Manitoba's Top Employers

12 EAT MEET PLAY STAY ONE OF MANITOBA'S TOP EMPLOYERS! Manitoba Owned… Manitoba Grown… Manitoba Proud! COMMUNITY COMMITMENT AT CANAD INNS BY TODD LEWYS Over the last four decades, Canad Inns has established itself as Manitoba's largest hospitality provider and one of Manitoba's Top Employers. Their ascension to the top has been inspiring. After all, it isn't often that a local company gets the better of hotel chains that possess international reputations and myriad resources. Lea Ledohowski, President of Canad Inns says the company's success — both as a hospitality provider and workplace — can be attributed to a simple philosophy. "We operate as part of the community and take that commitment to our customers and employees very seriously," she says. "Our mission is to provide our guests with the best value and service in the industry. You can't do that without a happy, productive workforce. We're nothing without our people." While Canad Inns has grown significantly over the years, it hasn't grown so large that its management team has lost touch with its employees. "Organizations can get too big," says Ledohowski. "We made the decision to stay smaller and local early on. Doing that has allowed us to maintain a horizontal management structure where there are never too many layers between our executives and our front line employees." That philosophy has allowed Canad Inns to stay true to its roots of being a Manitoba- grown business that seeks out local talent. Which is to say that if a job applicant shows a willingness to work hard and learn, they'll be given the chance to grow within the organization. "Several of our vice-presidents actually started out in entry level positions. If someone's ambitious, we'll mentor them in the direction they want to go," she says. "We seek out homegrown people, train them, and then work with them to define their role in a way that fit their talents and interests. That benefits them and us." At the same time, Canad Inns' management team strives to create a work environment that stresses building personal relationships and instills a sense of belonging. "We do a lot of team building — that helps people to get to know each other better, which develops a higher level of teamwork from management on down. The more we enjoy working together, the better we'll serve our customers." Ledohowski adds that management also works hard at listening to what employees have to say, as some of the best ideas come from the people who work at front line. "We do our best to listen and implement their ideas. It's important that management be accessible to maintain communication with all levels of the organization. It's the only way to create a cohesive, successful company." Employees at Canad Inns also benefit from education support programs that provide scholarships and opportunities for skill development and pursuing a higher education. In short, Canad Inns is people focused. "Our management team has a deep sense of having our business give back to the community — the people we serve, and the people we employ. It's a simple concept, but the synergy is important." It's a concept that's worked for four decades — and counting. "A lot of employees stay with us for decades," notes Ledohowski. "I think that's because we provide an environment that helps them enjoy what they're doing. That involves making them feel appreciated, placing them in a position that's specific to their talents and providing them with the support they need to grow." That notion of providing support runs deep at Canad Inns. "As an organization, we support local and community-oriented charitable programs through the Canad Inns Foundation," says Ledohowski. "We appreciate people choosing us. That makes us want to give back to the community we serve — both the public, and our employees. We don't do everything perfectly, but we're always evolving to become the best employer and community citizen we can be." CANAD INNS Front row, from left: Dan Lussier, CEO, Joe Sacco, VP Operations, and Lea Ledohowski, President. Back row, right: Lane Ledohowski, Executive VP. Middle row: Tracy Gehring, General Manager of Canad Inns Destination Centre Transcona, and her Management Team. CANAD INNS PHOTO

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