Gerry Price
Gerry Price was born in Winnipeg and holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba as well as a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. Following graduate studies, he worked as a Defence Scientific Services Officer for the Defence Research Board in Alberta before joining industrial manufacturing company E.H. Price Limited (now Price Industries Limited) in 1977. In 1986, Gerry became President of Price Industries following their start-up in Asia Pacific, and began to lay the foundation for their expansion into the US market. During his tenure, he has launched many new product lines, factory expansions and new business units in Canada and the US and has grown the company tenfold in size, scope and reach since he became President. Constant throughout this development has been Gerry’s commitment to maintaining company headquarters in Winnipeg. Price Industries continues to be an important leader in industry and economy, both locally and globally.
The Price Vision is one of service. Under Gerry’s leadership, Price Industries has become a model for best business practice, focused on the delivery of exceptional customer service in the spirit of the Golden Rule on which the Price Values are based: to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. Relentless product development, even during difficult times, is also a crucial ingredient in Price’s service culture and is supported by excellent product development and research teams as well as initiatives such as Price Electronics and Price Research Center North located in the Winnipeg complex. The Marketing and Business Systems departments also integrate innovation and technology into their work, using digital marketing tools and specialized client-facing software to better serve their clients.
Gerry is committed to investing in the next generation of business leaders. He is a keynote speaker at many industry association meetings and regularly meets with student groups, including a recent class from The University of Winnipeg. He is also a dedicated community partner, contributing annually to a wide variety of charities, capital campaigns and scholarship programs. Additionally, the company provides in-kind support through 50 employees who volunteer for the True North Hockey Academy, which provides underserved youth with the opportunity to learn how to play hockey and also develop team and life skills.
Gerry is actively involved with many community and professional associations, including the Association of Professional Engineers for the Province of Manitoba, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers and the Winnipeg Jets True North Foundation. In 2003, he received the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Excellence Award and was named the Manitoba Business Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year. Gerry was an inaugural inductee into the Manitoba Manufacturers Hall of Fame in 2006 and in 2011 was made a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineers, the highest honour an engineer can receive in Canada. He has also been recognized by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of the Province of Manitoba, receiving the Association’s 2013 Leadership Award.
Gerry was named the 2012 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award at the University of Manitoba, where he is also a founding member of three associations: the Associates of the Asper School of Business, the Friends of Engineering and the Faculty of Architecture Partners Program. He has led or volunteered for numerous boards and fundraising campaigns, including, among others, serving as a lead volunteer for the Engineering Capital Campaign. In 2011, Gerry and his wife Barb were honoured as the Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year by the Manitoba Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for their generous support of initiatives in the areas of health care, arts and culture, and education.
Photo courtesy Price Industries Limited.