Our Team

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Jack Baribeau

Founder and CEO

Having a conversation with Jack will make your blood pressure drop by about 30. Jack is a people-person, relentlessly focused on treating the customer right. He’s wired to see potential in everything and everyone, which is the beating heart behind his vision for the Elgin Innovation Centre and at the core of how we operate. With 30+ years in the construction and project management industry, you want Jack in your corner for out-of-the-box problem solving, or when you are looking to set up a space to serve your business and your people in the best way possible.

When he’s not working as CEO of the EIC or President of our sister company, Baribeau Construction, he’s watching hockey while designing various building layouts with a ruler and pens (what’s CAD??), doing yard work with his wife, Gisele, or spending time with his grand kids.

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John Burks

Part-Owner and President

There are times when you need someone who can get down to business but can also provide the comic relief. El Presidente John Burks, proudly hails from Springfield where he operates a successful family farming operation. John brings an infectious positivity and incredibly sharp business mind to the EIC. John helps our team to think practically about how we operate and because of his depth of experience in the international agricultural and investing world, he is able to quickly break down the core of a business deal and suggest new opportunities for our team and for our clients. John credits his success to a walk with God and a faith to take risks and those values are reflected in our approach to business.

When John is not working from dawn ‘til dusk he is volunteering at Church, getting involved in various philanthropic pursuits, or spending time with his grand kids.

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Steven Cuthbert

Property Manager

If Jack is typically busy thinking about things outside of the box, Steven is busy putting them back into the box. Steven mainly oversees the business aspects of the property and will work with you to tailor and administer a lease agreement that works for your operation. Steven has a background in business management and a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management, which helps him to ask the right questions, understand what’s important to your business and propose how the EIC can best support those needs.

When he’s not trimming his beard or working on his e-commerce business, he’s playing guitar, or chasing around his two young daughters with his wife, Michela.

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Jacob Baribeau

Assistant Property Manager and Development Coordinator

Jacob “the vest” Baribeau takes after his Dad and loves to network and connect with people on a personal level. Jacob plays the critical role of planning property improvements, working with building officials, architects, and engineers, while looking over designs with you to make any necessary changes to your space. He’s the right person to ask, “what if we moved the loading dock over here?” or “do I need a permit for this?”. Jacob has a construction background and also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and provides that lethal mix of strategic insight and practical project execution.

When he’s not making things happen at work he is probably fixing or renovating something in his 150-year-old house with his wife Breanna, playing with his kids, sniping the top corner out on the ice, or volunteering at his Church youth group.

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Eric Bartlett

Part Owner and Facilities Consultant

You know how there’s always that one really smart friend you have who you call when you need brainpower? That’s Eric. He’s a mechanical engineer. He holds 10 US patents. He oversees the functional aspects of our property and building systems. Eric will help to ensure your space is set up with the right clean power and utility feeds and that you and your people stay warm! If you speak volts, amps, peak demand, and kilo-joules, this is your guy, helping the building and all of our clients stay efficient and save money on energy.

When he’s not solving problems for our clients and taking care of our massive fire safety and sprinkler system, he’s designing something cool on CAD, keeping his pilot’s licence up to date, spending time with his wife, Trish, and staying in touch with their grand kids.

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Ben Peters

Maintenance Manager

We had to call him the Maintenance Manager because the number of jobs he takes care of wouldn’t fit on the business card! Meet Ben Peters. Ben is your go-to guy for building maintenance requests, getting keys cut, snow removal, pest control, coordinating equipment deliver, etc. One look at how he meticulously he takes care of our lawn should tell you something about his work ethic and his commitment to doing things right and ultimately taking care of our clients.

In his spare time, Ben runs King Storage, brushes up on his pop culture references, fishes on lake Erie, and entertains his kids with his wife, Marie.

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Baribeau Construction

Construction and Project Management Team

Our partnership with Baribeau Construction gives our clients access to a wealth of in-house design, project management, and construction expertise. This also gives us the ability to quickly and seamlessly execute both Landlord and Tenant improvements. Visit their website at baribeauconstruction.com to learn more.

 

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Polina Frenkel

Bookkeeper

Like a beekeeper, but different. Polina masterfully takes care of those pesky little unimportant tasks like, “paying bills” and “getting paid” and she’ll be the friendly person sending you that highly anticipated monthly email with invoices and statements. Though she’s a QuickBooks whiz, she can’t be put into a neat bookkeeping box. She brings a wide range of expertise from strong business and management fundamentals, to software and IT skills.

On a sunny summer day you might find Polina working in her yard, or otherwise enjoying the natural beauty of the outdoors.