Richard Gurberg is the Flood mitigation specialist and President of Creatium Equipment. Water Management, Sandbagging & Flood Prevention Specialists serving Canada Coast to Coast.
Richard Gurberg President - Creatium Equipment
How would you describe your journey with more than 30 years of experience in the business field? Varied and dynamic. Started in the auto window tint and accessory world and never imagined by midlife I’d be
claiming to be a seasoned businessman with experience in such varied products and services as garment manufacturing and distribution, vacation rentals, business analytics software and flood prevention and water management equipment. The most interesting aspect of the journey is having learned that as different as each product and business is, there are some very major similarities that exist between all of them.
Flooding is a natural process that cannot be prevented, but what are the ways to reduce the damages caused when it happens? While we clearly cannot stop the flooding, what we can do is recognize that being prepared for flooding provides us with at least a chance of protecting our communities, both people and property.
Individuals and municipalities now have a
pretty good idea as to where the lower laying lands are, where the water tends to come from (whether river and lake overflow, mountain snow run off, swamps, lagoons and other poor drainage areas). The challenge of
course is to protect these areas, best we can, in advance of the flooding. I cannot stress enough how important it is to plan, plan, plan. Too often we get calls smack in the middle of a flooding event with requests for equipment that is needed yesterday. These calls come in simply too late as time is needed to produce and ship the products. Having what is needed, in case (and before) it is needed it, puts a community miles ahead. Creatium carries a variety of products designed to help Canadians face this challenge, each with its own pros and cons.