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38 SPRING 2019 FORT GARRY FIRE TRUCKS from painting — it offers more than 160 shades of red — to pump assembly. As the company has grown over the years, so too have its product lines. It now builds everything from small rescue trucks that cost about $300,000 all the way up to its top-of-the-line Bronto Skylift pumper, with an articulating aerial device that can reach hard-to-access spots and can cost more than $1 million. In fact, Fort Garry now offers 130 product lines and over 10,000 options for customers to choose from. Suche says one key to his company's success has been its willingness to listen to what customers need, rather than telling them what it thinks they need. It undertakes an extensive consultation process with each customer, which can take as little as a few weeks or as long as a year. It's part of an effort to determine what the customer's precise needs are, whether it's command lights that can illuminate an entire football field or cameras that offer facial recognition from as far as a mile away, such as the ones used in trucks the company supplied for the Vancouver Olympics. "Every fire department has different needs," Suche says. "We can really customize it right down to what they need for their area, whether it's a dry area or lake area or a town with hydrants." Fort Garry recently delivered two new fire trucks to Guatemala as part of a United Nations program. They were the first brand-new fire trucks the country ever received. The company also recently completed arrangements to deliver a new truck to Santiago, Chile. A large portion of Fort Garry's export business has come through word of mouth. It does very little advertising, although it has a regular presence at a number of industry trade shows, including Interschutz in Germany, the world's leading trade fair for fire protection, rescue and safety equipment. Suche and his company have no intention of slowing down any time soon. Fort Garry has increased the number of employees at its plant from 80 to 130 in the past six years and is looking to add even more people. It also continues to look at expanding its product lines and increasing its reach in the South American market. One thing that isn't likely to change is its strong connection to Manitoba, despite attractive offers to move elsewhere. "It's a family company," Suche says. "Plus we've got a very good workforce here – a very strong, committed workforce." ■ Fort Garry's trucks are built tough enough to withstand arctic chills, desert heat and everything in between — including Manitoba potholes. Photos by Trevor Robb << CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS

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