b'MEMBER PROFILELAING ROOFINGACHIEVING SUCCESS BY INVESTING IN PEOPLEBY TANJA NOWOTNYaing Roofing has a business philosophy that stems(roofing and/or architectural sheet metal), but it also provides L from creating value through its people. While manyleadership and culture training for its management staff. The other companies primarily strive to win bids on pricecompany currently employs over 100 people, comprised of 87 alone, the Kelowna-based firm focuses heavily on investing infield staff, which include 36 active apprentices and 18 ticketed its most precious resourceits people.journeymen, as well as 13 office staff. Our market differentiator is moving beyond the traditionalBut their mission to invest in people doesnt stop there. Given construction company and creating a great company culture,the shortage of skilled labour epidemic in the construction says Laing Roofing Vice President Robert Maier. We dontindustry, Laing Roofing is also a big proponent of recruiting have the challenge of finding work; we have the challenge ofnew people by being active at various trade shows and career finding the people to do it. fairs in both Kelowna and Vernon. Additionally, the company is a key sponsor of the dual credit program, where high school Founded in 1987 by Ross Laing, the company has providedstudents can start working at a trade while still in school.full building envelope services, including roofing, sheet metal, waterproofing and wall system installations for commercial,For those students who already know they want to get into a industrial and large-scale residential projects for over 32 years.trade or who arent confident they can finish high school in the Today, the company not only operates a facility in Kelowna,traditional way, we give them the opportunity to start working but it also has a branch office in Vernon, allowing it to serviceat their apprenticeship early, while still achieving all their not only the interior of B.C., but anywhere in Western Canada. credits to graduate high school, Maier explains. According to Maier, the company has grown organically over theTo date, the apprentices trained at Laing Roofing not only stay years by being a keen adopter of new products and technologywithin the trade, they make a career out of it. In fact, one of under the leadership of current President Darran Light. Inthe best examples of this is the companys current Sheet Metal fact, in 2010, the company completed a major investmentSuperintendent, Adam Gajowiak. He has been with the company in architectural sheet metal products, and recently upgradedfor the past 13 years and was one of the first apprentices to to sheet metal shop by acquiring the equipment required tocomplete the architectural sheet metal program in 2011. fabricate its own products. At the end of the day, however, Maier maintains that the companys largest asset is its people.Moving into the future, Laing Roofing will continue to grow by expanding its staff and arming them with the latest We focus heavily on our staff and growing our employees,products and technologies.he says. Weve put a lot of investment into our team by providing trade and training programs. Industry-wide, labour is our biggest restriction, Maier says. We cant take on more work until we have more Through its affiliation with the Industry Training Authoritypeople. Complementing our people by providing the newest (ITA) in B.C., Laing Roofing not only pays for all of itsequipment, we can further expand our fabrication capabilities crew members to complete their apprenticeship trainingand make it easier for us to get from concept to install.18 SOUTHERN INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION'