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In May 2008, Trico
Homes (Trico), a family-owned real estate and construction company located in
Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was ranked #8 on the list of 'great places to work in
Canada' by the Great Places to Work Institute Inc. (GPWII).1
The company had been among the top in the list since 2006. Analysts felt that
Trico had, in a relatively short time, developed a strong corporate culture
under the leadership of co-founder Wayne Chiu (Chiu) who acted as the CEO and
president of the company.
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Richard Gotfried (Gotfried), vice-president of
corporate communications, Trico, said, "Our corporate spirit and
success, dedication to our customers, and the great workplace we have
developed are inextricably linked to Wayne's [Chiu] sense of family, his
philanthropic leadership, and a corporate culture of giving back to the
community."2
Trico was established in June 1989 by Chiu, an immigrant from Hong Kong,
and his wife Eleanor Chiu (who acted as the CFO).
It specialized in single family and low-rise multi-family homes and
catered to the market in Western Canada. As of early 2008, it was also
building resort and recreational properties under the TricoFreedom name.
The company employed 105 employees as of early 2008.3
From an early stage, Chiu placed a strong emphasis on teamwork,
accountability, and leadership at Trico. He wanted to institutionalize a
corporate culture where employees worked as a team and backed each
other.
The company hired people with diverse experience and backgrounds.
However, it placed more importance on aptitude and attitude than on the
candidates' job experience.
"I can teach people the skills they will need for a particular job. I
can't teach attitude,"4 explained Norm Mross, vice-president of
operations, Trico. The builder promoted multiculturalism by not only
hiring minorities5, but also getting involved in minority events and
initiatives designed to help minorities.
Trico encouraged its employees to get involved in charitable and other non job-related events. The company had a lot of involvement in the community and actively supported charities and other community events.
For instance, the Trico Ride for a Lifetime was a motorcycle ride promoted by the company that helped raise C$1 million between 2002 and 2007.
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1] The Great Place to Work Institute, Inc. is an US-based research and management consultancy that conducts research on what makes a great workplace. It has many affiliate offices throughout the world.
2] Kathy McCormick, "Builder Named One of Great Places to Work," Calgary Herald, www.canada.com, May 17, 2008.
3] Bev Cline, "Trico Big on Community Support," www.financialpost.com, February 12, 2008.
4] Andrew Wahl, Zena Olijnyk, Peter Evans, Andy Holloway and Erin Pooley,
"Best Workplaces 2006: Lessons from Some of the Best," Canadian Business, www.canadianbusiness.com, April 10-23, 2006.
5] As of 2006, minorities accounted for 15 percent of the employees at Trico. |
