Kevin Belisle’s career path at FLO | AddÉnergie alone is emblematic of the company’s rapid growth since 2009, the year it was founded. In 2011, while he was an electrical engineering student at Université Laval, he landed an internship at the Quebec-based company, which was still in its startup phase. With a bachelor’s degree in hand and four promotions later, Kevin, who was recently appointed Manager, Software Development, is marking a decade of tackling both small and large innovation challenges at FLO | AddÉnergie.
A lot has changed since Kevin became the seventh employee of a company that now has more than 215 staff spread between its Quebec City headquarters, the Shawinigan assembly plant, the Montreal office and regional teams based in Ontario, British Columbia, California, New York State and Texas. “In the beginning, when everyone met up at the restaurant for lunch, we had to make sure before leaving the office that someone on the team brought their laptop, in case we got a call from a customer who needed troubleshooting,” Kevin recalls with a smile.
The engineer, who has been working remotely since the pandemic began, is eager to meet his colleagues again on a terrace in Quebec City. “I really appreciate the people I work with,” Kevin says. “That’s probably one of the reasons I feel attached to the company. The team is great and the challenges we tackle together are always stimulating. At FLO | AddÉnergie, innovation is encouraged and there’s a wide playground! It’s also true that employees share a real desire to make a difference by fighting GHGs (greenhouse gases). Our work has tangible impacts on people’s quality of life and on the environment. It’s a source of pride for me and my colleagues,” he adds.
Over the same period, the company that operates networks of charging stations for electric vehicles and provides smart charging software and equipment has propelled itself to the forefront of its sector in North America. Today, the company’s chargers can be found from Gaspé to Los Angeles, and even in the Yukon!
FLO | AddÉnergie’s rapid growth means it is constantly looking for new talent. “We’re looking to grow our sales teams and our software and hardware R&D teams,” confirms Rachel Le Roy-Audy, Senior Advisor, Talent Acquisition at FLO | AddÉnergie. These professionals form the pillars of the company’s important activities. From the very beginning, FLO | AddÉnergie wanted to offer more than just chargers by providing complete software solutions to manage networked installations.
This strategic vision, combined with the durability and reliability of the chargers assembled at its Shawinigan plant, has enabled the company to expand across Quebec, Canada and the United States. “Our FLO network continues to gain ground south of the border, notably thanks to contracts in the American Midwest and with the cities of Los Angeles and New York,” says Sylvain Bouffard, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at FLO | AddÉnergie. The company’s latest push into the United States came at the beginning of May, when 120 charging stations were delivered to New York City to serve its five boroughs.
“There is room here for passionate people who have innovative ideas and want to initiate projects,” adds Rachel Le Roy-Audy. “FLO | AddÉnergie trusts the talent it employs and develops, and recognizes them by giving them increased responsibilities and promotions. We place a lot of emphasis on internal mobility to advance our employees.” Kevin, who now manages a larger team of software developers, echoes this view. “We work hard, but we have the opportunity to move up quickly,” he says. “It’s very encouraging for younger people who are eager to advance their careers.” He recalls that a few years ago, a decade already, it was he—the student—who joined AddÉnergie, then a startup, to do an internship. Both he and the company still had everything to learn… and so much to accomplish.
This partner content was produced as part of the En route! project – The careers destination for electric and smart transportation.
