Page 24 - BOMAInsider_Winter-2017-18_flipbook

McKee says that CIC had four months to complete
the first phase for Canada Goose, and had up to 40
tradespersons on site at peak times. “It was a big
footprint, and it definitely wasn’t your everyday project.
(Setting up) the custom equipment that Canada Goose
uses became fairly involved. There was a lot of ‘hands-
on’ in dealing with that project.”

The hands-on component, McKee reiterates, is one
of the things that sets CIC apart, and has encouraged
repeat business from loyal clientele. “It’s really about the
personalized service, and our ability to cater to the clients’
needs,” he says. “When a client comes to CIC, they’re
going to be dealing a lot with either Rudy and myself,
because we’re very much involved with every project.
We’ll be familiar faces on site.”

MOVING FORWARD

Penner agrees, and offers some more advice. “Jason and
I are there (on job sites) every day, and I think you have to
be. Whether there’s a site meeting, or whether there’s an
issue to resolve, we’re directly involved.”

The insistence on direct involvement and continuous
Canada Goose monitoring, Penner maintains, keeps him both excited
and motivated.

“I really enjoy doing this. I enjoy meeting people and I
enjoy the challenges. Nowadays there’s often no ‘wiggle
room’; no time to do a project anymore, so time is always
crunched. Often you really need six months, but you’ve
only got three months. So how are we going to do it?
How are we going to tackle it? So that’s exciting. It keeps
the blood flowing,” he says with a smile.

And Penner’s optimistic about the local market too, and
what the future holds for CIC.

“Winnipeg’s definitely grown for the better. The
downtown market is booming. Look at what True North is
doing, and Artis – what they’re going to be doing – at 300
Main. It’s nice to see the downtown coming alive again.

Factory floor at Canada Goose “There’s a lot of movement in office tenants right now.
Because of that movement, it helps out guys like us. I
think for the next several years – if not longer – it’s going
to be very busy.”

The CIC partners say they’re working on up to a dozen
projects at any one time, and Penner insists that keeping
those projects on time and on budget are keys to keeping
the customers happy. He also acknowledges that there’s
always room for improvement.

24 BOMA MANITOBA INSIDER | ISSUE 8 | WINTER 2017/18