Town & Country

C M Y K 2 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY MARCH 21, 2020 WINKLER TEL: (204) 758-3815 BOX 310 FAX: (204) 758-3085 ST. JEAN BAPTISTE MANITOBA R0G 2B0 ST. JEAN BAPTISTE, MB ST. JEAN BAPTISTE, MB Breakaway Family Restaurant & Lounge Corner Hwys. #3 & #13, Carman, MB 204-745-6785 • All Day Breakfast Specials • Lunch & Dinner Specials • VLT Lounge Open to 2 a.m. HOURS: Carman, MB Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CLEANING HOMES & BUSINESSES IN THESE AREAS: • Winnipeg • Stonewall • Morden • Winkler Phone (204) 384-5077 constermonster1@gmail.com Email: info@allsize.com www.allsize.com Phone: 1-204-325-9457 Exclusive manufacturer of grain drying equipment for new and existing Bins, Quonsets or Piles www.ironmenindustries.com Quality in Steel "Precise Fabrication of Steel Into Everyday Products" Phone: (204) 325-0461 ALTONA Visit Us Today in the Altona Mall Mon-Sat 8am-9pm, Sun 12pm-6pm PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRIPLE E RV Along with quality RVs, Triple E RV puts a high value on its employees and their personal development. Rolling Down the Highway T R I P L E E ' S P E O P L E D R I V E C O M PA N Y S U CC E S S From the time it was founded in 1965, Triple E Recreational Vehicles has been regarded as an industry leader in the manufacture of travel vehicles. G o to any holiday hotspot in Canada or the U.S. and odds are you'll come across one of the Winkler-based company's products along the way. That's not much of a surprise consider- ing it's been one of North America's most successful RV makers for more than five decades. While that likely says a lot about the quality of its products, management is quick to credit the hard work and dedi- cation of Triple E staff. The company currently has 390 full-time employees. With 380 employees at sister company Lode King, which sells hoppers and flatbed trailers, it is one of Winkler's largest employers. Phillip Vallelly, director of people and culture for Triple E, says that even though the company's primary focus has always been on building quality products, it's also made it a priority to develop quality people. "We want our company to be synon- ymous with the development of people, not just the development of recreational vehicles," Vallelly says. "We see it here every day. Even if some- one decides to leave tomorrow, we want that person to leave as a better person and a smarter person. The level of commit- ment and investment the company has made in the last four or five years to see people improve themselves is something I don't think you would see in most manu- facturing environments." That commitment to people can be traced back to founder P.W. Enns, who enlisted sons-in-law Phillipp Ens and Peter Elias to launch the venture 55 years ago. Enns owned a plumbing business at the time and decided to start Triple E, in part, to keep all of his workers employed during the slower winter months. The company's dedication to provid- ing opportunities for self-improvement can be seen in initiatives like its One Degree program, which is focused on showing how incremental change can lead to substantive improvements in a person's professional and personal lives. It also offers a number of other rewards, including free admission for all employees and their families to the amusement park at the town's annual harvest festival and new bikes for each employee's child this spring to celebrate the company's 55th anniversary. No wonder then that many of those em- ployees have remained with Triple E for 20 years or more. While Triple E's roots are small-town, its products are anything but modest. Every aspect of its Class C Unity and Wonder models of motorhomes is hand- crafted at its Winkler plant. That includes making all the fiberglass elements onsite, creating all the cabinetry and countertops in-house, hand-sewing the upholstery and installing all the plumbing and electrical systems by hand. Only the chassis (which are manufactured by Mercedes and Ford) are produced elsewhere. So why not farm out some of the work? Vallelly acknowledges that while that might be cheaper, it simply isn't in keeping with the company's corporate philosophy. "First of all, it offers employment in the community. That has been a long- term commitment of the company, right from the time of P.W. Enns," he explains. "Secondly, we have a high-quality standard which is something that's just travelled with the company and has always been part of the company philoso- phy. Anybody who has bought a Triple E product will tell you if you buy one of our products you are guaranteed quality." Although the RV market experienced some difficult economic times following the 2008 recession, Triple E has man- aged to weather the storm. In fact, one of its biggest current challenges is keep- ing up with the demand for its prod- ucts, a fact Vallelly attributes in part to its reputation for quality workmanship and innovation. BY JIM TIMLICK Every aspect of its Class C Unity and Wonder models of motorhomes is handcrafted at its Winkler plant.

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