MOST companies would send their CEO out to christen a building now bearing its name. Princess Auto is not most companies.
When Ken Larson, leader of the Winnipeg-based tool and equipment retailer, was asked to take part in the home opener of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at the newly-named Princess Auto Stadium in June, he deferred to Mike Kivell, a 28-year team member from southern Ontario.
Kivell then went out and defeated the CEOs of two other companies in a quarterback skills competition, much to the delight of about 700 Princess Auto people in the stands.
Heather Turnbull-Smith, senior vice-president of talent and corporate communications, says the company wanted its team members to be part of the naming process for the stadium right from the beginning. So, before the late January press conference to announce the 10-year sponsorship deal, the company closed its head office, loaded its people on a convoy of buses and drove them to the stadium.
A couple of months later, 125 leaders from across the country were taken for a tour of the stadium while in town for an annual leadership conference. Larson promised to bring them all back for the home opener.
“In total, we gave away 700 tickets to team members and their family members to go to the home opener,” she says.
The company has a lengthy history with the Blue Bombers. Founder Harvey Tallman was a huge football fan and started a program years ago whereby the company rewarded every team member who bought a season ticket with a second season ticket for free.
“It’s about giving back to the community and being part of the community. We are a company born in Winnipeg, we’re building our business in Winnipeg and this alignment with the CFL, the Bombers and the community, is how we’ll be a part of it,” she says. “It’s very Winnipeg.”
Princess Auto has 55 stores across every province in the country, including three in Manitoba, three distribution centres, including one in Winnipeg, and a call centre.
