Water is an essential and undeniable aspect of our day-to-day life, and Stephanie King knows how important it is to keep our waters clean. In 2019, Stephanie and her business partner, Kurt Lang, established their Campbell River based company, InWater Technologies, specializing in water quality monitoring solutions for the aquaculture industry. Aquaculture consists of many streams of work, including the raising and harvesting of seafood and aquatic plants. Regardless of the crop, being able to monitor water quality is an essential component of healthy products.

InWater Technologies manufactures Point4 water monitoring technology, a versatile system that has been trusted across the industry for over three decades. Their small team brings decades of experience to the company, enabling InWater technologies to design, build, distribute, and service equipment for a multitude of water-reliant industries. “We are deeply passionate about aquaculture and providing the world with an excellent source of sustainable seafood,” explains Stephanie.

Braving New Waters

Stephanie knew that the need for clean water extended far beyond Vancouver Island and British Columbia. InWater Technologies was ready to take the next step and increase export revenue, but determining how best to make that leap posed a challenge. “America is ten times the size of Canada, and places like Chile and Norway are even bigger,” shares Stephanie. “Our business has to be represented internationally in order to grow, but it’s simply more difficult to operate internationally.”

Enter Brady Calancie, an Export Navigator advisor. Brady supplied Stephanie and Kurt with information about a range of programs to help them explore their business development. When an especially tricky or nuanced question came up, Brady was only a phone call away. “We’ve learned so much about exporting as a result,” says Stephanie.

Confidence is Key

Equipped with new tools and resources, Stephanie was able to create a plan to increase capacity and tackle international markets. Since beginning work with Export Navigator, InWater Technologies has already grown from three employees to six. Stephanie intends to double her team again in the next three years.

Working with Brady has opened new doors for InWater Technologies. “We are so much more confident working outside of Canada,” says Stephanie. “Export Navigator has given us the ability to explore new markets.”

For other small businesses looking to take the leap, Stephanie has one piece of advice: “Do it!”

With Brady’s guidance, InWater Technologies is prepared to bring tools to water-based industries all over the world. “Export Navigator is so helpful,” encourages Stephanie. “We would definitely recommend it to other businesses.”