our company, so to say, was closer to 2014-2015, when we were able to officially launch our first product on the market.

What first made you interested in the agricultural field?

I originally grew up in the country. My parents owned land with an orchard, and I helped them maintain it for a long time. That’s when I was able to see the hardships that come with working on a farm, especially how, in the case of the orchard, an entire harvest could be lost due to bad luck, for example having harsh weather conditions or bug invasions. That really struck me. That experience later made me want to find solutions for farmers, to help them where it counts.

After that, I oriented myself towards ventilation system development thanks to my studies in engineering. From there, putting together my wish to enhance farms’ efficiencies in a durable way and my previous training, I was able to play a part in the conception of the first ESA air exchanger.

How would you describe ESA to someone unfamiliar with the company?

Basically, ESA’s mission is to bring a new standard in the farming industry. We conceive new solutions for ventilation and heat recovery with our ESA-1000 and ESA-3000 air exchangers. What we bring to a farm is durability, animal welfare, ecological sustainability and financial viability. We’re a tight-knit team who works hard together to help the farming community with solutions that enhances quality of life for both farmers and their animals.

Have you faced any hardships or setbacks during your time here? How did it get resolved?

We face challenges almost everyday ! Especially when we were just starting out, every machine test revealed different features to upgrade, parts to calibrate, many things that we don’t necessarily expect before facing extreme conditions in real life.

In the end, when things don’t go our way, it only gives us more motivation and new ideas. It challenges us to think outside the box to find durable solutions.

What is your all-time favorite moment so far in the ESA team?

There’re so many! Of course, our “turning points” really stuck with me. Like seeing our ESA-1000 working EXACTLY like we intended; that filled me with so much pride. With the ESA-3000, too; when we finally put it on the market, the public reaction was incredible to see.

Seeing the explosion of people interested in the company and the air exchanger we developed as a team brought each of us a big feeling of satisfaction. It made us want to double our efforts in enhancing the product’s quality.

Tell me about your day-to-day. What is your role and some of your daily tasks?

I like waking up very early and going on a run each morning, it’s an important part of my routine. It’s the time of day where I take a moment to breathe and put my ideas in place in my mind. I try to do as many tasks as possible before noon, then set my priorities for the rest of the day. Then, I’m mostly able to complete my assignments in an organized fashion (at least, I try to; there’s always something unexpected coming up!)

Usually, I spend the day meeting potential clients and doing follow-ups with our partners. With the time I have left, I help each departments accelerating and orienting our ongoing projects.

In your opinion, what’s something unique that you bring to the company?

I love human contact, speaking to people and making new acquaintances. Internal communication is also very important to me, and my aptitudes allow me to think clearly about the considerations to take in before making decisions. Hearing everybody’s voice allows our team to make enlightened decisions together.

I’m lucky to have a specialized team; my colleagues know some aspects of agriculture better than me! They help me often with deciding on our projects’ feasibility and seeing sides of them I wouldn’t have thought about. My role is to put everyone’s ideas in common so that we get concrete results.

What part of working at ESA makes you proud?

Clearly, it’s our team. And not only for the work they put in; I love to see each members of the ESA team when I’m at the office. They’re always happy to be there and eager to bring their contribution to our development. Seeing everybody’s personal growth and evolution, especially with our oldest members, makes me extremely proud to be at the heart of ESA’s team.

We have a young team, and I think it’s what gives ESA its dynamic and innovative side. We’re not scared to break out of conventions to find new ways to help farmers, and it shows in the company’s development. I’m so proud to have a team that never stops moving forward!

What is your wish for the ESA team in the upcoming years?

I truly wish for ESA and the whole team to grow to their full potentials. What motivates me is to see the progress our team makes in their knowledge, initiative and personal development. When the ESA team evolves, the company also gains in maturity and ambition. I hope we’ll continue making efforts to be THE ventilation solution for farmers, spreading our products on an international scale.

I wish for ESA to keep alive its flame and its motivation to always better itself. They can only be maintained if everyone keeps working with passion.