Edward Kacal

Years ago, against the advice of many of his seniors, Edward Kacal, CEO, Servus Limited, volunteered to go to a new plastics manufacturing plant that his group had just bought years ago. Part of the engagement was relocating the plant. That’s really where he got into facilities management and learning about how to make a difference at facilities.

“When you relocate a plant, you’re not just dealing with machines. You’re dealing with plant layouts, office layouts, utilities, chillers, air compressors, generators, switchgear,” said Ed.

Ed didn’t know what facilities management was at the time. But as the operations manager, he became responsible for all these things. When the air conditioner broke down in the office, they’d call, “Eddie!” And I’d say, “Why are you calling me? I’m trying to run production.” And they’d say, “Well, you’re the operations manager, right?”

Later, he moved into general management, and everywhere he went, it was pretty much the same.

He did another plant relocation later, and it was the same story. Then, about 13 years ago, he was offered a job with an FM company.

I thought, “Okay, I’m already doing this.” That’s when I formally came into FM.

“I always tell people, though, I don’t practice FM day to day by running systems. I run a company, and the company does FM. To me, it’s about the process, the people, and everything that makes FM work. I lead my team, so I’m deeply involved in it,” Ed said.

“From there, I got involved with IFMA, teaching, working with the chapter. And it just kind of rolled into what I’m doing today.”

The main point is that facility moves are much bigger than the physical relocation itself. They disrupt people, communities, cultures and day-to-day operations.

Ed described moving a plastics plant that had been in the same location for about 40 years, with most employees living within a half-mile of the facility. Moving it just 25 miles effectively meant asking people to work in another city, so the company provided transportation for a period and ultimately lost some employees.

A later move involved merging two paint plants, each with its own culture and history. That made change management as important as the physical move.

Ed sees the same dynamic in his current small facilities head-office move. While some employees see the relocation, swing space, renovations, storage and logistics as “chaos,” Ed sees it as a complex project with many moving pieces that need to be coordinated. His perspective comes from looking at the whole picture rather than experiencing just one piece of the disruption.

Ed’s career was shaped by a simple piece of advice he received after university: don’t get trapped by your job description. Treat the company as if it were your own, learn everything you can, and take on whatever opportunities come your way.

He followed that philosophy by repeatedly stepping outside his formal role, even when it meant getting his “wrist slapped” for crossing organizational boundaries. Those risks ultimately helped him advance because he was willing to volunteer for unfamiliar assignments and take ownership.

Core takeaway: Ask questions, learn everything you can, and figure out what you can contribute. Be willing to take on tasks outside your normal purview—you may discover opportunities you never expected.

Ed has studied personality types extensively and is certified in assessing people. He sees personality awareness as especially useful in FM, where success depends heavily on leading, communicating with and developing people.

He describes himself as moderately extroverted. Under pressure, he becomes more direct and even autocratic, which he sees as useful during emergencies or intense project situations. In normal circumstances, he focuses more on encouraging, mentoring and developing people into leaders.

Core takeaway: Understanding your own personality—and how it changes under pressure— makes you a better FM leader. Ed’s ability to connect with people, push them to grow and then ease the tension when needed is an important part of his leadership style.

Ed sees a natural fit between FM work and the personality traits of many facilities professionals. His FMs tend to be introverted, consistent and highly reliable, which serves them well when it comes to preventive maintenance and responding to emergencies, like coordinating crews during a late-night mall flood.

For Ed, however, leadership requires a different emphasis. Because he spends more time leading and developing people than handling technical work himself, being more extroverted helps him communicate, motivate and keep teams moving.

Core takeaway: There’s no single personality type for FM. The key is matching people’s strengths to the work—conscientious, consistent people can excel in technical and operational roles, while leadership roles may benefit from stronger communication and people skills.