Oil Sands Gate and Mobile Patrol Security Solutions

The Canadian Oil Sands are a powerful component in Canadian economy, supporting more than 228,000 direct and indirect jobs across Canada, and creating over $13 billion in economic input in 2017 alone*. Oil sand security is the backbone to the industry, and is so challenging due to the geography, safety hazards, and massive infrastructure, that only a few companies stand out.

TAWS Security is one of these companies. Started in 2007, TAWS Security has quietly carved out a reputation as being a leader in Oil Sands security by providing optimum security services, location-based security stations, mobile patrol security units, and outstanding accredited security personnel to major Oil and Gas entities. High quality security personnel and loyal customer service are the foundation for the Aboriginal-owned Alberta based security company that specializes in oil sands gate and mobile patrol security solutions.

Strong Leadership

The fortitude customers rely on from TAWS Security stems from founder and President Isabell Ringenoldus. A former corrections officer and later security guard for Canadian multinational energy transportation company Enbridge Inc., Ringenoldus starting her own security business on the advice of one of Enbridge’s site inspectors. Named in the memory of Tanner Alan William Sitybell, Ringenoldus’ nephew who passed away from Leukemia, TAWS Security offers unique and dedicated specialty, but not limited to, oil sands gate security, diverse mobile patrol security, Location based, and fully equipped mobile security trailers.

TAWS received a contract from Enbridge only two years after being incorporated, an early sign that TAWS was on the right track. Today, TAWS Security has worked with some of the largest energy providers in the world, including Syncrude, Suncor, and Petro China, as well as the Fort McMurray airport YMM and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB).

Ringenoldus says being hands on in the beginning in imperative for a new business owner. “I sewed every patch on every uniform, did the scheduling, books, dealt with day-to-day issues, and went to meetings to get more work until TAWS had over 40 employees,” Ringenoldus recalls. “Then I felt like TAWS was large enough to hire our first operations manager, book keeper, and safety officer.”

“Once I started hiring people and getting to know them really well, I realized that they needed my then small company so they could pay their mortgages and feed their families,” she continues. “I continued to keep looking for work so they would have work when contracts came to an end. Now I still find myself doing this with 140 team members.”

TAWS is a member of many local business communities including the Northern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association (NAABA), Alberta Construction Safety Association, and ISNetworld as well as being accredited by the Alberta chamber of Commerce in the business awards of distinction. “Our membership with organizations like NAABA has helped us to easily network with other Aboriginal businesses in Fort McMurray and helps with exposure to industry in Fort McMurray and in Calgary,” says Ringenoldus. “Being a member of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business is also a good way to get your Business recognized in the Canadian Business world at a national level. They hold and host regular events throughout the year to connect members. There mission is to advance sustainable relationships between Aboriginal communities and Canadian Business. I personally think they do a great job at this.”

Award-Winning

TAWS Security has a solid corporate foundation that is firmly built upon honesty, integrity and a commitment to exceptional customer service, and the industry has not failed to notice. Among her many awards: in 2011 the company was selected as a finalist for an Alberta Business Award of Distinction; in 2012, Ringenoldus was awarded the Aboriginal Woman Entrepreneur Award of Distinction; in 2017, Ringenoldus was awarded the “National Youth Aboriginal Entrepreneur of the Year” from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and inducted into the Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame. TAWS Security personnel were awarded Public Service Medals for “unprecedented cooperation, resourcefulness and heroism” during the first 100 hours of the Horse River Wildfire in 2017, and most recently, Ringenoldus won the 2018 Bank of Montreal Expansion and Growth in Small Business Award.

The secret to TAWS’ success? “Our Management team works with our clients hand-in-hand to consistently improve our services, combined with their methodology. We focus on reliable employee performance, and second-to-none customer service.” On a tangible level, TAWS achieves its goals through “great emphasis on training and equipping our personnel for the duties and events they will be performing for our Clients. Safety and Security are one in the same when it comes to how our personnel conduct in its operations.”

TICS TACS TAWS

Another advantage to TAWS’ clients is the ability to have and product invented or sourced. TAWS Security provides any security service a client can dream up through TAWS Access Control Scan System (TACS) and TAWS Mobile Inventory Control Scanning System (TICS). “We have created an Access Control System That we call TAWS Access Control System, TACS for short. With so many customizable settings, our system allows full control over site configuration, Complete zone control, deploy temporary or emergency access points within minutes and no infrastructure required.”

Then the team recognized a need from a customer for an Inventory Control System (TICS) to complement TACS. TICS track radios, cameras, vehicles, and much more to each individual person while still maintaining control and accountability of the items. TAWS remotely monitors the entire site from one easy-to-use dashboard in near real time, through the cloud. “We have also been working on Telematics over the past three years (an interdisciplinary field that encompasses telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, electrical engineering and computer science, multimedia, Internet, etc.,” says Ringenoldus. “We continue to grow in this aspect of our business and hope to have more contracts soon. We do customize our services to our clients needs, and I think we do a better job of this because we have definitely invented and sourced specialty products for our clients that they seem to appreciate.”

What is next for this pioneering team? Ringenoldus says the plan is to keep growing and improving TAWS services. “As long as we are evolving, we are finding new solutions for our clients.”

www.taws.ca