Welcoming Julie Heimpel to Team Menno

Welcoming Julie Heimpel to Team Menno

As we prepared for Trudy’s retirement, we knew that finding someone to fill the many, many shoes that she so expertly filled would be a challenge. But we also knew that Waterloo Region is filled with exceptional people, and that the right person would find their way to us. And we were so happy when we finally met Julie.

We’ve asked Julie a few questions to help you all get to know her a little, and we know that you’ll love meeting her in person, should you ever need to stop by our office and workshop.

Was there a particular reason that you wanted to work with Menno?

From their website and online presence, to my first meeting with Trent and Art, to recommendations from friends in the community…everything about Menno just felt right from the beginning. I heard from others that Menno is a solid company that does things right. Their staff turnover is low and employees are happy. They prioritize people. Those are all business footings that I can really get behind. 

It’s very important to me to believe in the company I’m working for. I also truly embrace the family feel within the company – I guess I’m still a little old school that way and prefer it to big corporations!

Did you have previous experience that prepared you for this role? We know there are multiple skills required.

My husband and I owned our own business for many years. I did a lot of the bookkeeping and office work for our company and am familiar with both the blessing and the challenges associated with running a small business! I’ve also worked in HR at a large company and have both educational and work experience in Social Services. 

I believe I bring a wide variety of experience to this role and I hope that my diversity will contribute positively to the business as I do “a little bit of everything” in the office here.

As you know, we work to uphold our Putting People First motto in all parts of our business and lives. Have you witnessed this since coming on board?

Putting People First isn’t just a motto on the wall at Menno. I can already see in a few short months that Trent and Art live these words every day. I started this job in the middle of a pandemic and have watched the company work to provide stability and security for their employees during uncertain times. I also see them communicating with clients about any delays or modifications that have resulted from challenging supply chain and lockdown issues. 

Menno does fantastic renovation and contracting work, absolutely, but what sets them above is their unwavering focus on people while they work to create beautiful spaces for their clients.

We’d love to know a little about you and your family, care to share?

I am a wife and a mother of 3 teenage boys (15, 18, 19). I’ve lived in Elmira my whole life and love my community here! My parents live right down the street from us and my in-laws are in the same town as well. Family is the foundation on which all my other experiences are possible.

I love reading and consume books with passion, usually with a hot tea by my side. I enjoy good food and miss eating out these days. I do daily yoga, walking/hiking, and biking (in non-snow months) and love being outdoors and active. I volunteer regularly in my church family and my local community and feel that it’s important to give back.

Well, we think you can see from Julie’s responses, she is already living the Putting People First life authentically, so you can see why we felt she was a great fit. She’s been a lovely addition to the office, bringing curiosity, energy and her own expertise to the role already.

You can read a bit about each of our team members on our Team Menno page.

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