Gery Warner, Tentnology Inc.

Gery Warner, President
Tentnology Inc.

When Gery Warner came up with the design for his first tent in 1972, little did he know that one day he'd be supplying tents to customers and venues around the world, including the Olympics in Montreal in 1976 and Athens in 2004, World Cup soccer events, the Commonwealth Games, and even British musician Peter Gabriel's wedding in Sardinia. His largest tent to date - for an event in Seoul, Korea - covered more than four hectares.

A mechanical engineer by training, Gery began designing tents with his brother, Kurt, from their home in Manitoba. They started an industrial shelter business together, but later separated - Kurt moved to Calgary and set up Warner Shelter Systems Ltd. while Gery moved to Vancouver and set up Warner Shelter Corp, since renamed Tentnology.
Tentnology is owned by Gery and his wife, Suzanne, who serves as Vice-President of Marketing. "She says we're a 40 year overnight success story," says Gery.

The $10 million company, which employs about 65 people, is known worldwide for its innovative designs, superb craftsmanship and use of sophisticated technology. One of Tentnology's tents or "fabric structures" has been permanently installed on the site of the World Trade Center in New York as part of a memorial to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist tragedy. "I want New Yorkers to wake up on the morning when it is up and to feel uplifted," Gery told a Langley newspaper reporter in 2007.

The portable tents are manufactured at the company's facility in Cloverdale, located on the same five-acre piece of property that Gery and Suzanne have lived and raised their family on since 1990. "We wouldn't have been able to do any of this without good employees," says Gery. That, and perseverance, has kept him going.
The company is ISO certified for quality assurance, and has won several awards over the years, including a Canadian Special Event Award in 1999 and 2005 for Best Use of Tenting, and a Special Event Gala Award Winner in 2000 for Best International Tent Installation.

Aside from designing tents, Gery's biggest passions are his family and playing polo. He and Suzanne have four children and several horses.

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