So, Qualico is much more than a place to go to work; it’s also a place to play and socialize. Every fall, the company puts on a three week-long ball hockey tournament, which gets plenty of
Their vision was to “build homes, not houses,” pro viding affordable shelter for families and creat ing communities where people could put down roots, raise their kids and pursue their dreams.
coverage in a newsletter featuring player pro files. It hosts barbecues in the summer, some of which are sponsored by trade partners who come in and flip burgers, and earlier this year it hosted its annual dinner and dance for more than 500 people at the Fort Garry Hotel. In the broader community, every Qualico em ployee gets a day off with pay each year to volunteer for the charity of their choice, and employees can apply to have a $1,000 dona tion made to their favourite charity through the company’s “acts of kindness” campaign. Today, Qualico is a fully integrated company. Its activities include residential land acquisi tion and development, single- and multi-family home divisions, commercial and industrial de velopment, property management and build ing supply and manufacturing divisions. David Friesen died in 2007 at the age of 95 after
They hired five workers and built seven houses in River Heights in Quality Construction’s first year. The following year, they built 13.
That vision helped drive Winnipeg’s first condominium development, Lakewood Village, conceived in 1969 to alleviate a housing shortage and put home ownership within reach for lower-income families. But they didn’t stop at building. In 1952, they started Rancho Realty and Katherine — most people called her “Kay” — became the broker and sales person, starting an affiliation with the local real estate association that would last for more than 30 years. There are many female real estate agents today, but Kay Friesen led the way. One of Qualico’s mottos is “building
64 years of marriage. Kay Friesen passed away eight years later at the age of 97, but their legacy lives on through the continued work of the company they founded.
to a higher standard” but Van knows those words will ring hollow if employees don’t feel a sense of pride and ownership in what they do.
Imagine ... your family gathered around the kitchen, in your new, modern home.
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Parade of Homes Spring 2017 23
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