Success Stories

Innovation and Skilled Trades Drive Venshore’s Success in Ontario’s Northwest Manufacturing Sector

Venshore Mechanical is a leader in the manufacturing sector that has displayed a tremendous ability to support Thunder Bay and its growing talent pool. Venshore Mechanical has been recognized as one of the largest industrial multi-trade contractors in Ontario’s Northwest. They provide mechanical and fabrication services for a broad range of industries such as forestry, chemical, grain handling and power generation. We had an opportunity to speak with John Jurick, President of Venshore Mechanical who has been with the company since the very beginning, that’s 30 years!

Venshore Mechanical has been able to maintain and deliver quality products to its clients, in part by the highly skilled and competent labour force in Thunder Bay. “Thunder Bay is the nucleus of the fabrication industry trade construction workforce, and it contributes to a level of quality that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.” noted John Jurick.

When John took over as President of Venshore Mechanical in 2002, he was confronted with declining returns from work in the pulp and paper industry and made the critical decision to expand his business to service Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. As the gateway to Ontario's Northwest and close proximity to the US border, Thunder Bay offered a great logistical advantage, so he committed to building a new plant in Thunder Bay to be able to supply Western Canada. 

In the last 15 years, Thunder Bay has responded to the changing demands of manufacturing industry, keeping pace with a talented skilled workforce that has allowed Venshore to manage and maintain a high standard of quality control. The goal states John, “is to do most of the work here in Thunder Bay and ship the products to other areas so Venshore can enhance its overall company profile.”

The Modular Construction Concept is growing, creating amble opportunities for employment, hence; ensuring that there is a steady stream of trade workers is critical. Since Venshore Mechanical was established, they have collaborated with the local colleges and training services to ensure there is an accessible and available talent pool for the industry. Thunder Bay’s diversified multi-sector economy has provided a strong base for the development of a skilled and experienced trade workforce that is difficult to replicate anywhere else. 

In the next 10 years, Venshore Mechanical hopes to expand its mining group, as well as the ability to provide modular construction in remote areas. This concept allows Venshore to maximize quality in a controlled environment and minimize the impact on clients for construction camp accommodations and other services required in the field. 

Venshore Mechanical prides itself on its commitment to instilling a ‘family like culture’ in the workplace. Employee turnover is relatively low, as most are life time employees that only leave to retire. “The strength of the company comes from our people,” says John Jurick. He’s a firm believer in social responsibility and protecting the environment, adding, “this is driven by the nature of Thunder Bay and ensuring a quality of life for future generations.”

He says he owes his unique family like culture at Venshore Mechanical to being raised well by his father company founder Michael Jurcik.  John’s advice to up and coming trades people, “if you are looking to build a long-term career in the trades, you can build a great career in Thunder Bay in the next 10-15 years because the demand is high, and the work is rewarding!”

Visit Venshore Mechanical's website.

Lowerys — Setting the Standard over Generations

As a family run company that was established over 113 years ago in Northwestern Ontario, Lowerys has stood the test of time in planning its successful transition to future generations.  The iconic office products business was founded in 1905 by Sam Lowery. Since then, four generations of the family have managed the business with each generation bringing their own business acumen to the succession planning process.

The business was bought by Andrew Christie in the 1930s who in turn transitioned it over to his son Brian Christie. Today, it is run by four of his children — sons Scott Christie, Andrew Christie, Shawn Christie and daughter Kim Christie. Scott is the sales manager, Andrew overseas machine products and accounting, while Shawn is responsible for print services and Kim manages the furniture product division.  A company steeped in Thunder Bay’s business history, Lowerys has successfully brought forward the values of earlier generations, that has led to its extraordinary growth and success. The only family member who opted to take a different career path is brother Kevin Christie who is a chef.

Changing Times

Lowerys today is very different from their relatively humble beginning. It is one of Northwestern Ontario’s leading businesses, and an important part of the Thunder Bay community.

“Over the years we have adapted to the changing business needs of the community by diversifying our offerings, including office products, office furniture, business machines, janitorial products, printing services, graphic design, network engineering and managed IT services, cell phone repair, and computer supplies. We also own a water plant that bottles local spring water,” says Andrew Christie who is responsible for the overall management of the company, business development and public relations.

Lowerys is part of the National buying group, which enables them to offer competitive pricing on their products. Responding to the growing competition, Lowerys expanded its product inventory, adopted new technology and took to social media. It has also branched out into IT services and hardware support.

Andrew credits their success to teamwork. “We keep up with trends and bring in product lines that our customers want. We have a beautiful storefront, with a relaxed atmosphere that people enjoy coming to. The size of the community allows us to really understand our customer needs and respond accordingly.”

The Thunder Bay Advantage

In part, Lowerys attributed its longevity and success to its location. Thunder Bay is a relatively isolated community which encourages organic growth of local businesses. Many small and medium sized businesses like Lowerys, have thrived because of their close ties within the community. It’s a relationship that the Christies have carefully nurtured, by being actively involved in the fabric of Thunder Bay’s community.

Geographically, Thunder Bay offered them an ideal opportunity to expand and grow. Access to markets, affordability and a pro-business environment has provided the foundations for a nurturing business ecosystem. Being centrally located in Northwestern Ontario, gave them the advantage of being able to easily service and ship products across the region. “The area surrounding Thunder Bay is also an area not to be overlooked and we have been fortunate enough to partner with several First Nations Groups with administration offices in Thunder Bay. This enables us to offer our products and services to some more remote locations,” adds Andrew.

Lowerys have emerged as the one stop shop for all office needs. It is now perfectly poised to leverage a rich family business history to capture the opportunities in a rapidly developing Northern community.

Visit Lowerys website.

Coming Home to Thunder Bay

Over the years, Thunder Bay has grown, and is today a thriving community. This has prompted many professionals, who moved away from the area in search of a job, to return. Among them is Marc Laatu, an attorney at Carrel + Partners LLP law firm.

Moving Away

Thunder Bay is Marc’s childhood home where he finished his schooling, completing his undergraduate studies from Lakehead University. He graduated with Honours, receiving his Bachelor of Commerce, in 2009. Thunder Bay is where Marc grew up, made friends and where his family still calls home. But like many, Marc transferred to a larger urban center, continuing his studies in Toronto at Osgoode Law School, University of York. He earned a Juris Doctor in 2012 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2013. As a nascent lawyer, Marc articled in busy downtown Toronto. However, the city and its pace were not home, and he made the decision to return to Thunder Bay. “Looking back, I still believe it was the right decision,” says Marc.

Finding New Opportunities

Upon returning to Thunder Bay, Marc was taken by the remarkable transformation the city had undergone over a span of just five years. A bustling and vibrant business community, expanding commercial and residential development and a city teeming with opportunities.  It was the perfect place for a budding commercial lawyer to begin his career.

Marc joined the law firm Carrel + Partners a corporate commercial lawyer, focused on business and employment law. He regularly advises clients on a broad range of issues related to the various stages of a business’ lifecycle, including matters such as incorporation, business acquisitions or sales (shares and assets), financing, commercial real estate transactions, and dissolution.

Thanks to technology, law firms in smaller urban centers like Thunder Bay have kept pace with the latest developments in the legal field. “Big difference from Toronto to Thunder Bay is that we have enhanced our practice with the integration of technology,” commented Marc.

Challenges

While there are some challenges in operating a business in a small center, they’re not insurmountable. “Talent acquisition is one, getting people to stay for the long term with career enhancing opportunities are some of our usual concerns. We need factors outside of just the job to attract talented people,” he explains.

The quality of life and affordability are without a doubt attractive features for both budding lawyers, as well as families. Thunder Bay’s burgeoning arts and culture community is an added value to an already serene lifestyle. There is a strong sense of community in Thunder Bay, which gives people a sense of belonging — something that is usually missing in larger cities. It is this quality that brought Marc back to his roots. For newcomers, Thunder Bay provides the foundation to build their future. 

Mark concluded by noting, “Thunder bay is a great place to practice – tons of opportunities to practice law in a lot of different markets. It’s a move I have made for a work-life balance .”

Visit the Carrel + Partners LLP's website.

Thunder Bay Location and Labour Force Diversity key to TBT Engineering Success!

Robert Frenette, TBT Engineering’s President & CEO and visionary established TBT in 1995 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and it is now the region’s top engineering firm. Atypical of most companies, Robert’s 20-year vision for the company has seen it grow to 16 divisions, serving a range of fields — from construction to transportation, electrical to industrial engineering, geotechnical, environmental, structural and mechanical.  Resting on sprawling 16 acres, TBT offices sit on an historically significant site where the initial spike gave way to the birth of CP rail across Canada’s 49^th parallel.

Thunder Bay’s strategic location, workforce diversity and geography have been the impetus for TBT’s growth over the past 25 years.

As the most populous city in Northwestern Ontario, the City of Thunder Bay’s locational value proposition has given TBT Engineering and other expanding companies a unique chance to find opportunities, partnerships and achieve growth. As a result, the company has established strong foundations in the local community. In Thunder Bay, a diverse population with global representation come together in the sanguine spirit of “winter always ends”. This eclectic community has given Thunder Bay a unique character. It has a small town feel with the amenities of a metropolitan city. Savoring its Finnish food, enjoying world class orchestra performances or relishing closeness with First Nations, Thunder Bay, is an area where you would ideally like to settle with your family.

TBT Engineering’s impressive record begins with the philosophy of embracing the valued assets of the local community, key among them the First Nations; a community with an entrepreneurial spirit looking to build capacity.

Today, TBT Engineering, boasts 150+ professionals and technical staff. In the last 23 years it has expanded its client base along with its range of services. In this journey, TBT has worked with governments, First Nations infrastructure projects, industrial, mining, energy, commercial and mining projects. This growth has been completely organic, coming about as Thunder Bay itself has grown on the strength of its diverse economy. Mr. Frenette’s commitment to the First Nations, led to the creation of Ozoanaman Engineering in 2013 in partnership with the First Nations community. It was a strategic decision made years ago and has come to fruition and led to a successful commercial partnership.

In its initial days, TBT hired an influx of engineers from UK who came to the area in the 60s. Today, the company is poised for growth and is assured of an accessible talented and skilled labour pool to meet his growing engineering staffing needs.   TBT has consciously created a work environment that is inclusive, recruiting, hiring and promoting individuals of diverse ethnicity. Mr. Frenette instills a value of inclusiveness by ensuring there are programs in place specifically designed to promote the values of its ethnically diverse workforce. This is done through the design and implementation of a diversity policy and program, such as PARO, developed to assist women from different ethnicities to find key roles within the company.

TBT Engineering’s success is multi-dimensional, building on the strength of what the City of Thunder Bay has to offer: strategic location, access to a skilled and well-educated work force, and business opportunities that span across Canada and into the U.S.

Asked to define success, Mr. Frenette stated, “Satisfied that you have done the best to make work a better place – one person at time.  Doing things right, never does you wrong.’

Visit TBT Engineering’s website.