We’re thankful for everyone who participates in the annual #LunchBoxChallenge. This year, we wanted to highlight the first few adopters with a short feature on each company. Below, you can learn more about RavenStone Construction, Knappett Projects Inc., and Kinetic Construction.
RavenStone Construction
Construction companies all over BC are celebrating Construction Month by participating in the annual #LunchBoxChallenge. RavenStone Construction values the importance of supporting their hard-working crew and supporting their local community and that’s why they were one of the first participants this year.
“Community is really the basis of our company,” says Kathy Parkinson, CFO at RavenStone. “Our core pillars (Relations, Salish, and Community) are built off that commitment”.
RavenStone Construction is a local Vancouver Island company based out of Duncan, BC., that focuses on providing meaningful employment opportunities in the construction industry for First Nations peoples.
“The company was initially launched in 2020 as a family business, which consisted of all First Nations workers.” says Parkinson. “My father and brother helped create RavenStone to help engage with construction companies and find the gaps to identify what was needed for labourers, carpenters, and apprentices. We started with 10 employees on a job with a client that we had built a relationship with and have almost doubled that number in just over a year.”
In addition to supporting First Nations peoples, RavenStone is an equal-opportunity employer that also employs women and non-indigenous workers in the construction industry.
“One of our forepersons is female and non-indigenous,” states Parkinson. “We also have an indigenous female employee working on one of our big sites; she is working to obtain her OFA Level 3 to create a long-term employment position.
This is RavenStone’s second year participating in the #LunchBoxChallenge, which they are celebrating with their partner company, Porlier Pass Contractors. “We’re going to host a big lunch alongside our first annual safety meeting and can’t wait to see how it turns out.”
Did you treat your crew to a free lunch and participate in this year’s #LunchBoxChallenge? Check out the Photos album on the Construction Month website to see how participants were involved.
Knappett Projects Inc.
Construction Month is a time to celebrate the contributions that BC’s construction industry makes across the province, and it wouldn’t be possible without one key component: community.
Knappett Projects Inc. is one of Construction Month’s early adopters and is widely recognized for their longstanding support of many local organizations, including their participation in the #LunchBoxChallenge.
“Supporting our community is very important to our whole company, and it starts at the top,” says Kathy Price, Construction Administrator at Knappett. “It takes a community to build a community—it’s only as good as you make it.”
Knappett is dedicated to giving back to the community and believes in helping the people who need it the most. “Without community support, many social impact organizations cannot offer the important supports that they are offering,” states Price. “If you can, you should. We can, so we do.”
Knappett has participated in the #LunchBoxChallenge the last two years and values the importance of being involved in Construction Month.
“We want to support our workers because they’re the ones we can’t do without,” says Price. “Construction Month facilitates a province-wide recognition of construction workers, which helps promote the industry we’re in. It might even be a great recruiting tool.”
Did your participate in Construction Month this year? Check out the Photos album on the Construction Month website to see how companies and their teams celebrated.
Kinetic Construction
Construction Month is an opportunity for our industry to get together and celebrate its hard work, successes and contributions to BC’s communities. Its success is dependent on active participants like Kinetic Construction, one of this year’s early participants in the #LunchBoxChallenge. We sat down with Cheryl Schindler, Director of Business Development at Kinetic, to understand why participating in Construction Month and the #LunchBoxChallenge is important.
“We really believe in making the industry better,” says Schindler. “We’re always looking for new ways to improve, to help our peers and build relationships. The industry benefits when companies get together and share their experiences and ideas, and when we collaborate on things such as the #LunchBoxChallenge. Taking part is good for the crew, the company, the site, and the industry overall.”
Over the last two years, Kinetic has not only participated in Construction Month and the #LunchBoxChallenge, they’ve catered lunch to all 20+ of their jobsites. In 2019, Kinetic celebrated Construction Month with a Contractor’s Breakfast at their Victoria office, where staff and subtrades gathered for coffee and breakfast sandwiches.
Throughout the year, Kinetic hosts annual golf tournaments and raises funds for various charities including MADD, Camosun College, BC Cancer Society, BC Children’s Hospital, and Prostate Cancer Canada.
“It comes from the top down,” states Schindler. “It’s important for Kinetic to participate, to show our appreciation to our boots on the ground. We also consider the #LunchBoxChallenge as an opportunity to support a local restaurant or organization. A chance to give back to the community, and that’s important to us.”
Did you treat your crew to a free lunch and participate in this year’s #LunchBoxChallenge? Check out the Photos album on the Construction Month website to see how companies celebrated this year.
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contact Tom Gogela | tom.gogela@bccassn.com
