Trading Fields & Silos for Slab-jacking & SPF

Spray Foam Magazine – Fall 2025 – In the prairie town of Niverville, Manitoba, most people make their living in either of two industries: agriculture or construction. But the Lenchyshyn family of PWSF, INC (Cold Country Spray Foam & Slab-Jack Kings), has bested both of these worlds by using their strength in one industry to fuel their successes in another. Until 2013, they’d assumed their family legacy was rooted in farming, as that was the livelihood that had carried the previous three generations of Lenchyshyns. But patriarch and matriarch Tim and Grace took stock and determined that a change was in order. Instead of planting grain, they wanted to plant the seeds of a new business venture, and they landed on a trade that suited their backgrounds well– spray foam insulation.

Bye-Bye Family Farm, Hello Family Foam!

While working in spray foam might not seem like an obvious next step for a farming family, Tim realized the two industries weren’t actually so different. Both demanded long hours in challenging environments, seasonal hustle, and a knack for making the most of their resources. It’s the last item that really sold the Lenchyshyn family on spray foam. As a farmer and numbers guy, Tim was constantly monitoring his resource use and calculating energy inputs versus outputs. Sustainability and getting the most bang for your buck were two values he held dear. He figured that, with the help of his family, he could sell customers on those values as well.

“He wanted to offer cost-effective and eco-friendly alternatives to traditional construction and to create the opportunity for all of us to work and thrive together as a family.” said Amy Lenchyshyn, Tim’s daughter and PWSF’s marketing and operations lead.

Around 2013 to 2014, Tim, Grace, and their oldest son Christopher launched the original iteration of Prairie Wide Spray Foam. In those early days, they kept their services straightforward, and offered primarily spray foam and blown-in cellulose insulation. By 2015, both middle son Jeremy and youngest daughter Amy had finished school and settled into their respective roles at Prairie Wide– Jeremy backing up Chris out in the field, and Amy wearing many hats around the office.

A couple years later, the family found success with offering polyurethane concrete lifting services. At the time, using foam injection for slab leveling was a new and therefore risky concept. Being no strangers to risk and keen to maximize the services they could offer with their foam supply, the Lenchyshyns added concrete lifting to the menu.

“Everyone was still using the old method of mudjacking,” said Amy. “We had to take on the huge task of educating our clients and even our peers on this “newer” technology.”

By 2016, they realized their business had grown into two distinct divisions, they decided to officially incorporate as PWSF, INC, an acronym homage to their old moniker. They now operate the insulation side under the name Cold Country Spray Foam, and run the concrete-lifting as Slab-Jack Kings.

Although her family's business trajectory has seen many wins, Amy admits the highs have not been without challenges, namely in defining responsibilities and navigating the overlap between roles. Toes get literally stepped on here, she says, but they take every step in stride, especially the occasional missteps. Aside from communicating frequently, the key to working with family is in not losing sight of their shared vision. For the Lenchyshyns, that includes empowering their customers to make educated energy decisions, and embracing their role as leaders in Canada’s green building industry.

Over the years, the Lenchyshyns and their team of six are rarely bored. Their work has taken them all over Ontario, from residential homes to television sets– including a Bryan Baeumler project filmed in Kenora. Seeing their handiwork on the big screen is surreal, but it’s nothing compared to the feeling of success they felt after crushing some of their first major projects all those years ago.

“We consider our first few large successful projects as defining moments,” said Amy. “After completing them, we really started to understand what was possible and what we were capable of as a team.”

So How Do You Grow a Bountiful SPF Company?

To start and grow a spray foam company from scratch, the family knew they’d need a few things at minimum. To start with, they’d need the foam. Next, a proportioner to mix the chemicals, plus a couple spray guns, and don’t forget the reliable generator to power everything. Add in the must-haves for every jobsite toolbox, like a measuring tape, sharp utility knife, and PPE. Finally, they’d need a sturdy and secure trailer to house everything while towing it daily from site to site.

Sourcing the foam and assembling the equipment was the most straightforward part of building their business. The Lenchyshyns’ realized quickly that their family dynamic and bond had more to do with the strength and success of their company than most anything else. They also realized they have a lot in common with the equipment they rely on each day.

When asked to envision her family members as the various components of a spray rig, Amy was quick to re-cast her family as inanimate objects.

Within the symbolic rig-trailer that is the Lenchyshyn family unit, parents Tim and Grace would undoubtedly be the rig’s spray foam proportioner and generator. As founders and owners, they each make up the core of the business; Tim balances the books and keeps their operation humming along. Grace stands beside him, lending unending power and support to the entire system. Chris, the enterprising eldest son who’s kept his finger on the business’s pulse since the beginning, would be the Graco spray gun; innovative and always the best choice for any job. Meticulous middle child Jeremy would be the measuring tape, because he’s always reliable and holds himself and his team to exacting standards. And Amy, the youngest child and only daughter would be the utility knife, as her sharp, versatile, and solution-oriented approach to both work and life make her an understated but indispensable part of the toolbelt.

The Lenchyshyn family traded fields and silos for slab-jacking and spray foam over a decade ago. They pivoted their livelihoods from ag to construction with the goal to provide warm homes and stable foundations for every customer, and hoped to build a lasting legacy for themselves along the way. Their journey is far from over, but already their perseverance has paid off. As it happens, the only thing they needed to build a thriving multi-generational business was a truck, a trailer, a little foam, and a lot of heart.