History

Quality Construction: A family business passed to a community keeper

Quality Construction chose to sell to Real Life Rentals because we are committed to honouring the company’s family-oriented legacy and high standards, which founder Ed Spangehl established.

More than just a team

When Quality Construction was looking to sell its four apartments in Regina, Real Life Rentals was a top choice for a buyer from the start because RLR was the only purchaser that mentioned keeping on current staff.

The staff at QC is family—both figuratively and literally. Erhardt "Ed" Spangehl built the first of the apartments in 1965. Ed's daughter Marita Bray and her husband Ken Bray worked at the business for many years, as did Ken's sister Maureen and her partner Roy.

Brenda Hennig joined the company in 1971 and worked there for more than 40 years, helping with everything from property management to construction, real estate, and insurance. Not only was she staff, she was a tenant. Brenda and her husband Gerry moved from Saskatoon into a QC apartment in 1970. Gerry joined the company in 1991 and worked with her until they both retired in 2016.

Old and New members of Real Life Rentals and Quality Construction standing together

Locally owned and operated

QC has always been locally owned and operated, which is another similarity between Quality Construction and Real Life Rentals.

Ed worked in construction in Saskatchewan from 1952-59, learning the trade and making connections. He worked his way up to foreman with Precision Construction and Campbell & Halliburton. One of the buyers was impressed with his work and encouraged him to start his own business.

During his long career as a home builder, he built about 700 homes in Saskatoon and Regina, including the four apartment buildings Real Life Rentals purchased: 2048 Rae Street in Cathedral Village was built in 1965, and three apartments in Coronation Park were built from 1968 to 1970.

PriNcipled & hardworking

The name Quality Construction embodied Ed's principled, hardworking nature and his dedication to building homes that stood the test of time. He gained a reputation for high standards in materials and tradespeople. Families that moved into Quality Construction apartments later built houses with QC because they knew the construction was sound.

Emigrating from Germany to Canada in 1951, Ed was never afraid of hard work. He even did cleaning tasks himself if he had to. In one case, a tenant refused to leave until midnight, and the new tenants were coming in the morning, so Ed started shampooing when the clock hit 12 AM. He was a boots-on-the-ground kind of guy. At the Quality Construction office, he didn't have a desk; when he came in, he sat in the visitor's chair.

The business was an undeniable success, but it wasn't always easy. Shortly after the apartments were finished in the 1970s, there was a 50% vacancy rate. Money was tight. Interest rates were 8.75%. In 1981, mortgages were even higher, with Brenda remembering one mortgage as high as 23%.

Through frugal management, the company weathered these storms. Ed's innovative accounting system tracked expenses per house or apartment built, and Brenda Hennig and Ken Bray’s dedication ensured that Quality Construction remained successful.

‘You have to be trustworthy in business’

Ed was active in the business until 2005 and did appraisal work for the bank well into his 80s. Today, at 99 years old, he remains animated and passionate when he talks about his life's work.

"You have to be trustworthy in business," Ed said. "Whatever we said, we stood by it."

In 2023, Real Life Rentals bought Quality Construction, promising to honour Ed's legacy and continue providing high-quality, community-based property management.

See our Regina rentals

The former Quality Construction buildings are located in Coronation Park and Cathedral Village.

Regina map