post

Wynford Celebrates 40 Years in Business!

June 27, 2024

read

Wynford Celebrates 40 Years in Business!

This month Wynford turned 40! To celebrate, the entire team competed in our very own "Amazing Race’ around Granville Island, ending the festivities at Tap & Barrel Granville Island. Wynford is a very proud third generation family business representing over 200 strata clients and providing unique property management services to the Provincial Government. For those interested, below is a brief history about the Company.

Local Connection

Wynford has a deep local connection to British Columbia. As Brad Fenton (Executive Director) explains, “My dad, Jack Fenton, was born and raised in Vancouver and worked in advertising. One of his biggest campaigns was designing the BC Lions logo. After advertising, he moved to condominium development in 1979, but then the economic downturn of 1981 happened and took a devastating toll on Jack’s business and life. That’s really when we hit the restart button. Together, my father and I adapted to the new environment and built our conservative approach to doing business. This approach delivers positive results for strata owners today.” Brad Fenton completed the Urban Land Economics program at UBC in 1984, and with his father, launched the Wynford Realty Group Ltd. that same year. Jack and Brad decided to take part of their Welsh family heritage when coming up with the company name. Wynford stemming from the family name Merwyn–Fenton and Jack’s love of Ford trucks.

Big Beginnings

That year, 1984, was also the year Wynford signed their very first strata corporation contract. 40 years later, the 15-unit property in Kitsilano that launched us is still managed by the Wynford team today. A big boon for the business came in 1985, when Wynford signed a significant government contract to provide unique property management and real estate services – fast forward 39 years and Wynford continues providing those services today! To keep up with demand, Brad and Jack were able to recruit two seasoned industry veterans in the late 80s to round out their team: Bart Hendricks and Geraldine Svisdahl served Wynford well into retirement. Another significant accomplishment occurred in 1997 when Wynford was selected to manage one of the largest strata communities in BC – 1,222 residential units.

Big Players Move In

In 2012, large American-based real estate companies started moving into the BC sector, mostly through the acquisition of property management firms similar to Wynford. Though Wynford received many offers to be purchased, the leadership team declined every one of them. As sector mergers and acquisitions continue even to this day, two unexpected benefits were generated for the Wynford team. Sought-after property managers began leaving the massive merged companies and Wynford was able to recruit excellent managers with skills and experience that added even more value to the company’s services. The other surprise benefit of so much upheaval was that clients who were tired of dealing with a revolving door of strata managers, inconsistent service levels, and management teams with limited local knowledge, came to Wynford for stability.

What’s Next for Wynford

Like father, like son.

After completing his Business Degree in 2011, Brad’s son Andrew Fenton joined the Wynford Team making Wynford a third-generation family business. For Andrew, joining a family business was more than just stepping into a job; it was becoming part of a legacy, a story rich with tradition and hard-won success. Becoming President of a 40- year-old company holds a profound significance. It is an opportunity to honor the dreams and sacrifices of his father and grandfather while injecting his vision and energy into the next 40 years of Wynford’s continued success.

‍