Real Estate and Construction
Travis Penner, Sjoerd Huese Bridge Road Construction Ltd. Winkler
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ice Presidents Sjoerd Huese and Travis Penner of Bridge Road Construction build adult active lifestyle communities and hotels in Western Canada. Their rural developments in Manitoba and Saskatchewan focus on the needs of the aging population and creating a new vision of aging. When did you know you wanted to be entrepreneurs? Huese: Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, it came as a natural choice for me. Penner: Nobody in my family owned a business. I didn’t know I wanted to an entrepreneur until the last couple of years.
Are entrepreneurs born or made? Huese: Made, as it’s a natural result that comes from leadership. Penner: Made, as it comes from the thrill of leadership. How important have good employees been to your success? Huese: We are very fortunate to have talented, committed and hard-working staff. They believe in and are passionate about, “turning vision into community” and making a difference in the lives of people. How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem? Huese: Take care of rural communities where the government is not keeping an eye on things. The smaller communities tend to fall through the cracks. What did you want to be when you were a kid? Huese: A firefighter. Penner: A hockey player. What is your passion other than entrepreneurship? Huese: My family and a balanced life including spirituality, family, community and physical well-being. Penner: The same goes for me. I have three young kids with a fourth on the way. Fatherhood is my passion along with camping and sports. How many hours do you work a day on average? Huese: Between 8-10 hours a day. Penner: From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then its family time (with some emails being answered) and more work time in the evening and early morning hours. It’s between 10-12 hours a day overall. Our plan over the next 10 years is to continue to increase our market share and expand into Alberta. Our market penetration plan includes more rural communities and different housing plans. We would also like to expand our interests in the assisted living market.
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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014