QUALICO CELEBRATES 75-YEAR MILESTONE
BY ERIN DEBOOY
For 75 years, Qualico has built more than homes. It’s helped build better cities, strong communities and lasting relationships in the province it proudly calls home.
A s the Winnipeg-based company celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, the team at Qualico has been focused on giving back. “Seventy-five years is a remarkable milestone for any company — and, for Qualico, it’s an opportu- nity to reflect on where we began, what we’ve built together and where we’re headed next,” says Kevin Van, president and CEO of Qualico. “We’re proud of our history, proud of the trust families and partners have placed in us, and proud of the people across the company whose dedication have shaped Qualico over generations.” Founded in Winnipeg in 1951 by Dr. David Friesen and Katherine Friesen as Quality Construction Company Ltd., Qualico began with the construction of 13 homes. Over the last 75 years, the company has grown into one of the largest integrated real estate compa- nies, with operations across Western Canada and the United States. Today, Qualico’s business activities span land acquisition and development, single-family and multi-family homes, commercial development and leasing, property management, and building materi- als and services. “It’s a huge milestone to reach for a Winnipeg- based company that’s in its third generation of fam- ily ownership,” says Bryan Ward, Qualico’s regional vice-president for Manitoba and Saskatchewan. “It’s exciting to be part of a company that’s been able to grow and exist in this sector for so long and contribute to our city and other cities in Canada and parts of the U.S. for so many years. It’s a good place to be and it’s fun to be part of.” One of the reasons Qualico has seen such long-standing success is its innovation, Ward says, which he anticipates will continue for years to come. “Because we’ve been able to continue grow- ing and exist as a company for so long, we get to see some really long-term vision coming to fruition. Land development, community development and
building new neighbourhoods is a really long pro- cess. For example, we’re sitting in Sage Creek where our head office for Qualico is, and this is a commu- nity that was started 25 years ago and is just now into the final phase. So it’s incredible to see how the community is growing and see how the vision that was set so long ago gets built over time,” Ward says. “To keep growing, to continue that innovation and to keep building the next neighbourhoods for the next generation of people, it’s a lot of fun and it’s very exciting to think about that future.” At its core, Qualico has and continues to be dedi- cated to building and maintaining strong relationships with the people living and working in its communities. Qualico’s recent progress reflects that focus. The company continues to advance initiatives related to sustainability, mixed-use development, housing diversity and long-term planning across the board. It has also achieved the milestone of having a certified net-zero homebuilder in every Canadian province where it operates. “As cities grow and change, so do the needs of the people who live in them. Affordability, sustain- ability and community design are all shaping the future of our industry,” Van says. “We see that as both a responsibility and an opportunity — to keep improving, to keep innovat- ing and to keep delivering value in the places where we operate.”
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