Three Ukrainian immigrants build successful construction company

Article content material

Most of us who immigrate to Canada selected to maneuver right here to raised our way of life.

Ihor Marchenko did simply that. After rising up in Ukraine, he felt the nation was already unstable and unpredictable when he and his spouse determined to journey to a brand new life right here six years in the past. He says that on the time, there was no approach one might plan for a way forward for even three to 5 years in his dwelling nation.

Article content material

Article content material

He had the good thing about some English, having studied the language whereas incomes his levels in mechanical engineering and agriculture, and benefited by summer season alternate packages in England on the universities in Canterbury, Bristol and Taunton. It was whereas learning in England that he met and have become buddies with Artem Tkachenko and Andriy Lysak, Ukrainians who at the moment are his enterprise companions in Calgary.

He says it took him two years to get to Canada, throughout which era he improved his language abilities to earn a certificates in English that helped his utility.

Marchenko’s first residence in Canada was in Winnipeg, however after 18 months in Manitoba he determined to maneuver to Calgary in 2019.

He and his companions, now all residing in Calgary, gained additional expertise within the constructing trades and, after a number of trade jobs right here, launched ThreeStones Alliance. The three share equal positions spreading the obligations — Marchenko acts as CEO, Tkachenko is COO and Lysak is CFO.

They began chasing small jobs as subcontractors, working exhausting to earn a fame. Their efforts had been rewarded when an engineering firm that was impressed with the best way they performed their enterprise really helpful them to Truman Houses, and ThreeStones was awarded its first massive job doing the outside siding of 160 models.

Article content material

Article content material

Immediately, the corporate has an worker depend of virtually 60 who’re educated to work on all present supplies — brick, stone, stucco — on contracts to finish exterior siding jobs. New prospects are examined to see how they’d match into the corporate, and educated for potential positions at senior ranges.

Fast progress by a brand new firm of immigrants meant they wanted some assist in working the enterprise. Luckily, they had been launched to Mike Joseph Govt Teaching, which helped them with a marketing strategy, a imaginative and prescient and enterprise growth technique. And he, realizing that in addition they wanted monetary recommendation, launched the companions to Brian Anderson, regional director for CFO Centre, who leads a crew of fractional CFOs who had been in a position to arrange the best accounting procedures, reporting and banking contacts.

A lot of the work so far has been on multi-family residential initiatives, however Marchenko says he’s successful extra business building jobs and desires to increase into that space.

ThreeStones has an informative web site that exhibits off a lot of its accomplished initiatives, and it’s at the moment busy with various new ones — together with two six-storey rental buildings for Truman in West District referred to as Mondrian, and residential models for Subsequent Door Houses on Banff Path S.W.

Article content material

Ambition and braveness have supplied the three Ukrainian companions with a profitable Calgary firm, and they’re already dreaming of enlargement on this province and all through Western Canada.

To rejoice their success, with the assistance of Joseph, Anderson and ATB, they held a reception at Teatro final week for purchasers, suppliers and essential individuals of their rising community.

It was additionally a celebration of an immigration story that introduced three good guys to Canada and this metropolis.

Notes:

A well-deserved congratulations to Kim McConnell, named recipient of the Haskayne Faculty of Enterprise and Calgary Chamber of Commerce 2024 Inspiring Enterprise Chief Award. A celebrated icon within the agricultural trade, McConnell spent most of his profession within the promoting company enterprise. In 1984, after incomes his diploma in agriculture from the College of Manitoba, he launched Fieldstone Advertising in Calgary and grew it till he merged in 2002 to grow to be AdFarm, one among North America’s largest agricultural advertising and marketing firms. In his work with nationwide and worldwide agricultural and meals firms, he oversaw vital advertising and marketing campaigns working with massive multinational manufacturers. “We’re so happy to honour a visionary and well-respected chief in ag and meals whose work has demonstrated how innovation, management and deep respect can result in inspiring outcomes and affect throughout a sector,” says Gina Grandy, dean of the Haskayne Faculty of Enterprise.

David Parker seems frequently within the Herald. Learn his columns on-line at calgaryherald.com/enterprise. He might be reached at 403-830-4622.

Article content material