News & Notes

March 1 , 2008 WAY TO GO GRAYCON! In this month’s Alberta Venture magazine Graycon received two Honourable Mentions – one for Best Overall Workplace (100-500 employees)  and one for Best Workplace for Millennials (aka Gen-Y or Inet-Generation).   We were also recognized as having the largest (by far!) Referral Bonus program! This speaks volumes to the culture and company we are building and growing! Well done everyone!!

February 8, 2008 Well, the chips were definitely down ...on the table that is!  22 card sharks entered the tournament, and we raised $440 for charity!! $300 went First Place - to Jeff Rhude, who donated to Universal Rehabilitation Service Agency (URSA) located here in Calgary; and $140 went to Second Place - to Ricardo Ramirez, who donated to Autism Calgary Association.                                                                                                   Honourable mention to both Cynthia Mazereeuw and Karen Gorse, who both professed to be poker novices (riiiight <g>), but made it to the final table.  Watch out for these two card sharks.A special thanks to Zuzana Gratton and Michelle Lutz for all of their help in taking care of all of the food for the event, and to Jason Behr for his help on the poker side of the event. Here's looking to the next poker tournament!

February 2, 2008 Another year, another fabulous Graycon ski trip! The day out at Sunshine was a resounding success, as usual, with novices and experts coming out to enjoy the slopes. Truth be told, the bus ride up there was as much fun as the actual skiing! Everyone had a blast, with lots of laughter and just a bit of cheeky tomfoolery (that doesn’t sound like us, does it? <g>). The hill was picture perfect, with a fresh layer of powder and relatively mild temperatures. Despite a few minor bumps and even one mild concussion (hmmmm ... déjà vu), the trip went off without a hitch. At day's end, everyone piled back on the bus in high spirits and hating to leave ... and then zzzzz ... a peaceful ride home. All that fun can be exhausting!

February 2008 Graycon is proud to be participating in the 2008 Corporate Challenge!  As a kick off, one of the winter events was The Human Bonspiel.  Nothing like throwing yourself down the ice and taking one for the team.  Woot woot!!  140 teams participated in the Human Curling Event at Olympic Plaza - four of which were: The Graycon Sliders:  Jason Behr, Shawn Fenemore, Ian Moores, Shannon Rector; The Graycon Riders: Chris Beatty, Barry Moore, Cynthia Mazereeuw, Jeff Rhude; The Graycon Crashers: Heather Arnot, Julian Galley, Cory Phillips, Chad Paulson; and The Graycon Rockers: Alan Bull, Matthew Ball, Matthew Thompson, Rick Brzostowski. The Calgary Corporate Challenge proudly supports KidSport Calgary (for more information visit www.kidsport.ca).  Graycon is pleased to be part of raising $3,625 ... not through our athleticism but through registration fees <g>. Thanks to these donations, fourteen more kids can be involved in sports!

December 14, 2007 The Annual Christmas Party was held at Art Space in Crossroads Market. This festive evening was filled with fun, laughter and lots of smiles ... not to mention, a crowd of pretty swanky looking Grayconians!  We sure clean up nice. "Big Yellow Van" played into the night; Fortune Tellers and Tarot Card Readers set up shop to entertain the masses, and we even had swing dance lessons!  Oh, and a few of us had to be pulled out of the chocolate fountain dessert bar.  Literally.  What a fabulous night!>

December 2, 2007 WOW!  What a turn out at the annual Graycon Kids Christmas party!  Santa managed to stop by the TELUS World of Science and make a special visit just for us! Hotdogs and candy (LOTS of candy) were served ALL afternoon (which I'm sure moms and dads really appreciated) and the kids had fun with the mountain of Lego, the karaoke machine (no budding pop idol at Graycon), and the climbing wall. Sounds like a typical day at the office <g>.

September, 2007 Graycon was asked to attend to The Project Management Institute Southern Alberta Chapter Awards Night as award finalists.  We were nominated for two awards:  Project Management Excellence; and Distinguished Contribution.  These awards are a representation of Graycon’s focus and commitment to the discipline of Project Management.  More importantly, it represents our focus toward communication, customer service, and risk management on all project initiatives.

September 15, 2007 There's nothing quite like being given permission to "Shoot Your Boss"!!  And nothing more refreshing than running around outside with the five practices <g>. Maneuvering through the forest "Infrastructure", using "Security" to ensure your flag is safe by using a "Strategy" against the other team, while at the same time using "Cisco" unified communications (ok, no high tech communication devices only various hand signals) and covering your teammates with "Managed Services ".  Our second annual paintball event was a huge "hit".  Pardon the pun.

September 14, 2007 Our third Graycon Foosball Tournament was a ton of fun! We have a new singles champion ... drum roll please... congratulations goes out to Terry Wilkins!!!  And the doubles title goes to new winners ... Team Fußmanchu (Jack Piekut and Aaron Gill)! Ok ladies, we really have to stop working so much and hit the foos table more often! A little foosball smack down is in order.

September 9, 2007 22nd Annual Salvation Army Toy Run. These elves were not turned out in the traditional green tights, but instead miles of black leather were seen at the 22nd annual Calgary Motorcycle Toy Run, as bikers bearing gifts escorted Santa along the parade route. Thirteen Calgary Police Service escorts were in the procession that made its way through Calgary, looping around the city from the Chinook Centre to Ranchman's for great food and festivities. The 2007 edition of the Toy Run was blessed with fantastic weather and attracted approximately 650 riders, collecting toys and a little over $9200 in cash donations for the Salvation Army Christmas Basket program. Grayconian Valerie Popil was loud and proud to be part of this charitable event!

July, 2007 In the July/August issue of Calgary Inc, Graycon was one of five companies to re-qualify as One of The Best Places to Work in Calgary for 2007. This exemplifies what it takes to create trust, foster work/life balance, and grow a work environment filled with happy and satisfied employees.

June, 2007 A hearty Karma Gong goes out to Neil Bazley, Shawn Fenemore and Terry Brummet for volunteering their time to the Calgary Association of Self Help on their recent “Antivirus Day”.  This charitable agency works to promote the abilities of adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses.  Neil, Shawn and Terry helped roll out and deploy Norton for Calgary SelfHelp, receiving praise, plaudits, and much gratitude from the staff there.  Well done guys!

May 11, 2007 Our Bowl-o-rama Extravaganza proved two things: if Kelly ever wants to say goodbye to his career in IT, the world of bowling will say hello; and that Aussie’s have a bowling style all of their own. Apparently they like to aim for pins two lanes over!  It was another great night of fun, beer and pizza – and some very stylish shoes added to the mix as well!

May 10, 2007 At our recent Town Hall meeting, Doug Gray announced the launch of our 5th practice, our Cisco Practice.  The Cisco Practice is lead by Chris Goundry, staffed by four CCIEs, and the complete breadth of other Cisco certifications. Utilizing our amazing Cisco talent, as well as our strong relationship with Cisco, this new practice will allow us to support current and future clients with the deepest Cisco expertise and methodology in Western Canada!

May 1, 2007 Let it shine, let it shine!  Graycon achieves Cisco Silver Certification - our second year in a row! Our certifications and specializations, our capabilities, professionalism and approach to doing business have earned us the Silver!  A great effort and accomplishment by an outstanding team!  Congratulations Grayconians!

May 1, 2007 SuperStars!  We have been recognized with highest distinction in achieving Cisco Customer Satisfaction Excellence once again!  Go team!

March 14 , 2007 Graycon is honored to be one of Canada's Top 250 IT Companies, one of the Top 20 Movers & Shakers, and one of the Top 5 IT Security Companies! It was nice to have recognition of our efforts noticed in Backbone and the National Post <blush, blush>, but even nicer to be part of a team that appreciates and supports what this stellar group of IT professionals is working towards.  Public acknowledgements are cool, but it’s our own happiness with our company and our team that means all the world. Here’s to keeping the focus on what matters most to us!!

March 10, 2007 Ok, we were all taught not to throw rocks, but when it comes to curling … it's a whole different game.  Seriously?!  A broom and a rock?  Who would've thought you'd have so much fun with such an odd coupling?  The curling event at the Huntington Hills Community Association brought huge joy to the adventurous gang of Grayconians and guests.  Good times, good times!

February 9, 2007 This was our second Graycon Foosball Tournament. Big congratulations to Trevor Graw for winning first place title in the singles!  And also congratulations to Trevor Graw (surprise, surprise) and Eric Lutz, who took the doubles title.  Both title winners will be added to the infamous Gray Cup!

February 6, 2007  Mob Hit Productions is a local independent theater group developing unique modern theater.  On this particular evening, they presented "Bridezilla".                   Right from the start, the production displayed a young enthusiastic vibe with humor and local charm.  In short, the story evolved around a modern strong Bridezilla living in Airdrie who was engaged to a busy, well connected professional business man who spent a lot of time in Toronto.  The story drew upon history in the characters from high school, a desperately single best man, a doormat of a bridesmaid, a witty duo of aspiring singers and an evolving love triangle. It was great to share a laugh with many other Grayconians, and interesting to reflect upon which of the girls were Bridezillas, or which of the guys had experienced a Bridezilla, based on their laugher.  A good time had by all!

February 3, 2007  Our annual ski trip to Sunshine Village turned out fabulous!  The party bus left the Calgary office at 7:00 am, and by 9:30 am we were all knee deep in powder and smiles.  Ok, some of us more than others.  Grayconians and their partners enjoyed a great day on the slopes, albeit with one bruised hip and one mild concussion.  Hey, we’re professional IT people, not professional athletes!

December 10, 2006  The Kid’s Christmas Party was held at the Tuscany Club this year – and once again Santa did not disappoint! A special thanks goes out to Mike K. and his family who provided an abundance of entertainment with toys for the children. From making Rudolph ornaments for the tree, to the decorating of the gingerbread house, to “Pin the Nose on the Doug”, to the fantastic food everyone brought for the potluck – a good time was definitely had by all!

December 1, 2006  The Annual Christmas Party was held at Art Space in Crossroads Market. The venue was absolutely amazing, offering plenty of space to mingle, while building and rekindling relationships with colleagues and their guests. From dancing to classic blues of “The Rippers” to laughing at the caricature artists, to being amazed by the magician and fortune tellers, we couldn't have asked for anything better. A special thanks goes out to the Metropolitan Grill who outdid themselves catering for us. We look forward to an even more exciting party next year!

September 29, 2006 Our annual (maybe semi-annual) “Gray Cup” Foosball Tournament was held today. Congratulations goes out to Terry W. who blew the competition away. Winning the last match with scores of 5-2, 4-5, 5-3. Perhaps playing his manager in the final round was a career limiting move, but no one can ever take back the “Gray Cup” championship <g>. Thanks to Aaron and Jack for putting on such a fun event!

September 16, 2006 Our 2nd Annual Family "Picnic/Potluck" was held at the Telus World of Science. (A special shout out goes to Hector at the World of Science, who accommodated us with only 5 days notice when we realized the forecasted temperature was to be -1 at Sandy Beach). We had over 70 Graycon family members attend, with delightful snacks, entrees and desserts brought! Yum! Oh ya, and lots of kids too! <g> Between the Lego exhibit, the ball cannon, the bubble machine and the climbing wall, we're pretty sure the pandemonium meant all had a great time.

September 1, 2006 The Whiskey patio welcomed us for a last summer hoorah as Doug took all of us out for drinks to welcome the autumn season. It was great seeing everyone again and sharing stories between the teams. As we continue to grow, these types of events continue to remind us of the community we come from and how great it is to work for a company that still sees us as "neighbors".

July 22, 2006 The Red Deer Golf Tournament was held again at Olds Highland Golf Club. Once again the golf gods were with us, as we couldn't have asked for better weather. A big shout out goes to Kelly who outdid himself by ensuring everyone had a lot of fun, was on time, and all received great prizes. We'd also like to thank Juniper for the golf towel donations! We did, however, miss our fearless leader who was tending to yet another broken ankle. Hopefully he'll be able to show us how to land in the water ... uhhh ... on the greens next year.

June, 2006 In the June issue of Calgary Inc, they listed the Best Places to Work in Calgary for 2006. Graycon was ranked the 2nd Best Place to Work (medium sized company)!

It's a wonderful honour for all of us at Graycon to be selected as one of the Best Places to Work in Calgary. The article captures the essence of what we are trying to achieve - a workplace that supports and enables our team, while allowing imaginations and spirits to flow. This award encourages Graycon to continue to do what we are doing today, and validates our faith in our people and our culture. The positive impact of this recognition is felt by all Grayconians, clients and our market at large. 

Click here to see the article in CalgaryInc.

June 15, 2006 Today we held our 1st annual Open House for potential candidates to come see what Graycon has to offer in terms of employment. Just under 40 people attended the event. We thank all individuals for coming -- we certainly enjoyed having you! For those of you who missed it, stay tuned for the next event.

June 3, 2006 Our 2006 Calgary Fun Golf Day at Harvest Hills Golf Club was a blast! We had some beautiful weather and a wonderful turnout. Thanks to Darcy and his lovely assistants Cory and Liz for making it such a great day. I think we all had a pile of fun, and only a few ducks were harmed by stray balls (oh, and that poor child on the trampoline someone might have grazed! <g>)

May 18, 2006 Click here to see our most recent article in the Calgary Herald.

May 2006 Graycon has been named as 1 of the top 5 medium-sized employers to work for in Calgary, as decided by Calgary Inc. (Chamber of Commerce Magazine). A full story will be in the June edition of Calgary Inc., so be sure to pick up a copy!

March 30, 2006 Graycon achieves Cisco SILVER certification in Canada. CONGRATULATIONS TEAM!!!! Graycon has met the personnel, support, specialization and customer satisfaction requirements for achieving SILVER certification. Graycon has demonstrated that we are qualified to sell, install, and support Cisco solutions in Canada.

January 21, 2006 What a blast we had at the annual ski trip at Sunshine Village in Banff! With perfect conditions including fresh powder, great weather and actual sun at Sunshine, we truly couldn't ask for a better day! Fortunately we planned the trip BEFORE the gondola incident, but I don't even think that would have kept us away this year. A few awkward spills kept spirits high and laughs plenty! Even Mr. Gray himself, trying to show off under the chair lifts found himself wiping out! Next year we look forward to more Grayconians joining us for the adventure!

January 2006 Graycon achieved Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Status!!!! Due to the hard work, talents and achievements of the Graycon Staff and the glowing references from our clients, we have passed the highest level of requirements from Microsoft and therefore been awarded this elite status. Thank you to all of you!!!!!

December 2005 What a hoot this holiday season has been!! The positive energy that exists within our office seems to get an instant boost around this time of year. Cheery Grayconians everywhere unite with their families to celebrate this holiday season.

Most of us are becoming ever more eager to check out the reno's next door. Construction on our new office space is just zooming along! We will be moving over in NO time.

What a blast the Graycon Christmas party was this year! There were so many fun things to do and people to chat with. The fake money casino broke several of us right off the start, while others played well into the evening. There was quite a crowd formed around the fortune teller... I'm still waiting to win that lottery she suggested was in my future ... ha ha.

June 2005 to November 2005 Where to begin on all the buzz and excitement that has happened here at Graycon? From the thrill of our annual Halloween party, to the changes in staff and workspace, everyone has a unique story to tell.

In a whirlwind, we've had over a dozen people join our staff. Due to all the additions we have determined the need to start knocking down walls! We can barely keep up with the renovation planning for the new space next door.

While things are fairly fast paced here, everyone is still in high spirits, and excitement is beginning to brew as our big Christmas party approaches. Since we closed down Mescalaro's last year, we have chosen Cannery Row as our Christmas Party Venue. Ummm, I wonder if anyone has filled them in on the festivities of last year. <grin>

June 2005 Click here to view our recent article in the Calgary Herald.

December 2004 to February 2005 Sheesh! Who has time to update the News & Notes when so much cool stuff is happening?!?!?! Let's see: we had an awesome Christmas Party at Mescalaros (we're not the reason they tore it down!), a super Kids Christmas Party (with a visit from a "jolly" Saint Wade, I mean Saint Nick) and an amusing Curling Evening (the rocks weren't the only thing sliding on the ice!). It's only been 3 months but we've seen several of our crew become parents and even our first grandparent!

A super busy, wonderful, chaotic, challenging and fun time; also known as "Business as Usual at Graycon" <grin>

November 9, 2004 (Calgary) Graycon productivity ground to a halt today as Halo 2 was released. Brave Grayconians everywhere joined Master Chief and threw themselves into battle. (yeah, we know we're geeks!)