The Construction Association of Rural Manitoba (CARM) is a 100-plus-year-old nonprofit organization that represents 180+ members—and growing—across the province far and wide. Many wonderful members and staff have helped shape this organization into the success it is today. What started out as an 18-company advocacy organization has evolved into a 180+ company association focused on providing education sessions and workshops, networking opportunities, planroom services, special member perks and discounts, and so much more—ultimately, an organization that continually thinks and plans each step of the way about how to better serve CARM members.
Blue-collar trades jobs, once viewed as less prestigious and financially sound than white-collar jobs, are now on the rise and many people are beginning to recognize the benefits of a career in construction and related trades. The advantages speak for themselves: increased pay, fewer hours in a classroom, and hands-on learning opportunities have contributed to the construction trades becoming an in-demand profession. CARM is proud to continue to promote skilled trades as a career choice and to help build a strong workforce for our members.
Paying member investment in CARM forward, CARM places emphasis and value on the importance of giving back to the community. That’s why CARM invests in community projects each year —the Optimist Park Renewal project for the Brandon Youth Soccer Association and the Ashley Neufeld Softball Complex Pumphouse Project for the Westman Softball Association, the Rideau Park Centennial Pavilion, and the Flin Flon Blueberry Festival Outdoor Stage are recent examples.
Times change, and so do we. CARM has taken every opportunity to adapt and transform alongside the construction industry—to see every challenge presented not as a problem to be solved, but rather as another yet-to-be-realized opportunity to serve our members. Our main focuses are on industry-specific education, advocacy for the rural construction industry, marketing for our members, providing you access to special member-only benefits, opportunities to create business contacts and helping you stay connected with project opportunities.
If you haven’t yet considered membership in CARM, please take a moment to do so and have a look at our Membership Guide below. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. As the membership grows, so too will the services we are able to offer. Together, we grow stronger.
As always, we welcome suggestions on how CARM can continue to be your go-to construction industry resource. Share your thoughts with us so that we can continue to evolve and grow together over the next 100 years: carm@carm.ca