Discussing Black Controls with Rick Black

November 26, 2021

By Alyssa Kerslake

In July 2019, Rick invested everything. He left a full-time, secure job because he identified a need in the industrial controls industry and wanted to serve it. Rick converted his home into Black Controls Company Inc (BCCI). The living room and basement became stock rooms, his garage became a shop, and the bedrooms were converted into offices. He hired one full-time employee to support him while establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with a large business in Ontario. The goal of BCCI remains to create turn-key solutions for local, national, and global industrial control systems.

Black Controls Company Inc. specializes in designing, wiring, and programming industrial control systems. As Rick highlights, “We typically work with industrial control panels; that is our background and where we see a lot of the demand.” There is a diverse array of talent at BCCI and this talent has led to the completion of commercial work as well. “We did do a job last year where one of our electricians did commissioning for a company, focusing on validating and testing their data centre.”

One of the core components of the company is to learn new skills and technologies so that customers can be provided with the most efficient and cost-effective solutions. Rick identified the ideal project for BCCI as “a complete turn-key system. In the concept phase, we would work through the system’s design, build the panels for them, do the machine wiring, and then do all the programming and development – that encompasses all of our services in one.” Black remarks how the ability to tailor to the end-user is a significant company objective overall, “We can quickly come in and assess the client’s current situation, make recommendations and add value to them. We are delivering value to the solution we put together and make the process go smoothly.”

Due their high-quality product and unique solutions, BCCI has grown quickly. In May 2020 the company expanded to a 2 500 sq ft unit in Barrie and the number of employees increased to five; all while the COVID pandemic shut down the province. Black Controls Company Inc. faced an unprecedented challenge. But a challenge that Rick, and his core team, could prosper in. While the COVID pandemic resulted in many businesses closing doors, downsizing operations, and losing employees, BCCI flourished. In June 2021, Black Controls moved into the current 13 000 sq ft building and the number of employees increased to sixteen.

With a focus on creating sanitization equipment and an increased number of dedicated employees his company exceeded customer expectations and produced on-time quality work. Black Controls Company Inc. has completed installing throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Current projects are expanding across Europe and Asia. Rick has also reached out and established more customers within the Barrie area, expanding beyond the medical industry and taking on more complex, long-term projects. Rick took a huge risk, but that risk led to exceptional growth during COVID, and he is committed to achieving so much more.

Black understands that without his employees, the company would not be where it is today. The experienced and devoted staff includes programmers, electricians, and designers committed to giving their clients outstanding service and high-quality products. All team members of Black Controls Company embody four core values: hardworking, evolving, accountable and team players. The diverse skill set of the team has supported the company’s rapid growth. “We are very fortunate that the team we have is very skilled, and they have allowed us to grow as a company. We would not be where we are without them leading the day-to-day projects. We are very fortunate to have people who are willing to come work for a new company, they want to be a part of something exciting.”

To learn more about Black Controls and how they can support your business visit their website: https://blackcontrols.com/.