Adam’s story is part of a series spotlighting independent businesses across Canada and the entrepreneurs behind them. Featuring longstanding Scotiabank clients and CFIB members, the series showcases real small business journeys rooted in resilience, innovation, and community impact and, while highlighting the strong business relationships that help owners grow, adapt and continue making a meaningful difference in the communities they serve.
When you think sheet metal, the small community of Saanichton on Vancouver Island, BC, is probably not top of mind, but it’s here that Adam Kerrigan got his start and is now celebrating 20 years in business. CFIB sat down with Adam to learn more about his journey.
I’ve always been a tradesperson and enjoyed working with my hands. When I was about 19, I was planning to go into carpentry, but an instructor at Camosun College encouraged me to consider sheet metal instead.
What really drew me in was the custom side of the trade. Most sheet metal work is ventilation and siding, but I loved creating custom pieces; projects that are memorable, artistic and become focal points for people. That’s what really excites me today.
Silver Fern Stainless started as a three-person company in 2006. We had all been working in the industry for some time, primarily in food and beverage, building restaurants, hotels, and hospitality spaces.
As a new company, we quickly started exploring other opportunities. We expanded into grocery stores, millwork contractors building kitchens, and before long we were working with local hospitals, correctional facilities and other commercial clients across Vancouver Island.
The company we worked for was moving away from serving local customers and focusing only on large projects. We saw a need in the community.
In our industry there are highs and lows, and when a big project wraps up, we were concerned about keeping all the staff working full-time. That was one of the main motivations for going out and starting Silver Fern.
Our winning sense of humour. Lots of sarcasm. Having fun has always been a priority for our organisation. We're a bunch of clowns on the job site, but customers quickly learn we take our work very seriously. We don’t miss deadlines. We deliver a good product.
Mentorship has always been a big part of Silver Fern.
Our founder, Rob Rose, believed in giving good people opportunities. Casey Wilson (the current co-owner) became a partner several years before Rob retired because he recognized how important Casey was to the business. Over time we formalized the succession plan, and in 2023 Casey and I became equal partners.
Now we’re already planning for the next generation by gradually introducing another employee into ownership. We’ve seen how valuable succession planning can be, and we want to create those same opportunities for others.
When we started getting people to take us seriously, like getting a line of credit was next to impossible within our vendors and suppliers. And then the struggles of getting in with bigger companies. We would take on any project of any size that we could just to build a relationship with people. Getting onto vendor lists within bigger organisations at first was just challenge after challenge.
The fact that it’s a local business serving the local community. Our work goes into local hospitals, restaurants and other businesses across Vancouver Island. I’ll walk into a craft brewery where the team has done a lot of work and think, “We did that.” It’s interesting because every project is different, but it’s nice to see how our work is woven into the community.
Supporting local businesses means supporting your neighbours.
The jobs we provide allow people to support their families, buy homes and build careers here in Victoria. When local businesses disappear, those opportunities disappear too.
Keeping work local strengthens the community, preserves skilled trades and creates opportunities for the next generation.
It’s a lot of work.
Everybody wants to be their own boss until they realize weekends become pretty rare. But it’s also incredibly rewarding.
One of the best parts is watching people grow. You hire someone straight out of school or a work experience program, and a few years later they’ve built a career, bought a home and are supporting their family. Being part of that journey is something I’ll never take for granted.
Read his full profile with Scotiabank and visit silverfernstainless.com for more information.