Darren Stromberg Retires After 35 Years at Calian

After a 35-year career at SED/Calian, Darren Stromberg is retiring, effective July 1, 2022, as technical officer, production techs. Darren’s interest in working for the company peaked when he was awarded an SED scholarship from George Urqhart back in May 1987 during the last year of his industrial engineering studies at the Saskatoon Kelsey Institute, now known as Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Prior to receiving the scholarship, Darren knew nothing about the company, but after receiving the scholarship he decided to apply for a job, and he was hired a month later in June 1987.

Darren has worked in a few different areas within the company, and he has noticed how technology has changed over the years.

“When I first started with the company, I worked in the Manufacturing Test department and a few months later I moved to the Manufacturing Engineering department where I worked until 1994,” said Darren. “While working in the Manufacturing Engineering department, I remember when we got our first computer and we shared it amongst the 10 people on our team. Times have changed!”

In 1994, Darren moved back into the Manufacturing Test department. Since that time, he’s worked on many different and interesting projects, including some that provided travel opportunities.

“Some of the projects I’ve worked on allowed me the opportunity to travel to different parts of the world. I am thankful for that, as it was a unique opportunity and on every trip there is something that I remember about it,” says Darren.

“Darren’s work ethic is unparalleled, his ability to work despite obstacles has always amazed me,” says James Mantyka, Senior Systems Designer/Section Head, Systems Engineering. “I was fortunate enough to accompany him on several site trips as a junior engineer and learn from him. Darren was a wealth of knowledge and patience as he showed me the ropes of installing multi-million-dollar antenna systems around the globe. I remember one site trip where we used a wet-dry vacuum to remove water from an IFL trench in the blazing hot Australian desert.”

“I have seen many fellow employees come and go over the years, and I have formed good relationships with some, and I will miss them,” adds Darren. “I plan to spend the next years of my life doing the things I enjoy the most: spending time outdoors, fishing, hunting and travelling.”

“He will be missed, not only in the job but as a co-worker,” says Terry Wishlow, Senior Assembler, Production. “He has always been a go-to for many of us. I personally have worked with him a lot and consider him a friend. The knowledge that he is taking with him is unbelievable. We will be wishing him all the best and a very happy retirement to enjoy fishing and whatever else comes his way.”

"Throughout his 35-year career with the company, Darren has been the very personification of integrity and teamwork as described in our corporate guiding principles,” says Frank Paradis, Manager, Manufacturing Engineering. “Soft-spoken yet authoritative, he worked hard to ensure our designs, products and processes were of the highest quality and never compromised."