Winnipeg diamond shines on

The first things staff and visitors see after ascending to the third floor of Qualico’s head office in Winnipeg are two statues — one each for company founders David and Katherine Friesen.

Flanking the doors to the integrated real estate company’s C-suite offices, the bronze sculptures are monuments to the couple and the vision, strength and integrity (as the plaques attached to the wooden pedestals attest) it took to start Qualico in 1951.

But imagine for a moment what it would be like if the sculptures were less reverent and more whimsical. Picture them outfitted with the kind of pull-string voice boxes one finds in a child’s toy. What might they say?

It’s possible one of David Friesen’s phrases would be: “No margin, no mission.”

As current company president and CEO Kevin Van tells it, it’s a maxim the entrepreneur — who held a law degree plus a PhD in economics and business administration — was fond of. As long as Qualico’s leadership were fiscally responsible and ensured the company’s financial stability, it would be able to carry out its mission of “helping build better cities.”

“He (David) was tough and she (Katherine) was lovely,” recalls Van, who is married to Lisa Hastings, one of the Friesens’ granddaughters. “He was business seven days a week, 24 hours a day. At Sunday dinners, it was all talk about business.

“I learned so much from him and I give him a lot of credit,” Van adds. “He was very passionate about the company. Both were very passionate about the company.”

Van and his colleagues are taking stock as Qualico celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. What started as a baker’s dozen of starter homes in 1951 has led to more than 125,000 families living in Qualico homes today.

The company is on track to deliver another 4,000 homes this year.

Qualico employs more than 2,700 people in four provinces and two U.S. metropolitan areas. (Around 600 of them are based in Winnipeg.)

Van doesn’t disclose the third-generation, family-owned company’s annual revenue, other than to say “it’s in the billions.”

So there’s a lot to celebrate as Qualico marks its diamond anniversary.

For Van, it’s an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of past company leaders, as well as the trust families and partners have placed in the company.

Before David and Katherine Friesen met, they arrived in Canada in the 1920s after fleeing political turmoil in Eastern Europe. They married in 1943, and set out to contribute to the country that had given them a new start.

The Friesens noticed post-war Winnipeg lacked affordable entry-level housing. So, they formed Quality Construction Company Ltd., bought some vacant lots in River Heights and built 13 bungalows.

David oversaw the crews and Katherine sold the houses.

The company expanded into Calgary in 1954, and Edmonton in 1955, using straw-insulated foundations and prefabricated wall panels to keep crews working through Prairie winters.

The company adopted the Qualico name in 1972, and continued to grow into B.C., Saskatchewan and, in 2004, Texas.

Today, Qualico’s activities span land development, building materials supply, single- and multi-family homebuilding, and commercial property management and leasing. It is one of the largest, privately-held integrated real estate companies serving Western Canada and the United States.

Revenue has grown about 10 per cent annually for the last 15 years, Van says, with 2024 and 2025 proving to be record years for the company.

Van credits that success in part to the vertical integration Qualico has focused on in recent years. The company has more than 40 sub-companies or business units, including drywall and concrete suppliers and a cabinetry business.

“That’s really allowed us to kind of control our own destiny in terms of the supply chain,” Van says. “That’s not to say we don’t use outside suppliers — we do … We want to make sure that we’ve got other suppliers out there who we’re continuing to work with.”

According to a recent news release, Qualico continues to invest in community and mixed-use projects that support future growth across its regions. They include Harmony in Calgary, Station Lands in Edmonton, Southbow Landing in Cochrane, Alta., and Vantage Rise in Airdrie, Alta.

The company has ongoing projects in B.C., Saskatchewan and Texas.

In Winnipeg, it’s continuing to develop the Sage Creek neighbourhood.

“In this business, you’ve got to continue to move forward,” Van says. “You’ve got to really reinvest in the company in order to see the growth.”

As with everything Qualico does, he adds, the company is focused on the people who live and work in the communities it builds.

“We want to set the bar in each city that we’re in, in terms of the communities that we’re building,” he says. “We’ve got some great developers both in this city and the other cities that we’re building in. I think we’ve upped the game and that makes them up their games as well.”

Supporting local causes is important. The company has donated millions of dollars and contributed thousands of paid employee volunteer hours to a range of initiatives, including Habitat for Humanity, Indigenous skilled-trades programs, hospitals and food banks.

Giving back is a foundational value at Qualico, Van says.

Before their deaths in 2007 and 2015, respectively, David and Katherine Friesen’s many contributions to the community included creating a family foundation, founding Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary School and starting Menno Simons Christian School in Calgary. David sat on numerous boards and Katherine volunteered at the children’s hospital.

As part of this year’s celebrations, Van is visiting each city where Qualico does business. He’ll celebrate with employees and thank them for the ways they’ve shaped the company over the decades.

No margin, no mission. No people, no profit.

“We have the best people in the industry — I do believe that,” he says.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca