A milestone year has arrived for ECHOtape. 50 years at the service of our customers. 50 years in which our top priority has always been your satisfaction. 50 years of commitment with innovation. 50 years of effort, perseverance, and versatility. 50 years of talking tape with clients across the globe.
At ECHOtape, we are proud of the line of work developed from our humble beginnings starting back in 1973. Those of you who already know us, are aware that ECHOtape is a family company that never forgets its roots, so in celebration, we asked our team what their favorite memories are from the last half century. .
Let’s see how Tape has changed your life, and ours!
Ilana Perlman: A game changer for me was when I realized I could use double sided tape to hem my pants, works great in a pinch! Even though I have been working here for (ahem) many years, I’m still blown away by all the applications that tape has.
Darren Quesnel: I have so many favorite memories over the many years, however I do remember on certain birthdays we used to get a Rockaberry pie, a local favorite, as everyone gathered in the reception area to sing Happy Birthday. That was many moons ago but those pies were so delicious!.
And who can forget our company softball team vs a local transport company, and bowling night at the Rose Bowl. Fun times!
Nathalie Abdelhadi: My first day at ECHOtape was Valentine’s Day – flowers from Stanley, our founder, for the ladies . Such a sweet tradition!
Kyle Beaulieu: I remember being told that I am not qualified for a purchasing position by a lovely lady with big wooden jewelry and that I should be in sales… she changed my life!
“Please, when you are in the office … Never Never Never Quit.” Churchill got credit for the quote, but I think he borrowed the phrase from Stanley, our founder. That souvenir and inspiration quote still sits on my desk.
James Begin: I am probably going to get in trouble for this memory, but here it goes: Marilyn Edelstein, one of our founders, used to come into the office on weekends to get work done. Then when we added Citrix, a software, she could work remotely even at hersummer house. She would work late into the night and Stanley, her husband and our cofounder, asked me to find some way to turn the system off at midnight so I came up with the need to do back ups all night long starting at midnight as an excuse, which Marilyn made me change to 1 am.
Sometimes Stanley would go on a shopping run for office supplies (I learned that this was a pastry break, but that is besides the point) he would stop by my office to see if I needed anything, the one time I needed some phone extension cables, Stanley found exactly what I needed at the dollar store. From that point Stanley would always offer to pick up phone extensions when he went out
Steve Underhill: Many great memories over the years! I think of my early favorites were playing hockey on Jacoban Street, our old office, on the weekends with co-workers, and eventually in the gymnasium at the school near the office on Sunday mornings. Also, playing darts during lunch in the old back warehouse at 21 Mount Vernon. Fun fact: Michael Gauthier used to be a highly ranked Dart pro in Quebec.
Deborah LeCouffe: So many great memories, but holiday parties in the Peach room at our old office were special!
Michael Gauthier: How about getting locked in Mount Vernon, our old offices, not once, but twice, with the alarm going off?! That was fun. Playing darts at lunch with Purchasing and Sales behind the Peach Room. Oh! And the kids’ holiday party used to be on Christmas Eve. My girls would hand out hors d’oeuvres while we “worked”, before the party.
Sandra Agnessi: One of my fondest memories was celebrating ECHOtape’s 25th anniversary. Marilyn and Stanley were on the dance floor and Stanley was encouraging everyone to dance. Every time I hear the song, “Hands up… baby hands up,” I still picture Stanley having a good time with all his employees.
Sylvie Scrivo: I have so many great memories over all these years, but one of my favorites was when I would see Mike Grevatt, our Senior VP of Sales, place his index cards with all his customers’ information in a small box and go on the road with them.
Mike Grevatt: There are, of course, thousands of wonderful experiences that I had with Stanley, as he was truly a great mentor. The one exchange that always stuck most in my mind was not even 100% related to business. I was building a country home in the Eastern Townships in the mid ‘80s and unwittingly ended up being the Head Contractor. I was constantly being called by different contractors because of trouble with things ranging from dynamite to windows, plumbing and roofs, etc. After many times needing to make the 100-mile return trip or spending hours on the telephone with people, Stanley came to me with some great advice. “You do what you do best, (sell tape) and hire somebody to do what they do best (lead a construction project) and you will live a much less stressful and much more rewarding life.” Man, was he right.
50 years together, thank you.
