Superior Strategies: Finding Solutions for the North
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The idea for the Warrior Workwear brand came to Confederation College alum Jason Thompson at a Boston Pizza in downtown Winnipeg. Thompson, owner of Superior Strategies, was explaining his business philosophy to his workwear supplier during a conference. Thompson told him, “There’s the stigma out there, a stereotype (about Indigenous Peoples) that’s never been the case. I believe it’s more from a lack of understanding and a lack of opportunities.”
Not only is Warrior a brand of pride, but it embodies all that Superior Strategies stands for: inclusion, collaboration, and education about Indigenous history and culture.
“Warrior is more than just a brand – it’s a vision of who we are,” Thompson said. “It’s about inclusion. Everyone’s a Warrior.”
Thompson graduated from Confederation College’s Human Resources program in 2010. He entered college as an adult learner, transitioning from the forestry industry. He and his wife Tara both worked at the Bowater (now Resolute). But with the downturn in the industry, they returned to Confederation College for new careers. Thompson founded Superior Strategies the same year he graduated, initially specializing in health and safety training and cultural sensitivity sessions. Confederation College was one of his first clients.
Today Superior Strategies offers industrial supply, office supplies (through Hamster, a company Thompson purchased), its Warrior brand of PPE, and its Warrior Workwear line. The company’s supply business represents about half of Superior Strategies’ revenues, Thompson said. And, most telling, now manufacturers are reaching out to him to carry their products.
Warrior is also the name of a new service offering. Warrior Engineering launched earlier in 2021 and is already making its mark in the construction and mining industries. So far, the company has hired five employees, primarily providing environmental monitoring services for several mines in the region including Harte Gold, Gold Shore, and Impala Canada.
“There was a huge desire to hire Indigenous engineering folks,” Thompson said. “But it’s not a career that’s been promoted, so you don’t really see a lot of engineers in our communities. We’re going to try to change that.”
The same is also true of manufacturing. Thompson said that he wants to see more Indigenous-owned businesses and communities take advantage of the opportunities.
“Our goal ultimately is to bring that manufacturing back to First Nation land,” Thompson said. “We spend a lot of time educating people to see manufacturing as an opportunity.”
It’s clear that Superior Strategies – and Thompson himself – are driven by a desire for social change as much as business. Thompson said that recent events such as finding the graves of First Nations children at several Residential School sites have had a profound impact on him.
“That motivates me every day to make change,” he said. “Our mission is more social than anything. The majority of our workforce is Indigenous, and the majority are women. When you talk about inclusion, we’re living and breathing it.”
