https://www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com/newsroom/focus-on-leadership-birchcliff-energy-invests-in-its-people
Joel Schlesinger © Postmedia Network Inc.
Birchcliff Energy invests in its assets — both its properties and its people.
This strategy has benefited the mid-cap energy company, headquartered in Calgary, as it responsibly produces energy, cultivates the next generation of workers and supports communities.
“Our corporate culture and staff are among the most important facets of our business, along with producing responsible energy,” says Jesse Doenz, controller and investor relations manager with Birchcliff Energy Ltd., which saw a record year for revenues in 2022.
Central to its growth is the fact that Birchcliff owns its assets and infrastructure, including its 100 per cent owned Pouce Coupe Gas Plant near Grande Prairie, capable of producing 340 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.
“It’s very exciting to be positioned where we are now as a company and to be focused on becoming debt-free in 2023,” says Calvin Bohdan, senior investor relations analyst at Birchcliff.
In turn, the publicly traded company will soon be paying one of the highest dividend yields in the energy industry. More importantly, its no-debt strategy will make the company resilient to ebbs and flows in energy prices, Bohdan says, allowing it to keep moving forward with its team of 130 people in Calgary and 100 more in the field.
“Investing in our people is a core tenet of our business model,” he says.
This commitment is highlighted by Birchcliff’s professional development programs, including an internal mentorship program where senior staff at all levels mentor the next crop of leaders at the company.
“We want our employees to feel that they not only can flourish at their current position, but that they also have opportunity for growth,” Doenz says.
These initiatives are driven by the fact that responsibly produced oil and gas will continue to be a critical source of reliable energy as society moves toward lower emission goals.
“We do a lot of work in the community educating high school and post-secondary students about the opportunity for them to work in an industry that sustainably supports their quality of life,” he says.
Birchcliff is also actively involved in the community by supporting STARS, United Way and other charities such as Kids Cancer Care and Kids Up Front, Bohdan says.
“We’re proud of these initiatives, and this work will never stop,” he says. “It’s all part and parcel to being a responsible energy producer and, at Birchcliff, we embody this from our production to our people and the communities we serve.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Calgary Economic Development.