Canada's Top Small & Medium Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 60
60
CANADA’S TOP SMALL & MEDIUM EMPLOYERS (2026)
Careers hit new heights at Transcona Roofing
I
t was the knees that went
first.
“You don’t appreciate your
knees until you lose them,”
says Perry French, a field
supervisor for Transcona Roofing
Ltd., a full-service commercial
roofing and waterproofing
contractor in Winnipeg. “Roofing
is hard on the body and my body
was starting to let me down.”
Rather than view this as a performance issue, the company set
about reviewing French’s strengths
to find him another position
that he could transition into,
leveraging his field experience and
people-friendly abilities.
“Because I started at the bottom,
I knew all the roof systems
intimately, which really set me
up for a service and maintenance
inspector role,” says French, 58. “I
know what to look for when inspecting someone’s roof, whether
it be a fault, something due to age,
or improper installation. I have
the ability to discover those things
where a lot of people might not
have that mindset.”
Training, including computer
skills, service and maintenance
estimating, and a Dale Carnegie
professional development course,
helped French evolve from a
self-described “rough around the
edges” foreman into the customer-facing problem solver he has
become — a role he relishes and
finds very satisfying.
President Rich Marchetti says
the return has been significant:
improved customer relationships,
stronger service planning, and a
role that energizes French rather
than drains him.
“This experience reinforced
for us that when companies
intentionally match roles to
strengths — especially later in an
employee’s career — they don’t
just retain talent,” says Marchetti.
“They unlock a new level of
contribution.”
Office manager Nikki Jurkowski
says Transcona Roofing invests
“above and beyond” in career development, including external education courses, CliftonStrengths
talent assessment, and the company’s own internal TR University.
Hired nine years ago as a
receptionist, Jurkowski herself is
an example of how the company
helped turn an entry-level job into
a long-term career, supporting
her with formal human resources
training at Red River College
Polytechnic. Today Jurkowski not
only manages day-to-day operations but helps other employees
map out their own growth paths.
“From day one, new hires
are told they can build a real
career, not just have a job,” says
Jurkowski. “For instance, when
an employee wants to become a
foreman, we tell them, ‘These are
the steps you need to take,’ and
then we help them get there.
“If someone isn’t clicking with
their current role, they can pivot
to a better fit, with the company
From day one, new hires are told they can build a real
career, not just have a job.”
— Nikki Jurkowski
Office Manager
Transcona Roofing invests in skilled crews and prioritizes all relevant training and development opportunities
to help them succeed.
