Garry Sangha: Spearheading Kanin Constrution towards Excellence

Born in Punjab, India, Gurpreet “Garry” Sangha is an Indo-Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Surrey, British Columbia. He is also the CEO of Kanin Construction Management, which brings together experts in all aspects of construction and successfully leverages its diverse investments and holdings for its clients’ end-to-end construction management needs. KCI maintains an extensive network of subcontractors, including architects, design professionals, engineers, technicians, tradespeople, and suppliers, who help the organization complete its projects on time and within budget.

Gurpreet’s leadership style is marked by his technical expertise and commitment to inclusivity. Born in Chahalpur, Punjab, Gurpreet was a dedicated football player and student leader. In 1996, his family immigrated to Canada due to declining agricultural income. Financial challenges forced him to leave his engineering studies at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and work full-time in construction. Despite facing racism, Gurpreet’s strong work ethic propelled him to a supervisory role, where he prioritized inclusivity and fair leadership, earning the respect of his colleagues and peers. It was also during his initial years in construction that Gurpreet Sangha became Garry Sangha, a name that his colleagues in construction found easier to pronounce and one that the rest of the construction industry in Canada would come to know.

In 2003, Garry married Kiran, and within a few years, he co-founded Crystal Consulting Inc. with two family members, Ajit and Kuldeep. This business venture eventually expanded, and the trio created Kanin Construction Management, CCI Waterproofing, and CCI Masonry. Later, in 2020, Garry established the real estate arm of the CCI Group Allure Ventures, making it one of the very few construction companies in Canada to provide a comprehensive range of 360-degree construction services, catering to all aspects of the construction process.

Building Excellence Everyday

Under Garry’s leadership, KCI veterans meticulously craft their processes, drawing on their decades of diverse and extensive experience in the construction industry. These seasoned professionals have faced and overcome a wide range of challenges, allowing them to develop comprehensive and effective protocols. The organization’s commitment to excellence is evident in its continuous process improvement. It updates these protocols, especially when encountering new scenarios, ensuring they remain relevant and robust. By diligently following these well-established and constantly evolving processes, KCI consistently ensures excellence in every project.

“KCM specializes and prides itself on delivering projects on time and within budget for its clients. You can call us the nerve centre of an operation. We help the developer select the right subcontractors and trades, and we are tasked with supervising them during the duration of the project. When it comes to construction sites, the buck stops with us.”– Garry states.

Consistency is the Key

Garry believes a safe and well-functioning construction site is a boring one. Nobody likes surprises on a site because surprises can kill in this business. Under his leadership, KCI has very clear processes for everyone to follow. These processes have been created based on previous challenges faced. So, the KCI team has already “gamed” every scenario and has several fail-safe mechanisms in place for almost every eventuality. That takes out the element of surprise and makes everything predictable by design. This ensures a smooth, glitch-free, and safe operation, which then ensures that the project is completed on time and within budget.

However, challenges are always a core part of construction management. For example, while nearing the completion of a project, the KCI team faced a challenge with privacy screens hung outside of balconies on steel structures for 350 locations. To fix this, over 100 of its team members worked 24 hours for three days to put up the privacy screens. This hard work ensured these privacy screens didn’t hinder the occupancy schedule.

Fostering a Culture of Innovation and Adaptability

However, Garry and his team understand the importance of being dynamic. What works today might not work tomorrow. For example, many processes that seemed extremely effective even a couple of years ago are completely outdated now. Additionally, the pandemic taught Garry and his team that nothing can be taken for granted and organizations like KCI must always stay adaptable and flexible.

In order to stay agile in the business, Garry and his partners intentionally blend young and experienced professionals on their teams at KCI. If someone visits any of KCI’s sites, they will be surprised to see the diversity in age and experience. This is completely intentional, as young professionals bring fresh ideas and innovation, adding energy and enthusiasm to the project. While experienced professionals help with their guidance and keep everything grounded, which is mutually beneficial for everyone.

Employee well-being is the Priority

Garry does not like to talk about himself or use himself as an example too often at work. He believes everyone’s experience and circumstances are unique, making their lives different from each other. However, Garry is grateful for starting his career in the construction industry at the very bottom, working his way up from laborer to entrepreneur. Because of this, he understands what it’s like for anyone working in construction. The values his parents taught him also make him empathetic. Garry’s team knows he will never ask them to do anything he wouldn’t or hasn’t done himself. This understanding gives them the confidence to tackle challenges head-on.

“If you visit our office or different sites and talk to people, literally anyone who has been with Kanion for any length of time, you will find one common thread- they have all grown. So many of our supervisors right now started out with very little experience in construction and have worked their way up. I can so relate to them, their hunger. As a leader, my role is to first, recognize someone’s hunger for growth and improvement and then give them every opportunity to do so. Barring some extremely hyper-specialized roles, there are no rigid boundaries for anyone. And when you see people grow in a workplace, you are also motivated to do so,”– explains Garry.  

Picture of the Future

Looking ahead, Kanin Construction Management is committed to constant improvement. As they refine their construction management methods, clients will see their dedication to more efficiently realizing architectural and community visions.

More than aiming to be the biggest, Garry desires KCI to be recognized as the best. He also envisions the name Kanin as synonymous with excellence across Canada and the US, not just in BC. Garry and his partners have worked extremely hard to establish KCI as a top tire company. Now, everyone in the organization wants to be a trendsetter. Under Garry’s leadership, KCI no longer wants to “achieve” but rather “set” the high bar.