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July 2015
| Business World
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forward I tried working in the construction
industry for a while and I went from a senior
manager in an IT firm to a labourer on a job
site – it’s a bit of a change.”
Having a new found appreciation for the
creating and problem solving elements of
the industry, Jensen enjoyed the work and
stuck with it, doing whatever was necessary
to progress along the way.
“I worked for three or four contracting firms
doing various tasks,” he said. “I went from
a labourer to apprentice in a month. Then
I went from apprentice to journey man in
a year; I just picked up what we do really
quickly.”
The experience taught Jensen more than just
the technical aspects of construction, but the
everyday business side of things – something
he could relate to from his IT days and office
management background.
“I quickly realized I wasn’t going to make any
significant living working for somebody by
the hour and that I needed to create a com-
pany,” he said. “I found that a lot of the em-
ployers that I was working for were alienat-
ing our clients and staff and doing a general
shit job of being contractors. It bugged me
and I thought I can do better, and I like to
think at this point in time, that I am.”
CARE FACTOR
The adventurous, ambitious and entrepre-
neurial mentality harnessed by Jensen has
served him well. Sprucehill Contracting has
now gone from a one-man operation to, on
average, employing between 18 and 26 peo-
ple full-time. What began as a labour of love
to help with campers’ complaints has now
grown to embrace and encompass a mantra
built on passion and honing your craft.
“All of the people that work with and for us
really care about the work they do,” he said.
“People that care about the work they do