Transcona Roofing invests heavily in developing leaders

Matt Ferris started at Winnipeg-based Transcona Roofing Ltd. as a general labourer 11 years ago. He’s now a production foreman who manages crews of six to 10 installers as well as co-ordinating the work of outside tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters who may be required on a job.

“The personal and professional development courses that Transcona puts their people through is probably the biggest reason why I am where I am today,” says Ferris.

The 65-year-old company installs, repairs and maintains flat roof systems on industrial, commercial and institutional buildings. It has completed over $500 million worth of roofing and waterproofing projects in Manitoba.

“We’ve completed projects ranging from residential apartment buildings to car dealerships, water treatment plants and everything in between,” says company president Rich Marchetti. “Back in the day there was less of an emphasis on the importance of the building envelope and the efficiency of the building. Today’s roofing standards require roofs to be built to handle extreme weather events and reduce operating costs. The attention to detail matters in the installation of high-performance roofing systems and we need foremen with a professional skill set.”

Marchetti adds that the construction industry has evolved rapidly over the past decade due to advances in technology and more detailed, complex plans, among other things, and Transcona has had to change to keep pace. The company has made a major commitment to training and development to ensure that its employees have the right skill sets focusing on leadership development and continuous improvement.

“On average,” says Marchetti, “we spend over $100,000 annually on employee development, and we’re not a huge company.”

Transcona’s commitment to its employees begins with onboarding. For the past three years, new hires have completed the Gallup organization’s online talent assessment tool to identify an individual’s strengths. Career development plans are tailored to the individual based on the results.

“We try to make sure that the position they’re in is suited to their strengths,” he says. “We’ve had a lot of success with it. We’ve had people move over a period of years from accounting to safety to operations and then into a management position.”

Ferris has taken a number of professional development programs. He completed the Transcona Roofing University program last year, a 12-course program which was developed for customer-facing employees who are working in leadership positions. He is currently working on his black belt certification in lean management and continuous improvement.

“It’s meant to turn installers into leaders,” he says. “They have courses on communications, project management and leadership. It provides the training that you need to get to the next level.”

Apart from training and development, Transcona is committed to ensuring that it has a diverse workforce and an inclusive working environment. Marchetti points out that 24 per cent of its employees identify as Indigenous and 43 per cent of the leadership team are female.

The company is also planning to create an employee-ownership share program this year. “I want everyone I work with to be owners and feel that they’re part of the future of the company,” says Marchetti. “When they’re working on site with general contractors, I want our employees to be able to say, ‘I’m an owner of this company. This is why we put in the extra effort.’”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing the winners of this year's Manitoba Top Employers competition, published March 19, 2024 in the Winnipeg Free Press. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, who did not write or review the content.