Garry Sangha is a multi-faceted man with a list of accomplishments that includes numerous business ventures. These range from a bustling construction and development operation, to a budding hospitality empire.And the “Skye’s the Limit.”
Growing up in rural Punjab, India, Garry (born Gurpreet), felt a compulsion early on to voice his opinions against social ills, eventually being elected President of the Students Union in college. In 1996, at the age of 18, Garry and his family left India and moved to Vancouver.“My father believed that this was the land of opportunity,” he says. “We thought that money grew on trees and you just picked it up off the ground in buckets.”
Once settled locally, Sangha enrolled at BCIT with the intent of pursuing a degree in engineering.He eventually made the decision to drop out of school altogether – against his father’s wishes – and pursued construction full-time. With a strong work ethic and rife with
determination, Sangha quickly began to climb the business ladder, despite facing instances of discrimination along the way.This would only prove to empower him further and become a vital turning point and motivation for the emerging entrepreneur.It was then he made a vow to always be inclusive in supervisory and managerial capacities, learning vital lessons in team building and corporate growth in the process.
“The country we come from doesn’t give you a lot of dreams,” he says. “My dad aspired to come to Canada because he had dreams of a better life.”Sangha notes at the time, his dad had only $20 in his pocket.“I didn’t have a choice as my dad was the decision maker. I played soccer. My dream was to play for the National Team in India – my dad wanted me to go to school, I didn’t — I just wanted to work.“I am the only uneducated member of my family, everybody else has education degrees.”
Sponsored Ads
” He’s relentlessly focused on moving forward and motivating his team to have the same drive and energy and has a true commitment to the idea of family.”
Sangha started as a laborer on a construction site where his father was also a laborer.“He brought me there and becoming an apprentice and learning the trade was probably the best experience of my life,” he says of that time. In 2005, Sangha joined forces with family members and created CCI Crystal Consulting Group, a major, large-scale construction company in the fi elds of drywall, masonry, waterproofi ng, roofi ng and construction management.
CCI undertakes construction and real estate development work all across Canada.“I would say to people that I’m just a dumb dry-waller,” says Sangha, of the term that has become something of a personal catchphrase in his life.It’s also the title of his YouTube series of videos, which he regularly hosts and produces.In addition to other areas across Canada, CCI has a number of projects underway in Surrey, a city clearly in expansion mode with a boom in growth rapidly taking hold.In fact, the population of Surrey is projected to overtake that of Vancouver and become B.C.’s largest city within the next fi ve years or so.
As the CEO of CCI, Sangha oversees numerous major construction and development projects, which are quickly springing up around the sprawling metropolis, including “The Grand on King George,” due to be completed this year.CCI is also about to break ground on their second project, a 375-unit development called “Skye Living,” followed by a third Surrey project – an 1,100-unit development. Also under the umbrella of the CCI group is Skye Avenue Kitchen and Lounge, a spectacular 6,000-square foot facility in Central City Surrey.
Sponsored Ads
” Talking with Garry Sangha and feeding off his enthusiasm, boundless energy, and big-picture vision, you truly sense that everything is possible and indeed, the ‘Skye’s the limit.'”
Following his corporate tagline of “The Skye’s the Limit,” this well-appointed and stylish new dining hot spot is testament to Sangha‘s commitment to quality. In addition to an extremely well-curated food, wine and cocktail program, Skye Avenue also boasts the largest private collection of whisky found anywhere on restaurant shelves in Canada.
It’s an ideal culinary concept and environment for someone with the credentials of Richard Goodine, Skye Avenue Vice President Hospitality Development. “Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of working with many Founders and CEOs and the common thread I’ve seen is an unwavering belief that anything is possible,” he says.“When I fi rst met Garry Sangha, he took that to a whole new level.
His philosophy of the “sky is the limit” truly comes through in everything he does,” says Goodine. “He’s relentlessly focused on moving forward and motivating his team to have the same drive and energy and has a true commitment to the idea of family. He’s a big personality and defi nitely larger than life, but wrapped inside this massive ball of energy is a very kind heart.”
Garry Sangha serves as his own competition with achievable goals.“I want to do better today than what I did the day before,” he says. “People ask me who I compete with. I compete with myself. What did I achieve yesterday and what can I achieve today?
”The CCI Hospitality division was created to fulfi ll a professional requirement in order to meet one of Garry’s personal bucket list goals.
“I tried to buy a professional sports franchise,” he says. Sangha is a major sports fan and a courtside season’s ticket holder of the Los Angeles Clippers.“I reached out to a broker who was trying to negotiate a deal and looking for people to invest in the franchise,” he explains, of his motivation upon entering the restaurant business.
It turns out that among their requirements is that any prospective ownership group needs a hospitality component within their portfolio.“Being as we’re so heavily invested in Surrey, it became an obvious choice to plant the seeds of our hospitality division right here in the heart of town,” adds Sangha.
“This city has no real upscale restaurants so we thought we would be pioneers in changing the look and feel of Central City.” Thus, Skye Avenue Kitchen and Lounge was born, with additional locations in a number of cities set to follow.
“We’re looking at a second location right now and down the road we want 30 locations worldwide.”And the sports ownership dream is still very much alive for Sangha in the future as well.
“My promise to my son is that on his 21st birthday that is my gift to him.”His son is now seventeen.Talking with Garry Sangha and feeding off his enthusiasm, boundless energy and big-picture vision, you truly sense that everything is possible and indeed, the “Skye’s the limit.”
