Wi-Com Solutions Profile

W E H E A R YO U • LO UD AN D C LEAR

Wi-Com Solutions Finds Success in Communications & Community

by Rennay Craats Photos by Riverwood Photography

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hen Dave Langerholz started Wi-Com Solutions in 2009, he had a modest vision for the company: a small business that provided quality wireless communication solutions to a local clientele. Now, nine years later, he has acquired six different companies, four of which were purchased in the last year.

Salmon Arm and Whistler. It has grown to become a Platinum Dealer and Manufacturer Representative with Motorola Solutions.

“I never set out to be about store count or headcount – but now I’m in six locations. The plan was to grow the business organically; these acquisitions allowed us to grow a lot faster,” says Dave Langerholz, president of WiCom. He isn’t done yet; in some ways he’s just getting started.

The change of heart came out of necessity more than by design. He started out by purchasing product from his former employer of nine years, TAC Mobility, but he wanted to buy directly from Motorola. The only way in was through acquisition, so Wi-Com bought Motorola dealer Tridon Communications in Banff. WiCom Solutions started as one of the first Bell dealers in Western Canada and has since been named Bell Dealer of the Year twice.

Langerholz was soon given the opportunity to purchase TAC, which he enthusiastically accepted. TAC

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Dave Langerholz was a trailblazer in the industry, being one of the first mobility dealers and helped start the dealer network on the two-way radio side. Langerholz was proud to build upon this 30-year legacy and his own 18-year participation, and now Wi-Com is one of the largest two-way radio, mobility, satellite and IoT companies in Western Canada.

Calgary-based Wi-Com is serving the communications needs of clients across Western Canada with locations in Banff, Lethbridge, Kelowna,

Wi-Com has the privilege of servicing more public safety agencies than any other company in Western Canada providing communications solutions for all three levels of government to equip such entities as Parks Canada, Alberta Health Services, City of Calgary Police, Fire, and Parks and Rec, and City of Lethbridge. Wi-Com – a born-andbred western Canadian company – is also a dominant player in health and education, oil and gas, construction, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, tourism and hospitality across the territory.

“We definitely grew through acquisition, but we also grew by being really strong community partners. It’s a big source of pride for me,” Langerholz says.

Wi-Com is involved in countless community events across Western Canada, from large productions like the Calgary Stampede requiring 1,500 two-way radios, to GlobalFest, the Calgary International Film Festival, the Calgary Marathon and the Spartan Race series across Canada.

It supports hundreds of charity events

Wi-Com Solutions Derrik Johanneson, Jamie Hall, Sam Pal, David DeGroot, Phil Gash & Dave Langerholz.

like the Mother’s Day Run, the Kidney March and Alberta Children’s Hospital events. The company has also provided emergency equipment during floods and wildfires to aid in evacuating citizens locally and in foreign countries during natural disasters. Langerholz is proud of the company’s community spirit and excited to be part of as many community events as possible.

“It’s how we give back. All these events make us better collectively,” he says. “We want to help everybody.

It’s the power of ‘yes.’”

Saying “yes” to these communities has encouraged clients to say “yes” to Wi-Com as well. The company has grown significantly since it opened its doors, nearly doubling in size and revenue over the past year. It now boasts a cache of over 5,000 high-quality two-way radio rentals for clients to employ across their digital networks. With a staff of only 20, Wi-Com has emerged as a major player in the industry and plans to continue to grow by offering better service, knowledge and product

than the competition, employing the homegrown advantage.

“We want every transaction to be a five-star transaction,” he says. “It’s the service, the support, the execution, the reliability, the dependability – it’s about doing it right.”

Wi-Com strives to not only attract new customers but to keep existing ones happy as well. By listening carefully to what clients need, what they aren’t currently getting and the factors influencing their decisions, Wi-Com strives to find the best solution.

The best solutions are those backed by the best products, so Wi-Com often invites executives from Apple, Samsung, Bell and Motorola to meetings with clients. While WiCom may deal in other company’s products, it does far more than just throw boxes on the shelf for resale. The professionals at Wi-Com package and bundle products in a way that allows them to better meet clients’ needs and, in some cases,

presents options that no one has thought of before.

“The status quo just isn’t good enough,” he says. “It’s never just about the box for us; it’s about providing better end-to-end solutions.”

From VHF and UHF to RoIP and VoIP, GPS, RFID and IoT using SaaS, TEM and MDM, Wi-Com has the alphabet soup of emerging information technologies designed to make businesses more efficient so they can optimize their operations and how they interact with their customers.

Wi-Com is driven by change, and Dave Langerholz and his team relish the ever-changing nature of communications technology. In a constantly evolving technology business, Wi-Com Solutions is the constant for clients, providing the best cutting-edge equipment and support so clients can evolve and succeed as well.

Head Office #3, 5608 – 1 St. SE Calgary, AB T2H 2W9 403.250.8474 | wicom.ca