Manitoba’s collaborative community continues to be a driving force behind one of the largest independent bus manufacturers in the world.

Paul Soubry, recently retired president and CEO of NFI Group, shared his insights during the final WTC Talks event of the season.

Hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg, WTC Talks is a monthly gathering that celebrates Manitoba entrepreneurs and creates connections within the business community by sharing stories of trade and growth. The June 17 event — supported by Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and DPD Software — took place at La Roca.

Soubry led NFI Group from 2008 to early 2026, steering the company to become a recognized worldwide leader in bus and motor coach manufacturing while also leading the way in zero-emission mobility.

Reflecting on his early years, Soubry always knew that he wanted to be involved in the  business world.

“I never saw myself as an entrepreneur but more operating and running a business — so that’s what I did.”

The company itself launched in 1930 and evolved over the years by acquiring multiple other businesses, including Manitoba manufacturer Motor Coach Industries. Today, NFI Group employs about 9,500 people, with around 3,200 based here in Winnipeg.

“We went from a transit bus business to one of the largest independent global bus makers on the planet,” said Soubry, who also spent 24 years with StandardAero.

During his time in the driver’s seat for NFI Group, Soubry navigated many ups and downs that include leading the company through the pandemic when they refinanced eight times in two years.

“We went through hell with COVID and supply chain. We lost half a billion U.S. dollars in 26 months and we went through $680 million of cash,” he said. “The whole dynamic of COVID screwed up the way you build something and the entire supply chain.”

More recently, the company has tackled tariff-related challenges, which can be particularly tricky when multiple border-crossings are involved throughout the manufacturing process. As an example, Soubry said they have engines that are made in New York and shipped to Canada. After that, the engines are assembled in a bus that goes back to the United States.

“Now it’s got tariffs on the whole thing again,” he said. “So the cost of the bus has gone through the roof, which then drove all the financial turmoil.”

The industry continues to evolve, with a current shift towards the electrification of buses. Soubry said that nearly half the buses they sold last year were either electric or fuel cell electric.

“We can actually impact the environment. If you take one diesel bus off the road and put one electric on, it’s a dramatic impact on the environment.”

Looking ahead, the future is bright for NFI Group, which recently launched a new Winnipeg-based manufacturing facility that is building buses from start to finish for Canadian distribution.

“Now we’re building full Canadian buses for Canadian customers with Canadians here in Winnipeg, which is great.”

Even though he has now handed over the reins, Soubry continues to be involved as an advisor at NFI Group while also sitting on several boards. Based on his broad experience, he appreciates the unique nature of Manitoba’s business community, which tends to collaborate in ways that might not happen in a bigger city.

“I’ve had the opportunity of probably being in about 90 countries and I’ve worked in lots of places, but what we have here is this little melting pot where people fundamentally give a shit about our community. That’s part of the magic here,” he said.

“That’s what’s so cool about Manitoba — if you really want to be involved, it’s available. The connections are certainly an advantage to being a smaller community.”

A Winnipeg business is gaining momentum after building a method to simplify processes in the construction industry.

David Peters is the founder and CEO of ConstructionClock, an app that makes it easier for construction companies to track time, manage projects and grow their business.

On May 13 at Low Life Barrel House, Peters gave an inside glimpse at his entrepreneurial journey during a WTC Talks event, sponsored by Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg, WTC Talks is a monthly gathering that celebrates Manitoba entrepreneurs and creates connections within the business community by sharing stories of trade and growth.

Peters launched ConstructionClock in 2022 after spending nearly two decades in the construction industry as a building contractor across Western Canada. Since then, ConstructionClock has grown to employ more than 30 people and work with upwards of 3,000 companies across the globe — and the local business continues to expand both at home and abroad.

Reflecting on his younger years, Peters recalls doing poorly in school as a teenager. When his dad asked the 16-year-old if he’d like to build a house with him, the business-minded teen didn’t hesitate.

“I dropped out of school and started at a window manufacturing company during the day. Then evenings and weekends, we built that house for the next two years,” he said. “I felt like I knew everything that there was to know about construction at 18, and I started contracting.”

As an exterior contractor, he kept busy doing roofing, siding and windows — that is, until he broke his back. Needing a new plan, he rented a desk at North Forge for $150 per month and wrote down three main peeves he had in the construction industry.

“One was estimating, one was labour tracking, and one was the safety aspect. So I spent some time on all three, and then I decided to do roofing estimating because I thought I could build a calculation engine that can solve this. I went out and started talking to roofing companies and we built an app,” he said. “It flopped. It needed tons of work.”

From there, he decided to shift his focus to labour tracking and developed an app that can automatically clock in crews and instantly export to payroll.

“I decided to forego what we had invested in there, and then I had to start from scratch on something else,” he said. “It was the best decision we had made.”

As the business began to get bigger, Peters faced decisions to facilitate that growth.

“When you’re an early-stage tech company in a place like Winnipeg, there’s a tremendous amount of trade-offs that you need to make. You can’t go out and hire the best people because you are not a name they even recognize, so they’re not going to leave their company and come work for you,” he said.

“I think one of the reasons we became successful is because I made bets on people early on that were coming out of the University of Manitoba who wanted to work for a tech company. So I hired them and then I gave them the space to develop.”

After a few years in operation, more than 80 per cent of their revenue now comes from the United States — but they hope to change that.

It came as a positive surprise when a company in Australia discovered ConstructionClock’s app on the App Store and became a valued customer. Based on that success, Peters decided to do a marketing blitz in Australia in early 2026.

“They have a construction industry that’s absolutely booming,” he said. “In the first three months, we picked up 300 construction companies there.”

The team recently travelled to Australia for a trade show and landed their largest client yet, followed by even more connections. Another trade show unlocked potential opportunities in India.

Closer to home, Peters offers some advice for making a mark right here in Manitoba.

“The biggest thing for me in doing business in Manitoba is you have to relentlessly network. Had I not done that or had I been super introverted, I would not have been successful in Manitoba,” he said.

“It’s very much about building relationships here. Once you have those relationships, you can do really big things, as we’ve seen from some great businesses here.”

Looking ahead, he foresees more growth on the horizon for ConstructionClock — and he’ll need to find more talented team members to keep up with it.

“We can see ourselves getting to that point where we’re serving a million people around the world, and we’re tracking and paying construction workers globally,” he said.

In order to do so, they would need to bolster their workforce to about 500 people — an exponential growth from their current staff of about 35.

At the same time, he expressed gratitude for the investors that believed in him as well as for the provincial government’s Venture Capital Tax Credit.

“We would not be here today without that,” he added. “It was a game-changer for our business.”

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The next WTC Talks event will take place on June 17 from 4 to 6 p.m. at La Roca, 155 Smith St. The event, sponsored by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), will feature the story of Paul Soubry from NFI Group Inc.

A local entrepreneur is blazing trails in Manitoba’s innovation community.  

Matthew Gale is the founder and CEO of PolySense Solutions, a Winnipeg-based technology company that focuses on real-time monitoring and asset management for laboratories and hospitals.

On March 18, Gale shared some insights at Devil May Care Brewing Company for a WTC Talks event sponsored by Bioscience Association Manitoba and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg, WTC Talks is a monthly gathering that aims to connect the business community and share stories of trade and growth.

With more than 15 years of experience in engineering and leading research teams, Gale saw firsthand how manual processes and less-than-optimal systems could lead to inefficiency and unexpected expenses.

“There’s a pretty big gap in the market with easy, simple, reliable systems that you can set up and monitor your lab — so we saw that and jumped on it,” Gale said.

PolySense Solutions incorporated in 2018 — combining Gale’s professional background as a mechanical engineering technologist with his interest in electronics — but he didn’t leave his full-time job until 2021.

With 15 years’ experience in engineering and managing research teams, he knew first-hand the frustration of unexpected equipment breakdowns and tedious manual checks. With that in mind, he was determined to create a real-time equipment communication system that uses smart technology to help streamline these operational challenges. The system combines hardware and software components to allow organizations to effectively monitor labs and deal with maintenance, calibration and compliance.

“I made a pretty simple prototype and it was working. Fast-forward and I was brought in as a consultant to develop a few more for a company. Then we decided other people might want this,” he said.

“We turned it into a product and made our first sale probably in 2019 or so. The rest is history. It was just a problem that was driving me nuts, so I decided to solve it.”

Looking back, Gale always knew he wanted to start his own business. He gleaned inspiration from his uncle, a successful entrepreneur in Winnipeg who launched a company called Dimetec.

“Growing up, I got to see his journey from starting a business all the way to being very successful,” he said. “As a kid, I don’t think I really realized it, but looking back I think that really did inspire me to take this journey. … I think I’ve always had that entrepreneur bug.”

In the early days of PolySense, Gale took the time to speak with people in the industry, listen to their feedback and learn what they were looking for. Even though the company might not have gained sales right away, they gained knowledge that helped them succeed later on.

And that success translated to a growth in business south of the border, where they continue to lease their sensors to customers for a subscription fee.

“In Canada, there’s just not as much private biotech up here. Pretty much any laboratory in Canada is public. It’s either in a hospital or it’s publicly funded somehow, so it’s harder to find the decision-maker. It’s harder to get approved for budgets. There’s a number of reasons why it’s just more difficult for us to sell in Canada,” he said.

“But in the U.S., if we can find a laboratory and find the lab manager for that lab, if we can get them on the phone and we can show them what we have, it’s almost a guaranteed sale. It’s just significantly easier to do business in the U.S. for us because of our product.”

At the same time, Gale shared the benefits of running a business based in Manitoba, even when a large percentage of sales are outside the province. Looking ahead, he hopes to expand into Europe within the next few years.

“Manitoba’s home. I’ve got family here. All our employees are here. I love Manitoba,” said Gale, who recently received the Emerging Bioscience Company of the Year at the Bioscience Association of Manitoba Awards.

“There’s a lot of different programs in Manitoba that I’m thankful for, especially the small business venture capital tax credit. I don’t know that PolySense would here without that program. … Another thing that I think is interesting about Manitoba is that it’s a smaller community so it seems there’s always connections.”

If he could share some insight with his younger self, he’d offer some simple advice: Don’t give up.

“The first couple of years weren’t easy,” he said. “There were a lot of days where you wonder ‘Should I get a job like a normal person?’ And I think I’m happy that I didn’t listen to that voice. I think you just have to power through the first couple years — and then it gets fun.”

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure — even in the case of hazardous waste.

Paul Bauer, president of Miller Environmental Corporation, shared insights on his career in the environmental industry during a recent WTC Talks event. WTC Talks is a monthly gathering that aims to connect the business community and share stories of trade and growth.

On Feb. 11, a crowd gathered at Shrugging Doctor Beverage Company to learn about lessons Bauer has learned at the helm of Manitoba’s only hazardous waste management company.

With more than three decades of experience in Canada’s environmental sector, Bauer has built and managed industrial landfills, hazardous waste transfer facilities and soil treatment sites across the country, while also contributing to more than 2,000 environmental remediation projects throughout Canada and the United States.

The company got its start in the 1980s as a Manitoba Crown corporation. In 1995, Miller Paving — which was already active in the waste management business through its Miller Waste Systems division — entered into a partnership with the provincial government to take control of the operating arm of the Manitoba Hazardous Waste Management Corporation.

In 2016, Bauer joined Miller Environmental, which specializes in processing hazardous chemical byproducts for reuse, reapplication or destruction. At the time, he owned his own environmental supply business when he received a call asking if he’d be interested in leading the hazardous waste processing company. He had previous experience in the industry and was eager to return to it.

“It was my true passion, something I love doing,” he said. “And I left it briefly to be on the periphery of the industry.”

The company’s south Winnipeg facility spans 167 acres and is fully licensed for collection and destruction of hazardous materials — one of only two such facilities in Canada.

“We have in-house processes for all the waste we collect — 96 per cent is managed in-house and four per cent gets sent out to other hazardous waste management facilities,” said Bauer, who earned a lifetime achievement award from the Manitoba Environmental Industry Association.

Immersed in entrepreneurial endeavours for more than three decades, Bauer notes that his interest in business first sparked in his younger years.

“I was a strange child,” said Bauer, adding that while other kids played make-believe as firefighters or police officers, he always wanted to role-play as a business guy — even though he didn’t quite know what it meant.

At the same time, he has always leaned towards leadership roles.

“From my youngest days to today, I was always the person that ended up being in charge — not because I demanded it, but it just kind of happened,” he said.

He came from a generation of latch-key kids who stayed out until the street lights came on and took control of their own activities. He suggested that this sense of independence might have helped to form the basis of leadership skills.

“I actually think that our generation was very, very lucky in a way,” he said. “The world was different.”

For other budding entrepreneurs, Bauer offered a few words of advice.

“In this small market, Winnipeg and Manitoba, do not burn a bridge,” he said. “Make your contacts, be open-minded, be respectful. You don’t know where that’s going to take you.”

Another secret to success is offering exceptional customer service, especially when it come to expanding into new markets. He encourages entrepreneurs to look beyond Manitoba, while also reminding them that it’s not an overnight process.

“We have to reach beyond our borders,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s very tough to be sustainable.”

If he could give some advice to his younger self at the start of his career, he knows what he might share.

“I might say to myself  ‘Be a little more patient, but don’t be too patient.’”

And no matter what path an entrepreneur embarks on, Bauer stressed the importance of maintaining enthusiasm for the journey.

“I wanted to be in business doing something meaningful that I had passion for. … And to this day, my career has been blessed,” said Bauer, who knows the excitement of looking forward to Monday mornings to start his workweek.

“I would go anywhere, anytime and loved every minute of it.”

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The next WTC Talks event will take place on May 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Low Life Barrel House. The event, sponsored by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, will feature the entrepreneurial story of David Peters from ConstructionClock.

A Manitoba apparel company has grown over the past four decades from humble beginnings on the boardwalk of Grand Beach to today’s expansive international reach.

Ash Modha, president and CEO of Mondetta Clothing, shared the story of the company’s early days peddling T-shirts at Grand Beach followed by a steep ascent into a globally recognized brand — with plenty of ups and downs along the way.

A crowd gathered to hear his story on Nov. 19 at Torque Brewing for a WTC Talks event, sponsored by Business Development Bank of Canada and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. WTC Talks is a monthly gathering facilitated through World Trade Centre Winnipeg to connect the business community and share stories of trade and growth.

Reflecting on his origins, Modha told the crowd that is a refugee whose family was exiled from Uganda in the 1970s before eventually making their way to Manitoba. Even as a youngster, he always had entrepreneurial inclinations, starting first with a business card company followed by a stint selling T-shirts as a teen, along with his brother, cousin and friend, in 1986 and 1987. By 1988, they came up with the concept for the wildly popular flag sweatshirts that took the world by storm. The company, which they named Mondetta, continued to soar while they completed university.

“The business took off in 1990. We went from $10,000 of sales to $200,000 of sales to $3 million to $13 million literally within a two-year period,” Modha said. “I was in China, India, producing product all over the world. We hit it off with so many suppliers, and a lot of them we still work with today.”

With the company’s 40-year milestone approaching, Modha reflects on how they weathered four recessions plus two private equity flips before buying back the business. They saw the company through extreme highs and abysmal lows.

“We were selling in Europe, Asia, the U.S. — everywhere you can imagine. At that time, the product had taken off and we were starting to see this excitement through it,” Modha said.

“But then, after a while, it just cratered. In ‘95 we could see that first start of it — and then when it fell, it fell hard. The business fell by 50 per cent, 60 per cent, 70 per cent. We had to recalibrate.”

In 1996, Crocus Investment Fund provided a $1.2-million capital infusion back into the company.

“We had to build the business back up from 1996 to 2000. We set up an office in Hong Kong, recalibrated the entire supply chain and drove the business,” he said. “We went to private label, went to corporate. That was a dark moment.”

The second dark moment for the company came in 2015. After Mondetta skyrocketed the previous year, they decided to sell to a private equity firm in the U.S. on the condition that they could never move the business out of Manitoba. The next years were fraught with disagreements, so Modha and his partners eventually bought back the business.

“That was the worst time,” he said. “Never sell to private equity.”

On the flipside, Modha has felt moments of pride in the venture over the decades. They’ve managed to act as futurists and pivot the business to stay ahead of fashion trends. At the same time, they’ve positioned themselves as environmental leaders in the apparel industry.

“We’ve always talked about operational excellence and how to build the most robust supply chain in the world. We’re in 15 countries around the world with 55 factory partners. We have a tremendously complicated supply chain,” he said.

“We’re working with makers that have 3,000 employees and we’re trying to create paradigm shifts in their supply chain. We’re telling them they have to go completely net zero by 2035. We’ve got goals and targets for them over the next 10 years and they’re meeting them — and they’re excited about it.”

Mondetta spends $4 million per year in compliance efforts, bolstered by an 11-person team dedicated to the task. Keeping ahead of the curve, they map all their greenhouse gas emissions throughout their entire supply chain, while also investing in policies and processes to ensure compliance with laws and regulations — including those that haven’t been enacted yet. For Modha, it’s all about bringing the most compliant product to the customer.

“We’re the only apparel company in North America that’s actually doing a full supply chain mapping from Tier 1 all the way down to Tier 7 using block chain technology that actually will map everything from the aggregator of the cottons all the way up to the manufacturing process,” he said.

“And by 2028, it will be all in a portal where a consumer can just use a QR code to see our entire supply chain. That type of information is paramount as we move forward because it’s going to be needed. If you want to work with companies in Europe, that’s what they’re going to insist on.”

For budding entrepreneurs, Modha stressed the importance of perseverance throughout their journey.

“I don’t believe in giving up. I don’t believe in ‘no.’ There’s a roadmap to get from A to Z, and the road is going to zigzag all over the place,” he said. “Most people just give up. Well, everything is hard. You’ve got to keep going.”

Looking ahead, Mondetta Clothing plans to open retail stores for both the Mondetta brand as well as a new luxury brand of clothing called Modern Ambition. The first three stores will be located in Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary.

“Retail is coming back. For the ma-and-pa stores that sell our product, their businesses are growing,” he said. “It’s fascinating because I think the consumer is starting to revert back. That’s one of the big trends we’re seeing.”

And while the company continues to expand its worldwide reach, Modha always keeps Manitoba at the forefront of his plans.

“We have a special place for Manitoba. It’s been kind to us. … Yeah, we could be in other places, but the one thing we continue to have here as Manitobans is an ability and smarts that we don’t push,” he said. “We’re humble, and I think that’s what makes us great. We can run the best businesses out of here and they are world-class businesses. We’re not cool but we are phenomenal.”

He also foresees the Port of Churchill as a game-changer for Manitoba, bringing more opportunities on the horizon.

“I think the future is very bright for this province versus any other province in the country — and even in the U.S.,” he said. “I’m very optimistic for us.”

To learn more about Mondetta Clothing, visit mondetta.com. To learn more about World Trade Centre Winnipeg, visit wtcwinnipeg.com.

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The next WTC Talks event will take place on Feb. 11 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Shrugging Doctor Beverage Company. The event, sponsored by Manitoba Environmental Industries Association, will feature the entrepreneurial story of Paul Bauer from Miller Environmental.

Another WTC Winnipeg opportunity is available for those who are ready to expand their global trade expertise. In partnership with FITT, WTC Winnipeg is offering FITTskills courses that provide insight on international trade. Coming up, the Feasibility of International Trade course is being offered on Tuesdays in February 2026 from 4 to 8 p.m.

Other courses and opportunities are listed in WTC Winnipeg’s events calendar, including the 2026 WTCA Global Business Forum that will take place in Philadelphia from April 19 to 22.

Customers from near and far continue to flock towards a Manitoba business that specializes in premium birdseed and animal feed.

A proudly homegrown business delivering world-class products and services, Agri-Tel Grain launched in 1978 with a three-pronged focus on bulk grain, mixed seeds and pressed seeds. When new owners took over the Beausejour-based business in 2017, they decided to move away from bulk sales to focus on the two other aspects, working vigorously to develop new markets.

The pressed seed proved to be a niche product that offered the biggest opportunity. Over time, Agri-Tel Grain became one of the largest producers in North America and established capacity of two million pieces per year, which is expected to double by the middle of 2026 through a new production line.

Agri-Tel Grain products are sold at national retailers like Walmart, Canadian Tire, Loblaws, many pet stores and Amazon. They’re also the sole supplier of wild birdseed to Costco west of Manitoba — and the Premium Song birdseed has been sold at Costco for the last two decades.

Beyond wild birdseed, the company has expanded its offerings to include feed for pet birds and farm animals like poultry, cattle and horses. They take pride in using natural ingredients, with homegrown grain sourced right from the Prairies. Adding to the appeal, the company guarantees a shelf life of 18 to 24 months for its pressed seed products, which are created through a semi-automated process.

Amid many successes, the company faces the challenge of recruiting and retaining the best possible workforce in a rural setting. To overcome that hurdle, they offer a robust benefits package to their 30-plus employees. In addition to health coverage, workers can participate in an employer-matched retirement plan that includes contributions to RRSPs and TFSAs.

Thanks to the Canadian government’s international trade support through the Trade Commissioner Service, Agri-Tel Grain has set its sights on international markets. The company is signing distribution agreements in the Indo-Pacific region and the Middle East, while also identifying products to bring over to Canada that could help grow local cottage industries like horticulture.

Looking ahead, Agri-Tel Grain plans to develop an AI enabled website and add a new pressed seed production line. They’re also expanding their warehouse and production area capacity, and they’ve invested in new machinery to optimize their entire packaging process. All of this drives job creation and boosts local economic activity.

Along the way, the World Trade Centre Winnipeg played a pivotal role in Agri-Tel’s journey by providing deep market intelligence, personalized trade advisory and strategic connections across the global export ecosystem. WTC Winnipeg helped the company identify new opportunities, reduce market entry risks and build a smarter path to international growth by working directly with their team and their hired consultant. Last but not least, Export Development Canada has also been instrumental in providing strategic advice fuelling the company’s growth.

Learn more about Agri-Tel Grain at agritelgrain.com and World Trade Centre Winnipeg at wtcwinnipeg.com.

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This article is featured in the Winter 2025 issue of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce MBiz Magazine.
You can read it here: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/view/428337455/10/

A local woman has spent most of her life forging forward in the heavy construction industry, paving a path for others to follow.

Colleen Munro, president and CEO of the Munro Group, recently shared insights gleaned through her family business at the last WTC Talks event of the season. The June 18 gathering, hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg, drew a crowd to Tavern United Downtown.

It all began in 1959 when her dad launched Hugh Munro Construction. Although there weren’t many females in the industry at that time, Munro joined the team in the 1970s at the young age of 12. Her first role involved running packer machines.

“We’re talking 50 years ago being a woman in construction. There was no anti-bullying. There was no non-sexual harassment,” Munro said. “There were no rules and regulations. There were no policies. You were on your own.”

She quickly learned that she needed to stand up for herself at the construction site and beyond. It wasn’t easy, but it helped to bolster her confidence — which proved to be an important trait throughout her career.

By 1982, Munro was named secretary-treasurer of the company before moving up to become the president in 2008.

“I can’t say that wasn’t a challenge because my dad, in the construction industry, was known as the icon. He was a poster for the old boys’ club, so he was well respected — especially within our own company,” she said. “I found that when he passed away in 2008, I had to combine the old values with some of the new — and it was very difficult.”

She took to heart an important lesson imparted by her dad: a company needs to bring the right people on board in order to survive. At the same time, Munro quickly learned that she couldn’t tackle every task herself, so she needed to develop a team she could trust.

Over time, Munro decided to make some changes to the family business, such as rerouting the company close to the city rather than focusing on projects in the north. Looking to a sustainable future, she also determined that the company needed to specialize so she embraced several opportunities to expand its offerings.

Today, the Munro Group consists of Hugh Munro Construction, Lilyfield Quarry, Fort Whyte Lowbedding and ClearSecure, which manufactures and distributes shatter-proof RockScreen and RockGlass.

Throughout all the transitions, Munro remains grateful for the support she’s received along the way from her advisors as well as from the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, the Manitoba Construction Sector Council, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, CentrePort and World Trade Centre Winnipeg.

At the same time, she’s also thankful to be working alongside her 24-year-old daughter, who represents the third generation in the family business. To further foster the next cohort of women in construction, Munro also acts as a mentor — and she encourages other female leaders to do the same.

“Times are changing. Is it as fast as I would like it? No, but I also think there are a lot of strong women today,” she said. “And I think there are great times coming ahead for women in construction.”

Looking back, she shared a few wise words that she would offer her younger self based on decades of experience.

“If I could say anything, it would be to enjoy the journey.”

With more than 40 years of experience, Vidir Vertical Storage Solutions continues to keep climbing upwards in its ascent to success.

Ernest Rempel, CEO of Vidir Vertical Storage Solutions, shared insights about the third-generation family business at a recent WTC Talks event. The April 23 event, hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg and sponsored by BDC, offered networking opportunities at Kilter Brewing Co.

His wife Carissa Rempel is the granddaughter of company founder Willie Dueck, who launched the business in the late 1970s. It began as a small machine shop in Arborg to serve local farmers.

“Willie was an entrepreneur by nature. … He was known as the guy who would help anybody,” Rempel said. “If you needed a hand, Willie was the guy to help you out.”

Over time, the business expanded to include a lumberyard. To help streamline their processes, Willie and his sons ended up designing a customized carousel storage system for inventory. Unbeknownst to them at the time, the carousel system would also serve as an ideal solution to similar problems in other industries.

Today, the company is known internationally for its automated storage solutions. With upwards of 40,000 installations in more than 45 countries, Vidir is known for its high standards around the globe, where the company lives up to its tagline: Making the world’s products safely accessible.

“We help to manage the material flow with our inventory and we help it go vertical,” said Rempel, who has worked for Vidir for 22 years.

“You’re manufacturing or operating in three-dimensional buildings. … Most people use the square footage but if you look up at the ceiling, it’s all empty space. So we help you use that space as well to get the material closer to where you need it.”

Vidir’s customer base includes many big box stores across Canada and the United States. For example, Home Depot uses Vidir’s flooring carriers, while Walmart uses the company’s three-tier bicycle racks.

“We’re in basically any industry. … We’re in health care, construction, aerospace, retail – you name it, we’ve probably got something there,” Rempel said.

Reflecting on Vidir’s success, Rempel said some of it can be attributed to being in the right place at the right time, combined with a little luck – but all of it relies on a dedicated team along with a great product.

“If you talked to Willie, he was always overly proud of what his team had done and what the group had put together,” Rempel said.

As a company, Vidir is involved in every step of creating its products from beginning to end.

“A few years ago we launched our vertical lift module, which is our latest and greatest product. We design, manufacture, ship and install our product. And our design includes mechanical, electrical, and software engineering,” he said.

“So we design all the controls, all the coding and the logic that goes into the machine operation. We cut the steel, roll the steel, paint the steel, assemble it. We ship it and we install and then we manage the after-sales service on it as well. So we are vertically integrated from raw material all the way through finished goods.”

Vidir has also made its mark through its progressive approach to hiring. One example, the company set a goal of hiring 25 per cent women by 2025 and promoted employment opportunities to females at job fairs, schools and beyond.

“Manufacturing is a traditional male world. But now it’s open to anyone who wants to weld or wants to paint or whatever that job might be,” Rempel said.

“We really did a focus on that and we saw our applications rise from female group significantly. I think we hit 25 per cent in 2023. It wasn’t that women didn’t want to work in manufacturing. They just didn’t see it as an option.”

In addition, the company has provided employment to newcomers to Canada – and even offered English language classes to help them feel settled in their new community.

The company has earned a long list of accolades, including being named one of Manitoba’s Top Employers in 2024. In addition, on behalf of Willie Dueck, Rempel recently accepted the Canadian Manufacturing and Exporters Pioneer Award. This award recognizes individuals and companies that have achieved notable success in initiating, improving, or growing a manufacturing business in Manitoba.

A lifelong entrepreneur continues to move forward with a mission to remove barriers to transportation and health care.

Richard Jones, CEO of MoveMobility, recently shared insights from his entrepreneurial journey at a WTC Talks event. The March 19 event, hosted by World Trade Centre Winnipeg and sponsored by BDC, drew a crowd to Torque Brewing.

The company completed its first wheelchair van conversion in 2007; however, its roots stem back much further. Jones reflected on his youth in England in the 1980s, growing up on his family’s farm.

“The farm was stricken by a fire and it went through quite a few of the buildings. I was 11 at the time, and it left such a mark on me that it made me wake up to the fact that you’re not going to get through life if you’re just going to dream along — you just won’t make it,” he said. 

“So at that point, I started to really push myself to think outside the box and develop that culture of helping others.”

The fire destroyed a year’s worth of food and fodder, so nearby farmers stepped up to help and brought truckloads of food for the animals. This gesture of generosity impacted young Jones, who also wanted to find a way to help his family — and others too. 

When he was about 14, he launched his first business doing lawn care after school. He built a trailer for the back of his bike to transport a push mower to jobs. As the business grew, he started to skip school to take on more work, resulting in letters home from the principal. 

By the time Jones finished school, the business was already up and running. His dad joined the endeavour, and the business continued to grow. Over time, they landed landscaping jobs for commercial hotel properties, schools, playing fields, golf courses, cemeteries and more. 

Eventually, the family sold their farm and Jones felt ready for another challenge. He started to look for opportunities in other countries. Since his family is part of the Plymouth Brethren, he reached out to other members around the world — including in Manitoba. 

In 2004, they bought Manitoba-based business called Accutool from one of their contacts, which helped to facilitate the emigration process for Jones and his family. They continued to employ the company’s existing staff, and they quickly learned how to operate a business in Canada. After operating the company for several years, they gave the business to the employees, who purchased the inventory from Jones and his family. 

Around 2007, they bought a business called Van Extras that focused on commercial vehicle outfitting. With an eye on expansion, the team logged and analyzed every incoming and outgoing phone call — a practice Jones recommends for every business owner. 

Over a six-week period, they received 13 incoming calls inquiring about wheelchair-accessible vehicles, which wasn’t part of their business at the time. 

“It was on a Monday morning when I just had inspiration. The week before, we had three of those 13 phone calls within a space of about 36 hours. I came into work one morning and I said to the one staff member ‘We’re doing this. We’re going to make this happen’ — not knowing what we’re going in for,” Jones said. 

“So, again, we reached out for help. We went to the industry, and we started to research who else was doing it, what was the competition we were going to be up against.”

They reached out to a B.C. company that was doing similar work, and the owner offered to share his knowledge with Jones. 

The new venture seemed to be an ideal fit for Jones, since he was able to help people, employ staff and make money all at the same time. 

“For the first six to eight months, we were producing one vehicle a month at that point, so it was very slow but we built on it. Now we’re pushing somewhere between 30 to 40 vehicles a month out the door,” he said. “It’s been a huge journey.”

They ran the business under the Van Extras name for a while, before partnering with a marketing agency to rebrand as MoveMobility.

For Jones, listening to customers is the most important aspect of creating a sustainable business, which is evident in how his customers drove forward the idea for MoveMobility. 

He also noted that it’s impossible to create and run a sustainable business on your own. 

“Even if there are some smaller businesses here today, be encouraged and reach out,” he said. 

“There is help available. Seek to leverage the support that you can get.”

A turning point for the business took place in 2017 when Jones heard a speaker at a conference talking about the importance of having an in-house innovation team separate from the main business. Wanting to take the business to the next level, he sought help and hired an engineer. Today, 20 per cent of MoveMobility’s staff works in innovation and engineering.

With an interest to capture more of the Canadian market, MoveMobility eventually opted to open and operated a facility in Ontario. However, they decided to shut down the Ontario-based facility two years ago and bring all the manufacturing back to Manitoba.

“The innovation team in Winnipeg re-engineered everything that we were doing, and the quality that was coming out of the Winnipeg plant way exceeded the Ontario plant,” he said. “We weren’t there every day, and the culture wasn’t quite the same.”

During the pandemic, they once again responded to customer needs and started to develop mobile medical units equipped with cupboards, drawers and more. 

“Those machines have been working ever since then, and the output has really increased,” Jones said. “Now we’re doing six to seven fully outfitted vehicles with that same equipment per month.”

Today, the company is located in CentrePort Canada, which has bolstered their reach even further.

“They network at a different level, and their contact base and the way that they do business is huge,” Jones said. “It’s been an excellent support for us.”

At the same time, he expressed appreciation for the support the company has received from World Trade Centre Winnipeg. 

“Over the last 10 years, the vision that I’ve had for the business has really come to fruition and we couldn’t have done it alone. There are many who have helped us from insurance to finance to development, research,” Jones said.

“World Trade Centre has been very helpful to us in contacts, enabling us to get to the next level.”

Looking ahead, MoveMobility is now working towards building ambulances as a spinoff from the medical vehicle.

“We’re proud to say that hopefully by the end of this year, if not Q3, we should have a fully compliant tested Type 2 ambulance,” Jones said.

“There are only a couple of manufacturers that do ambulances in Canada. With the recent disruption in the supply chain, the manufacturing of a product like this in Canada — let alone in Manitoba — is going to be a real flagship for the province.”

To help ensure the success of other Manitoba entrepreneurs, Jones urges the provincial government to find ways to support them in their growth. 

“Manitoba is built up of a lot of small businesses. We’ve got the bigger businesses as well, but what makes this economy so stable is the smaller businesses,” he said. “We don’t get the boom or bust. We’ve got a lot of good stable smaller businesses.” 

And to keep up with MoveMobility’s growth, Jones anticipates their challenge for the next decade will be to find the right talent to continue the upward momentum.

“I think that one of our constraints is going to be recruiting or finding the right people and the right managers to get us to the next level. I think we can do it, but it’s just going to take a lot longer,” he said. 

“Business always comes back to people.”