Reaching 40 years in business is rare in today’s economic landscape, and it is even more exceptional to find a trades company that has continued to thrive into the second generation. Alpine Drywall is celebrating their anniversary with an appreciative nod to the strong foundation their founder established and a commitment to strengthen that foundation moving into the next chapter.
The Alpine Drywall organization started out with branches across Western Canada in the 1970s, and when the owner decided to sell, he offered the opportunity to his employees. Lyle Wunderlich was managing the Grande Prairie location and jumped at the chance to grow something of his own. In 1986, Lyle and his brothers purchased Alpine Calgary and Alpine Edmonton, at which time, Lyle moved to Calgary while his brothers remained in Edmonton. Alberta was growing, construction was booming and Lyle quickly became established in commercial construction. The Calgary location flourished, attracting incredible staff who choose to spend their entire careers at Alpine and building solid relationships with suppliers and general contractors.
“We’ve got our core suppliers that we’ve used for as long as I’ve been here. They’ve changed names along the way, but we stick with those same ones today,” says Henry Reichert, operations manager for Alpine, who worked with Lyle in Grande Prairie and made the move with him in 1986.
As the company grew, Alpine Drywall officially became a true family business in 2002 when Lyle’s son, Kurt, joined the company followed by son, Karl, in 2005 and daughter, Jennifer, in 2009. The siblings worked shoulder to shoulder with their dad to make Alpine a trusted drywall company with an enduring reputation for quality work and unbeatable client relationships.
“Dad continued on here until he became sick in 2018, passing away the following year. At that time, Karl, Kurt and myself became the new generation of Alpine to carry on our dad’s legacy. Our success in this transition would not be possible without our highly valued, long-term employees that we are fortunate to work with every day. Jackie, Joe and Henry – they’re the main cogs here in the office,” says Jennifer Darrow, office manager and director/officer for Alpine Drywall.
Those cogs make for a smooth-running machine, and the expertise the core group has contributed from working at Alpine for decades makes them invaluable resources both in the office and in the field. Jennifer, Kurt and Karl grew up in the company with this long-tenured team and they have gratefully welcomed them into the extended Wunderlich family. Today, that family includes actual family members across the organization as well; besides the founder’s family, a number of employees have encouraged their children or grandchildren to join them as part of the Alpine Drywall family. Their long careers at the company as well as their desire to introduce the next generation to the business is a testament to the amazing culture at the company.
These younger additions to the team represent the future of the company and will contribute to Alpine’s continued strength in the industry. Like many trades, Interior System Mechanics (ISM) has its share of challenges, most notably in staffing, and as construction demand has climbed and fewer people are pursuing a career in the trades, skilled labour has become harder to find. On top of that, ISM apprenticeship programs have been cut at both SAIT and NAIT, so Alpine is tasked with attracting and training quality young drywallers on the job. That investment has paid off. The positive experience these tradespeople have at the beginning of their careers often keeps them loyal to Alpine for the rest of it. There is little turnover, which is a huge asset in today’s transient trades industries. Over the years, the leadership team has invested in employees’ professional development, and they aim to reward their team’s loyalty and commitment with advancement opportunities whenever possible. This serves to further reduce turnover at the company.
“Most of our current foremen were apprentices with us and a lot of our journeymen were apprentices with us, too. They all worked through the ranks at Alpine and are still with us,” says Karl Wunderlich, estimator and officer/director for Alpine.
The Wunderlich family has carried on Lyle’s practice of treating everyone on the team with the same respect, whether they were an apprentice reporting for work on their first day or a Gold Seal Certified ISM who has been with the company since the 1980s. The employees in the office and the field are dedicated to Alpine’s success, eager to share their experience to ensure the knowledge is preserved for the next generation. The entire organization takes pride in the quality work that they do, whether that’s on traditional drywall jobs, complicated designs or specialty ceilings and finishes.
“In commercial drywall, a project starts with concrete floors and open air to the outside,” says Kurt Wunderlich, superintendent and officer/director for Alpine. “We work collectively on site with the other trades to ensure their electrical and mechanical requirements fit within the walls and ceilings. The final product is a professional, high-quality interior ready for paint and finishes.”
Everyone works together to maintain the company’s high standards to guarantee their clients are satisfied on every job; its long list of happy, repeat clients is proof that this philosophy is working. The company has never had to rely on marketing to keep crews busy. In fact, Lyle never advertised or built a website because he did things the old school way, with a handshake and the trusted relationships he had with many clients within the industry. Guided by the motto of “Build it once. Build it right,” Alpine has always delivered quality craftsmanship and has proven to be an important long-term partner for clients.
“A lot of general contractors like to work with us because of our extensive project experience. For example, we can point out design issues prior to the project start up and offer alternate product proposals which in turn maintains their schedule and often provides additional cost savings,” says Joseph Short, senior estimator with Alpine.
Those projects include some notable buildings at home and abroad. Alpine was part of the team that constructed the Baháʼí World Centre in Israel, has worked on houses in Japan and worked on projects in Russia. Closer to home, the company was part of constructing such buildings as the Alberta Children’s Hospital, South Health Campus, Brookfield Tower, St. Albert the Great Parish, City Hall renovations and the Banff Springs Hotel Spa.
“We’ve received a lot of Project of the Year awards. It’s so great to be part of Calgary’s history,” says Jackie Smith, office administrator for Alpine.
The company is part of the city’s growth, and the team is proud to be associated with iconic projects over the years. It hasn’t always been easy over four decades in business, but with quality work and a staff that’s like family, Alpine Drywall has built more than walls – they built a legacy.
315 39 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 1X5
Phone: 403-243-3455