In celebrating our 50th anniversary at Hall Telecommunications Supply Ltd., we want to acknowledge the contributions of people who helped shape who we are. Last month, we shared the story of our Founder, Iolanda Maugeri-Hall.
Today, we want to share the story of our longest-serving President, Don Beam. Don was with Hall for over 30 years, and his contributions to both the technical and personal sides of Hall are immeasurable.
Don grew up one-hour southwest of Guelph in the small farming community of Hickson, Ontario. He attended the University of Guelph and, in 1968, graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree. After graduating, Don joined IBM as a systems engineer, holding various technical, sales, marketing and support positions over a 21-year career.
Don’s first introduction to Hall came while working for Deskin Sales as their Country Communications and Industry Manager in the early 1990s. He had known Iolanda, Hall’s founder, from his time at university and reconnected with her while working at Deskin Sales. When Hall was going through a challenging time, Iolanda convinced Don to join Hall as the Vice President of Sales in June 1991.
Hall was already known for having a strong reputation as an industry leader in new technology introductions and a go-to company that helps you find solutions for difficult applications. With Don’s years of experience at IBM and other companies, he was brought in to help Hall strengthen its internal processes and support technologies (IT).
Under his guidance, Hall developed the first online ordering system in our industry. This system connected over 2000 technicians and their managers and enabled them to order materials and track shipments. Management could also run the various purchase history reports as they saw fit. As part of this system, Don also brought together transportation companies that would guarantee overnight deliveries to these technicians, allowing them to start their day immediately, another first.
In addition, he developed Hall’s internal system to work with sales, procurement, and finance so that all managers could quickly access information to assist them in evaluating their progress and highlighting potential problem areas.
In 1999, Don was made President of Hall Telecommunications. During his time as President, he oversaw the implementation of a robust IT system. This was critical in facilitating the ever-changing client and vendor requirements. Decisions were made from accurate data. Don also significantly improved Hall’s credibility with our customers, suppliers, and financial institutions. His integrity and honour were more important than making a dollar at someone else’s expense.
He helped develop our current internal culture and provided stable and consistent leadership as President for 24 years. He led by example, and there was no job or task he wouldn’t do himself or help do. Don created a workplace where people felt they had a home and everyone’s opinion was heard and mattered.
Don countered the traditional thinking of keeping certain business information hidden. He ensured all employees could see and track the results of the business, including profit margins, which were key in supporting the profit-sharing plan he implemented for all the employees. In his final year, he also instituted a pension plan for all Hall employees. These are all implementations that are still found at Hall today.
When Don retired on January 1, 2023, he was Hall’s longest-standing President. Just as Iolanda did, Don left his mark on Hall. His vision, integrity, intelligence, unselfish giving of his time, and commitment to all aspects of the business and staff will likely never be matched. Don, Hall cannot thank you enough. Without you, Hall would not be here today to mark our 50th anniversary. Thank you for your leadership.