Manitoba's Top Employers

MANITOBA'S TOP 25 EMPLOYERS 2014 15 ARTIS REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST Real Estate Investment Trust Makes A Strong Investment In People By Jim Timlick For the Free Press Employees of Winnipeg-based Artis Real Estate Investment Trust believe they work for one of the city's best-kept secrets. That isn't likely to be the case for much longer, as Artis was recently named one of Manitoba's Top Employers for 2014. This additional exposure for Artis following its first-ever selection as one of the top 25 employers in the province is appreciated by the publicly-traded company's senior management team. "Being named one of the top 25 employers means that people will now recognize the Artis name and see what we have to offer to our employees," said human resources manager Tricia Veness. "Artis is a great place to build on your career, whether you are just getting started or have many years of experience behind you. It's a great advertisement for us and an accurate reflection of how we treat our employees." Although Artis is new to the list of Manitoba's Top Employers, it was founded in Winnipeg in 2004 by a group of entrepreneurs looking to establish a real estate investment trust. It has since grown from a single property – a Home Outfitters location in Calgary acquired for just short of $8 million – to a portfolio of more than 230 commercial properties in Canada and the U.S., with over $5 billion of assets. As the company's list of properties has grown, so too has its team of employees. Artis now has offices in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Phoenix, Arizona. One of the turning points in Artis' growth occurred on Jan. 1, 2012, when it internalized its property management and Photos by Darcy Finley asset management functions, taking on over 100 new staff members all at once. "At that point, we really began to develop … into the kind of company we want to be," said CAO Kirsty Stevens. "We weren't as big or highprofile of a company as Canada's largest and most established public companies, but we did look at those companies to determine the best programs they had to offer. We wanted to see what we could do to attract the best talent." "We had to change from a business to a people business," added Veness. "Everyone acknowledged that it would take more than just competitive salaries to meet our goals, especially since Winnipeg, where we are headquartered, has a smaller employment pool to recruit from than larger centres such as Toronto and Vancouver." As a result, Artis has instituted measures to attract and retain employees. This includes initiatives such as performancebased bonuses, tuition subsidies for employees pursuing additional education, an employee profit-sharing plan, parking or alternatively an Eco bus plan, and parental leave top-up payments and extended unpaid leave for new parents. "Artis is a successful growth story and that success was achieved through the efforts of our skilled and talented workforce. Keeping our employees engaged and committed to our long-term success will ultimately benefit all of our stakeholders," said Armin Martens, President and CEO. "We are grateful to be acknowledged as one of Manitoba's Top Employers and will continue to invest in programs that maintain our status as a best-in class employer." The company's investment in its employees has been rewarded with a high rate of retention. Stevens attributes that in part to the opportunity for internal promotions – many of the company's 150-plus employees started in more junior positions. "We also really try hard to give employees a voice, to engage them and encourage them to participate in programs and events that are important for the company," Stevens said of initiatives such as a company social committee, charitable drives and branding contests.

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