Charles Loewen - "The Lessons I Learned While Navigating the Entrepreneurial Life"Register Now

Charles Loewen, Winnipeg, MB         

TOPIC:  “The Lessons I Learned While Navigating the High’s and Low’s of the Entrepreneurial Life” (Q & A)

DESCRIPTION:  Charles Loewen will walk us through his entrepreneurial high’s and low’s and share the lessons he has learned along the way.  With his customary candor and self-effacing manner, he will talk about the joys of growing a family business throughout North America and taking his family business to new heights.  He will talk about the challenges of a collapsing US housing market and how it wreaked havoc on his company.  He will share how he and his family decided to sell their family business, that had been in the family for 100 years.  He will then talk about how, after assuming he was done with the window business, he then bought back the company he had sold.  This is a one-of-a-kind entrepreneurial tale!

BIOGRAPHY:  Charles Loewen has long been associated with Loewen Windows (www.loewen.com), the Steinbach, MB company founded by his forefathers in 1905.  He grew up in the business and ran the company as CEO for a number of years, with the company having 1,600 employees throughout North America at its peak.  Then came the housing crisis in the US and the company contracted significantly.  Charles was able to lead the sale of the family business to a Danish-based international conglomerate.  The Loewen Family involvement in the business that bore their name ended—or so it seemed.  Then, in an interesting twist to the tale, Charles was approached by the purchasers to buy the family business back.  In 2013 he reacquired the business along with investors.  His efforts have led to a successful turn-around and a rejuvenated spirit at Loewen Windows.  

Charles has leveraged his business successes to have an impact in his community.  He is an honoured member of the Manitoba Manufacturers Hall of Fame. He currently acts as the Co-Chair of Winnipeg Poverty Reduction Council and Steering Committee.  He is the Canadian Vice-Chair of the International Institute for Sustainable Development. Charles' previous engagements have included President of Steinbach Credit Union, Chair of the Mennonite Economic Development Association and Chair of the Business Council of Manitoba.