#Tink25 « Today, Tink is one of the rare digital agencies entirely from Quebec »

This year, Tink is celebrating its 25th birthday. For a quarter of a century, we’ve been helping Canadian businesses make digital transformations and achieve their business objectives by offering creative advice and developing customized solutions. While many elements have contributed to our success, we would certainly not be here without our long-term vision, which has made us one of the largest independent digital agencies in Quebec.

Thinking Long-Term From the Start

When Tink was founded in 1995, our focal point was emerging technologies, whereas the majority of IT service companies were focusing on the Y2K bug.

Despite receiving numerous proposals for such work, we remained focused on new technologies, including the Internet. The goal was to offer our customers future-oriented solutions and establish lasting and sustainable relationships.

Staying Cautious

A long-term vision requires fiscal prudence to withstand difficult times. When the technology bubble burst in the early 2000s and a large number of agencies closed, we were able to stay afloat and take advantage of the recovery that followed.

When the pandemic reached Quebec, I won’t deny that I was worried. I asked myself a lot of questions during those first few weeks. However, we’re getting through this ordeal together and have even recorded good growth since the beginning of the year.

A Solid and Loyal Team

To realize a long-term vision, a solid team is essential. You have to focus on and invest in permanent employees. This approach builds lasting relationships and a true corporate culture.

At Tink, we’ve always encouraged our employees to evolve and acquire new skills. Many who started out as developers or programmers are now analysts, project managers, or members of management. Our Development Director, for instance, was originally hired as a database administrator 23 years ago.

Having loyal employees is not only fulfilling; as a leader, it has allowed me to evolve within a large family that shares my values. We’re all committed to consistently offering high-quality services to our clients and establish long-term partnerships.

An Independent Agency

Thinking long-term has also allowed Tink to remain independent over the years. Since the birth of our digital agency, a relatively large number of companies have offered to buy us out—but we’ve declined each time.

I remember the many mergers that occurred in Quebec in the early 2000s. Many companies were bought out by the highest bidder. We probably could’ve made a large profit, but we wanted to continue on our own.

Today, I’m very proud to say that Tink is one of the few major Quebec digital agencies. This is especially impressive considering that about 80 percent of major agencies are owned by foreign firms.

Staying Authentic

As we continue to look forward, we must also strive for authenticity, a quality too often forgotten in the business world. We’ve always prioritized a long-term approach by valuing transparency and integrity—with ourselves, our employees, and our clients. People know what to expect when they do business with Tink.

An Entirely Quebec Succession Plan

Of course, our long-term vision involves a succession plan. After we step down—rest assured, I don’t plan to jump ship tomorrow—we intend to pass the baton to Quebec shareholders who have Tink’s mission and growth at heart. In 2012, three employees became shareholders and are an integral part of our succession strategy.

To be frank, it hasn’t been easy for our current shareholders to establish a succession plan, but it certainly has been rewarding. I’m proud to say that, for the past 25 years, Tink has contributed to the local economy and supported dozens of Quebec families. I want this to continue.

Furthermore, I don’t want to sell Tink and suddenly find myself in a multinational company. We may lose our wonderful corporate culture or see our organization disappear altogether. This happens all too often with mergers and acquisitions.

Happy Birthday, Tink!

In the coming years, Tink will continue to offer services and solutions by leveraging new digital technologies, whatever they may be—just as our incredible employees will continue to deliver value to our loyal clients every day. Thank you for helping Tink reach its 25th birthday. I couldn’t have imagined better for our agency!