MEMBER PROFILE
SHARING
YOUR VISION.
BUILDING
SUCCESS.
T.L. PENNER
CONSTRUCTION (2020) INC.
Experts in the art of construction
GENERAL CONTRACTORS – CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
Box 2350
Virden, MB R0M 2C0
www.tlpenner.ca
T: 204-748-1400
F: 204-748-2600
E: info@tlpenner.ca
fitting into cramped spaces, can require
the team to use specialized sheet metal to
complete the job.
Over time, the C&R team have
focused their expertise to the heating, air
conditioning and plumbing industries,
fostering strong relationships with
local contractors.
“Our biggest service is the installation
of heating and air-conditioning systems,
including equipment and ductwork,” said
Greenwood. “Anything in that stream
of work.”
Many local businesses, which C&R
receives subcontracts from, contribute
to its steady stream of business. Over the
years, C&R has built professional and
personal relationships with the owners
of other plumbing businesses in the area.
“We manufacture and supply all types
of custom fittings and materials in our
shop for all local and rural businesses,”
said Greenwood. “This service has always
allowed them to carry on their business
and support us at the same time.”
For Greenwood, these relationships
are a natural part of C&R’s growth,
since these industries previously shaped
his career after high school. “I worked
for Cornell Plumbing and Heating up
until 1999, before I started at Brandon
Heating,” he said. Unfortunately, he was
laid off only a couple years later.
Soon after his layoff, Bob Cornell,
owner of Cornell Plumbing and Heating
and a local fixture in Brandon, presented
Greenwood with the opportunity to
open a business with Zelmer – complete
with a workspace ready for C&R to
establish itself. It felt like a fortuitous
moment to Greenwood.
“I got laid off, and I went back and
talked to Cornell to see if he had any
work,” said Greenwood. “He said, ‘Well,
why don’t you just start working out of
the shop?’ I never thought about opening
my own business, but here he was trying
to give us that opportunity. The rest
is history.”
For 13 years, C&R conducted business
out of Cornell Plumbing and Heating,
until Cornell decided to sell the building.
At the same time, Greenwood and
Zelmer recognized the need for a new,
larger space.
“Starting out the way we did – and
now having purchased our own land
and building – it’s all been kind of part
and parcel for C&R,” said Greenwood.
“I think people know that if they want
a good sheet metal company, they can
come to us. We’ve always been there, and
we do the work.”
C&R enjoys giving back to the
community. The company, Greenwood
says, has donated to Westman Softball
over the years and, of course, the
Westman Dreams for Kids, a local charity
which grants dreams to hundreds of
children in the area.
Greenwood says his bond with CARM
has had a long-standing impact, not only
on his business, but on his relationships
with other contractors in the area.
He describes himself and a
core group of others as the young
businessmen in town with a vision for
the rural construction industry to have
a more significant impact on Manitoba’s
construction development. Now,
CARM’s database is a coveted place
to be for many businesses in Brandon,
and other cities and towns outside
of Winnipeg.
Greenwood maintains a close bond
with CARM and his connections within
the organization have spanned decades.
Created as a response to the lack of voice
that rural contractors have had in the
Manitoba construction industry, CARM
provides representation and services
to its members. The organization acts
as a liaison between its members and
consumers of construction services and
other interested groups, ensuring rural
Manitoba contractors and consultants
have a voice and influence in relevant
decision-making.
“I was on the board of CARM for
about 13 years,” said Greenwood. “It
Over time, the C&R team have focused their
expertise to the heating, air conditioning
and plumbing industries, fostering strong
relationships with local contractors.
C&R’s plasma table, used to cut duct
fittings that are computer generated
28 | Issue 2 2020 www.carm.ca
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