Leading the brand, Wendy Murphy, CEO of Timber Tech Truss Inc., crafted a unique stance for herself as a leader with over 27 years of professional expertise in the construction industry. Wendy is the second-generation owner of Timber Tech and is responsible for the overall success of the company across its three locations in Alberta and 100 employees.

She joined Timber Tech Truss Inc. as a partner in 2006. Her journey towards ownership began in 2007 with the establishment of Timber Tech’s Calgary division. Wendy offered the knowledge and vision necessary for the Calgary branch to expand both naturally and through a crucial 2018 acquisition. Under her leadership, the Calgary branch of Timber Tech has developed into one of the biggest and most recognizable names in the city’s new-home construction sector.

Wendy received her post-secondary education at SAIT Polytechnics and the University of Lethbridge in academic Banton. Ms. Murphy values both professional and personal growth highly. She graduated from the Ivey School’s Quantum Shift program in 2013, has taken several Dale Carnegie training courses, and will participate in the Hoffman Institute Process in 2020.

In recognition of her dynamic leadership and commitment, Wendy has been nominated for an Honorary Doctorate in Business at The University of Lethbridge, named a finalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award, and recognized as one of the best 50-operated businesses in Alberta by Deloitte.

Wendy’s passion and focus are on the continued success of Timber Tech Truss through building sound teams, solid connections with companies, efficient procedures, staying current with operating systems, constantly monitoring the markets, responsible growth, and keeping healthy balance sheets.

The Changes Wendy Brings With Timber Tech Truss

“Providing Experience, quality, and Professionalism in all that we do!” As the second-generation owner of a 40-year business, Wendy’s vision has been to improve the overall business practices.

The transformation consisted of a performance improvement strategy that concentrated on the five essential components of corporate success. Revenue, sourcing, procedures, systems, and culture. A planned sales strategy, better software implementation, a thorough evaluation, and adjustment of job descriptions and responsibilities, as well as clearly defined KPIs for every employee, were all included in the plan. Procurement standards were also reviewed, and suppliers were changed. They reviewed every process in detail and made significant adjustments to the operating processes.

“We teamed with a full-time health and safety business to improve our H&S culture. We teamed up with an HR company as part of our ongoing commitment to a great workplace and to guarantee we have the best staff. We concentrated our efforts on IT upgrades across all divisions and improved internal communication with our teams through weekly executive meetings, bi-annual corporate town halls, and increased staff meetings, according to Wendy Murphy. These meetings also provided opportunities for feedback and communication across the organization.

With continued inspiration from her father’s leadership, Timber Tech created a SMARTShare Programme that was implemented in 2022. A profit sharing programme that is paid to all employees who have contributed to the financial success of Timber Tech. The results of the changes implemented have been rewarding. Employee engagement is at an all-time high, and the performance of the company continues to be strong.

Primary Hurdles on the Way

Price fluctuations in 2020–2022 were unprecedented. The industry was faced with cost pressures due to major fluctuations in raw materials. This was compounded by increased labor and operating costs.

Trucking raw materials has been difficult since the global pandemic began because of a lack of qualified drivers, the accessibility of vehicles, and the difficulty in locating components to fix secondhand equipment. Our company received more than 20 truckloads of raw materials each month thanks to possible fleet expansion, increased collaboration with logistics service providers, and the hire of a full-time logistics specialist.

Finding laborers for the manufacturing plants and the front office employees remains a challenge for them. The business unveiled a performance improvement strategy that called for significant changes to our sales procedures so that Timber Tech could hire remote and offshore staff support. The Canadian Foreign Worker Programme has also been very successful for them. Timber Tech continues to receive good and dependable support from this program, even if they are advocating for improvements to the burdensome procedure.

Timber Tech’s Work Environment – Open & Positive Atmosphere

Timber Tech Truss encourages open communication and a positive work environment where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas and opinions. Through weekly toolbox meetings, monthly H&S meetings, employee engagement surveys, suggestion boxes, and annual reviews, the management promotes collaboration and the exchange of differing viewpoints. Constructive and open feedback is always encouraged.

Wendy believes in communicating the organization’s vision, mission, and objectives on a regular basis. Strategic priorities are communicated at bi-annual Town Hall meetings, shared yearly at individual annual reviews, and posted throughout our offices. They have a learning-for-life culture that inspires creativity and keeps employees motivated by offering growth opportunities. They acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of individuals and teams. By recognizing our team members’ efforts through yearly rewards and incentives (profit sharing, team luncheons, family events, and even just a thank you), we provide a more positive work environment for our teams.

The Unique Leadership Approach

Leadership should be centered on the growth of the whole team. Following are the primary factors that Wendy’s leadership approach focused on:

• Vision
• Integrity
  • Empathy
  • Communication
  • Accountability
  • Adaptability
  • Collaboration
  • Empowerment
  • Resilience
  • Continuous Learning

   

  The Future Outlook – On Personal & Professional Levels

  “Five years is a long time! I truly concentrate on my short-term goals and daily successes with the intention of constantly improving on them. In 2020, when the global pandemic flipped our business and everyone’s personal lives upside down, I realized the significance of this. When asked about her future intentions, Wendy responded, “I learned as a leader and business owner that the professional and social world you know today can change immediately.

  “I plan to continually work on being a relevant business in a fast-paced, ever-changing, and evolving environment. I plan to keep our business focused on what we do best. I don’t want to be the biggest company; I want to be the best in it. Quality, experience, and professionalism are all that we do. Strong leadership, having the best team members, effective processes with innovative systems, partnering with the best vendors, and, ultimately, providing our customers with products and services that provide success for them”, she further added.

  Words of Wisdom

  Start with a clear vision. Define your long-term goals and vision for your business. What is your WHY? What does success look like to you? (Leave the monetary success out of it!) This will serve as a guiding light throughout your entrepreneurial journey and help you stay focused and motivated.

  Entrepreneurship requires dedication, hard work, and resilience. Stay committed to your goals, continuously educate yourself, and be open to evolving. Enjoy the journey, and celebrate your successes along the way!