Jet Stucco, understands the importance of paying good wages, good working environment and steady employment
TDS News – 2020 will forever be remembered as the year COVID-19 united the world, and the people of the world came together to fight a common enemy. In the middle of the pandemic, we saw the service industry decimated and many family businesses were forced to close their doors or declare bankruptcy.
Small businesses are the lifeline to the Canadian economy, keeping the lights on at home. Keeping employees on the payroll poses significant challenges in any year and even more difficult in a global pandemic. Jet Stucco, a Winnipeg family seasonal business understands this all too well, and were able to navigate the uncertain waters heading into the peak season of spring 2020.
“As a family business, we know the importance of hard work and the significance of keeping our team of dedicated workers employed with great wages. They have families to feed and bills to pay, so it’s important to keep them happy, as skilled workers in the stucco trade are difficult to find.” Said Kevin. Lee, Owner of Jet Stucco
A knowledgeable crew with decades of experience in the stucco trade, Jet Stucco was busy for the majority of the stucco season working on new homes for many of the province’s largest builders. At the peak of the season, Jett Stucco employed 12 employees.
Lee recalls placing ads with several employee recruitment companies seeking experienced stucco finishers at rates starting at $25 to $30/hr. He found it difficult to find people with the expertise and skills needed to work on homes that demand perfection.
“I remember a few years ago, I spent the summer doing the stucco on the summer home of one of Canada’s most affluent families, jobs like that, when you’re working on high value homes, I demand perfection.”
Lee credits his success of the company to his wife, children, and employees who have never let him down and are always striving to do better. When the second wave hit and it was close to the end of the season work started to slow down, Lee was able to keep many of his employees on the payroll because it was the right thing to do. He also knew that his employees would still make more on reduced hours than they would make collecting unemployment or on the C.E.R.B.
As the 2021 stucco season draws near, Jet Stucco remains confident the pandemic numbers will start to flatten as the province ramps up vaccinations to the point of herd immunity. The company looks forward to working with current partners while open to the idea of forming new relationships with other builders.
Jet Stucco believes in small-town values and honesty. Whether you’re building for your first home or you’re a seasoned builder, it’s important to work with experienced professionals.
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