Calculating the future

May 29, 2015 9:55 am Published by Kelsey Berlinger 2 Comments

I’ve only had 9 days in my new office and I can already tell this is going to be the most educational, fun and memorable summer I’ve spent with West Fraser. In nine days I’ve expanded my accounting knowledge, explored my new town, and got to meet many new people. This is my third summer with West Fraser but my first in Quesnel. The past two years I was employed by a divisional office in Chetwynd. That was where I got my start as an accounting student and was able to grow my skills under their controller. It was when I received a call from corporate asking me to interview for a spot in their accounting department that I took an opportunity for a change in scenery and pace. After finals had finished in April I packed up my few belongings at my parents’ house and moved 100 km south of Prince George to a town I hadn’t even visited before. West Fraser is a company dedicated to seeing it’s employees succeed and we in turn do all we can for the success for the business. It was this loyalty that had me taking the leap.

Another very important aspect of the West Fraser’s culture is that we’re not just a team but a family. This week was the annual accounting conference held every year at the corporate office. Almost every controller from solid wood to pulp attended and I felt honored as a third year student to sit in on the discussions and participate in some of the training being put on.

West Fraser has seen tremendous growth over the last few years from capital upgrades at mills, too acquiring whole new divisions. This meant that I wasn’t the only new face in the board room. In fact, there were controllers there who had even less experience with the company than I do with my two previous summers combined. Thanks to the amazing culture West Fraser creates you would have thought we had been there for years. The most interesting thing for me as a new employee was A) how many Canadian operations we actually had and B) the diversity that makes up those operations. I was aware that there was a market for every aspect of the tree, but it wasn’t until I got to meet the accountants at divisions ranging from lumber to LVL to panels to pulp did I realize how large of an enterprise I actually work for.

It all comes back to the culture though. It’s sometimes hard to believe that upper management will take the time out of their day to stop by and chat. Or how after only meeting you once, will remember your name despite only being the receptionist at the division they’re visiting. If you work for West Fraser you’re important no matter how big they get and I believe that’s crucial to employee morale.

Work this past week has been everything I loved about going to school for accounting without the daunting stress of a final exam. With a company as large and established as West Fraser it’s not very often that you get to implement many new accounting standards and procedures unless the rules change or, as is the case this summer, the company invests in new technology to bring their accounting world into the modern era. With the upgrades West Fraser is implementing this year the accounting group is able to effectively update and standardize the way divisions report to the corporate office and how our accounting group is able to than take that standard information and make it into a report in a timely fashion for stakeholders. If you’re not an accountant that may not seem like much or be difficult to follow but let me sum it up for you. This is a game changer. By making processes that were cumbersome like report creation and streamlining them, accountants can now spend more time analyzing the data they collected and in turn be able to make more informed decisions. So what’s my job? Right now, along with learning how to cover for some of the clerks in the office, I’m helping the accounting group standardize smaller reports. It’s a process that goes smoothly until you find a number that you don’t know how to calculate. It’s sort of like putting together a giant puzzle with numbered pieces. The shape of the pieces may change month to month but as long as the order stays consistent you’re able to make a standard process once, and follow it from there on out. It’s challenging but rewarding work and it keeps your day from getting stale.

This weekend is the May long weekend and so I plan on spending it outside, exploring Quesnel and enjoying the sun. With all the lakes and outdoor activities Quesnel offers it would be a waste not to go kayaking or hiking. I only have four months before its back to the grind stone and I’d hate to feel like I missed out.

Kelsey Berlinger