Issue link: http://tourismwpg.uberflip.com/i/1466452
that, even pre-pandemic. Trying to make Winnipeg better and more competitive doesn't mean we have to be competitors." As with most construction businesses, Concord Projects had to make adjustments to its operations in light of supply chain concerns. While some moves were meant to be temporary, many stuck because the new benefits outweighed previous advantages. "Supply chain issues are a real challenge," said Nolan Ploegman, Concord Projects's President & CEO. "Lead times are much higher. It's forced us to really look at where things are coming from. Can we source in Canada? Does it have to come (across) the border? What are the lead times? A lot of proactive planning is going on today than maybe ever before." Ploegman outlined one example where utilizing local relationships ultimately maintained the integrity of a construction project when the company couldn't rely on its usual supplier. "Steel joists were a major issue this past year with supply availability and price," said Ploegman. "The original supplier had given us a really long lead time where the joists weren't going to arrive until after we thought we should be done the project. It became a real dilemma. We partnered with one of our local steel partners and ended up hiring a local structural engineer. We ended up designing the joists ourselves, not buying them from the supplier and we worked with our trade partner for them to fabricate those joists in their shop and turned an eight-month lead time into a three-month lead time." Both the pandemic and supply chain issues forced companies to reevaluate how they interact with their clients and maintain a positive customer experience. For Qualico, a leader in homebuilding, land and commercial development, property management, and building material supplies, it introduced new technologies and communication tools for its customers. GHY specializes in trade compliance for Canada and U.S. imports and exports. It ensures best practices for doing business in today's global economy. ghy.com Winnipeg's premier sports and entertainment company including Canada Life Centre, NHL Winnipeg Jets, AHL Manitoba Moose, Bell MTS Iceplex, Burton Cummings Theatre and True North Square. tnse.com Communications / Marketing / Media 6P is a collaborative marketing agency that provides key marketing and communications solutions and services to small- to medium-sized businesses. 6pmarketing.com Visual Lizard is a web development company that specializes in building projects to current web standards. visuallizard.com Corporate Source provides solutions in print, direct mail, custom signage, displays, store interiors, vehicle graphics, promotional items and web-to-print solutions. corporatesourceinc.com Rogers is reimagining the future of sports and media by innovating at the intersection of data, technology, and audience engagement. rogerssportsandmedia.com Tripwire is a corporate video production company that helps organizations unlock the power of storytelling through film and animation. tripwiremedia.com The oldest newspaper in Western Canada, The Free Press is an independent publisher serving the City of Winnipeg and surrounding communities. winnipegfreepress.com Construction PCL is active in the commercial, civil and heavy industrial sectors. Its special projects division focuses on short- schedule, finish-intensive projects. pcl.com FWS is a leader in integrated project design, facility construction and maintenance. Its approach to project development and execution has resulted in many successful construction projects. fwsgroup.com Bockstael provides construction services as general contractors, construction managers and design-builders, serving Manitoba clients in multiple sectors. bockstael.com Courtesy of Concord Projects Commercial Services 8 THE WINNIPEG INVESTOR REAL LEADERSHIP