Mondetta unveils expansion amid ScaleUP week

Scratch the kitchenette — Mondetta’s new RV is stocked with suits and gas for cross-country sales.

The Winnipeg-based clothier has spent $500,000 renovating an RV to take its menswear brand, Modern Ambition, to cities throughout Canada.

It’s also slated new stores for Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

“We are very proud that a Canadian brand is … expanding and getting that recognition,” said Georgi Gvakharia, Mondetta Clothing’s senior vice-president and global head of retail.

Mondetta opened its first Modern Ambition store in downtown Winnipeg (223 Carlton St.) last year. It’s felt the “Buy Canadian” sentiment surging through the country amid tariffs and antagonization from the United States.

Customers also seem drawn to Modern Ambition’s prices, which are typically lower than other luxury brands, Gvakharia said.

Mondetta aims to open its 1,400-square-foot shop in Toronto next month. Locales in Calgary and Vancouver — both 2,700 sq. ft. — are under construction and could open in August and September, respectively.

Modern Ambition will be on Robson Street, a well-known Vancouver shopping corridor. Its RV may be unveiled in Winnipeg later this month.

“With the geopolitical and economic state across the board right now, I think it’s great that we can create so many Canadian jobs,” Gvakharia said.

Mondetta announced its expansion Friday. It came during a week of business growth-focused events, including in Winnipeg, hosted by Alberta-based ScaleUP.

Simon Raby, a Mount Royal University entrepreneurship professor, founded ScaleUP to share “best practices” of business expansion with executives.

It started as an Alberta project in 2024; it includes an award ceremony to recognize business growth. Last year, ScaleUP expanded through Western Canada.

Three Manitoba companies won in Alberta this week. Roughly a dozen Manitobans attended the ceremony and a ScaleUP summit, which included a keynote lecture from Mike Fata, founder of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods. (The company was sold to Tilray Inc. in 2019 for $419 million.)

“A lot of focus in the ecosystem tends to go on early stage, new venture creation,” Raby said. “There typically isn’t anything there for (businesses) in that small- to mid-sized phase.”

There seems to be new momentum to support Canadian companies and keep them sovereign, Raby said.

Kay Gardiner, a Manitoba Chambers of Commerce program director, attended ScaleUP’s Alberta events. Mondetta was not an attendee.

“This is definitely on everybody’s minds — we’ve seen what having a reliance on one neighbour as our market can look like,” Gardiner said. “Tariffs, uncertainty — having all your eggs in one basket, if you will, can be very dangerous.”

In December, the Manitoba chambers hosted an Alberta Chambers of Commerce delegation. It’s working with peers in Alberta and Saskatchewan on future programs, Gardiner said.

Raby has clocked an “increased openness” from entrepreneurs looking at new markets.

“It’s opened up the horizons … to move into Europe, the U.K. and also into Asia,” he said. “(There’s) a recognition from those countries … that Canada is a very important market for them as well.”

He’s hoping to expand ScaleUP’s events further into Winnipeg. ScaleUP hosted a networking dinner in the capital city in February.

It ended its June week of events with a Winnipeg mixer on Friday.

Many businesses have put their expansion plans on pause amid uncertainty, noted Maryam Memar Zadeh, a University of Winnipeg operations management professor.

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement appears in flux. U.S. President Donald Trump has floated he won’t renew the trade deal when formal negotiations begin next month.

A greater presence from ScaleUP is “promising news” for Winnipeg businesses, Memar Zadeh said: “These type of programs allow industry people (to) get exposure to the knowledge of management, organization, leadership. I think it’s a key to survive in this really harsh environment.”

Leaning into artificial intelligence will bolster businesses looking to grow, said Kiran Pedada, a University of Manitoba business professor.

“Scaling is always challenging,” he said. “Scaling means you’re actually moving from early adopters to a mainstream market.”

National Bank is seeing more firms expanding within Canada, said Jamie Comstock, vice-president and head of commercial banking for the bank’s Alberta branch.

National Bank sponsored ScaleUP’s events. It had a team on site, ready for new clients. “Uncertainty brings opportunity,” Comstock said.

Valley Fiber, Taiv and Build Inc. took home ScaleUP awards on Wednesday night.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com