Willi started his civil engineering studies in 2017. Over his summers, he built up field experience with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, rotating through surveying, water resources, and slope stabilization work, and then a summer at Stantec as a geotechnical engineering student.

When COVID hit, Willi was close to finishing his degree, with just a few courses left. He wrapped those up through summer and evening classes, and then went looking for the company he wanted to work for. At the time our team consisted of Evan, who took care of business development and estimating, two project managers, three site supervisors, and one accountant. We didn’t have any job openings at the time, but we stood out to him and he emailed us anyway.

It was clear from our first conversation that Willi had exceptional talent, and although we didn’t have a job for him yet, we knew we had to hire him.

Willi jumped in wherever help was needed: supporting executive and marketing tasks at first, then working alongside Cindy as a project management assistant. It was the first time Cindy had dedicated project management support, so she was teaching everything she knew while Willi soaked it up.

The plan from day one was to move Willi across the business and give him exposure to as many parts of it as possible. Looking back, Willi said he saw a growing company with lots of opportunity, and he was happy to take on whatever came his way.

About a year and a half in, a gap opened up on our Studio 6 hotel project. Willi knew the project better than almost anyone here, so he raised the idea of taking it on and seeing it through. It was a natural next step, and he was ready to spearhead the project.

That Studio 6 project was the first one Willi finished out as a project manager, and over the next couple of years, he managed more of our work, including the Motel 6 in Fort Frances, and was part of the project management team that built our own office here in Steinbach.

We do our best to recognize growth and encourage the next step. When someone shows they’re ready for the next challenge, we make room for them to take it on.

Moving from supporting a project to leading one is a big shift. Willi was honest with himself about where he could grow, especially around scheduling and keeping projects running efficiently, so he took every opportunity to improve his skills. He took a lean construction course to help projects run smoother, and more recently completed Dale Carnegie training. He is now taking part in our leadership development program built around the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Our team members don’t have to chase growth alone. Learning is part of the job, not something that happens on the side.

About a year ago, we posted a preconstruction manager position. When Willi saw it he knew it was a fit, and with his engineering background, he was excited for a challenge that leaned more into design. He also saw a chance to take the pain points he’d experienced as project manager on past projects and solve them earlier, before they ever reached the site.

The role brought a different kind of pressure. In project management, people call you, whereas in preconstruction, you’re the one reaching out and getting ahead of things. Stepping into a new role takes time to learn, and we expect that. Mentorship, open communication, and the people around you are there to help you get up to speed.

There’s more on the horizon for Willi as he recently wrote his professional engineering exam, and we’re cheering him on as he waits for his results.

Over the past five years, one question kept coming up for us: could we grow as fast as Willi was growing? We’re proud to say we’ve kept pace, and have been making big strides right alongside him.

That’s the type of growth we are proud to foster here at Superior Projects. Yes, it’s a value you can find written in our handbook, but it’s also something that walks our hallways embodied by the people on our team taking on new challenges, with the support behind them that helps them get there.