� ALBertA School of bUSINeSS • spring/summer 2006

a passion for people and

ALBertA School of bUSINeSS • spring/summer 20 0 6 9

cliff lede, ’79 bcom, personifies passion: passion for people and

passion for finding poetry in all that he now does. poetry comes in

many forms he says: words, nature, music, architecture, wine, art, the

perfect morning run, to name but a few. it is a quality that stirs the

imagination; a quality of spontaneity and grace. and this is very much

what he has created in napa Valley, both figuratively and literally,

since buying a vineyard in 2002.

Alumni profile B y M o n i C A W e G n e r

10 ALBertA School of bUSINeSS • spring/summer 2006

Cliff ’sphilosophyremainstohirethebestandthebrightest,andhisteamincludesMichelleEdwards,atalentedUCDavis-educatedwine-maker;France’sfamedconsultantMichelRolland;andthemuch-reveredDavidAbreuwhomanagesthevineyards.AllhaveplayedanintegralroleinintroducingCliff ’struelove,Bordeaux,tothevineyard’sofferings.

Havingbeeninvolvedinafamilybusinesshasalsoprovenvaluablegiventhehighpercentageofvineyardsthatarefamilyrun.Hisfamilyandfriendshaveclearlybeenastronginfluenceandremainapriority.Oneofthebestthingsabouthisdaysatbusinessschoolheaddsweremeetingtwolife-longfriendsthere,AllanSawin,’77BCom,andhiswifeSally(neeBaldwin),’78BCom.

Cliff ’srelationshipwithwinebeganearlywhenasakidheraidedhismother’shomemadewinestoredinthebasement.Heremainsveryclosetohismother,anindependentwomanofgreatstrength,whostillresidesinLeduc.CliffandhisbrotherDave,’70BCom,wereatthehelmofEdmonton-foundedandVancouver-basedLedcorIndustriesforover25years,overseeingitsgrowthintooneofNorthAmerica’smostsuccessfulandrespectedconstructioncompanies.Recognizingeachother’sstrengths,healthycompetitionbetweenthetwobrothers,andthefactthattheywereoppositesarewhatallowedthemtosucceed,survive,andthriveinbusinesssaysCliff.Despiterelinquishinghisroleaspresident,theystillspeakalmostdaily.

Cliff ’simmediatefamily,ofwhomheisbothproudandprotective,includeshiswifeCheryl,histrue“partnerinwine,”twochildrenfromhisfirstmarriage,Cheryl’sson,andachildhejustrecentlydiscoveredhefathered30yearsago.ThegenepoolisaninterestingthingsharesCliffreflectively.“Thisyoungwomanalsoearnedherbusinessdegree,wentofftoexploreEurope,fellinlove,gotmarried,livedoverseassince,andisnowasuccessfulbusinesswoman.”Aself-describedfreespirit,thismayverywellhavebeenthepathClifftookasayoungsterhaditnotbeenforthetragicdeathofhisfatherwhenCliffwasjust24.

Poetryisboththenameofhisflagshipwineandthenameofthedreamyandluxuriousrestoredinn,aptlynamed

PoetryInn,andbothstirtheimagination.The2002Poetryisarich,opulentwine,whichisdrinkingincrediblywellnowbutwitha20-yearcellarpotential.ThePoetryInn,theonlypublicaccommodationintheexquisiteStagsLeapDistrict,openedinMay2005andwasfeaturedintheJune2006issueofArchitecturalDigestmagazine.SurprisedthatthenamePoetrywasstillavailableforawine,itwasyetanothersignalthatpoetrywasmeanttobe.“Thereispoetryineverythinginthisvalley”saysCliff,“andwewantthatfeelingtopervadethisplace.”

Poetryisnotthenameofthewineryhowever.CliffLedeVineyardsisthenewnameofwhatwasS.AndersonVineyard,afamily-ownedproducerofstillandsparklingwineestablishedin1971.Havingthevineyardnamedafterhimwasclearlynothisfirstchoicegivenhisteamapproachtobusiness,buthewasconvincedbyhisteamthatitwasthewaytogo.Visitorstovineyardsliketoknowwhotheproprietorisandtomeethimifatallpossible,andCliffmaylovethismostofall.Asthelong-timepresidentofLedcorIndustries,“theconstructionbusinesswasgreatpreparationforthewinebusiness”saysCliff.“Bothareverymuchapeoplebusiness.”

C l i f f L e d e V i n e y a r d s

Napa Valley…“

a place where the soil has

sublimated under the sun

and stars to something

finer, and the wine is

bottled poetry.”

Robert Louis Stevenson, 1883.

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“There is poetry in everything in this valleyand we want that feeling to pervade this place.”

Cliff Lede

1� ALBertA School of bUSINeSS • spring/summer 2006

Alumni profile

raise.Oneofhisfavouritehigh-schoolactivitieswashangingoutatthepoolhall,butbeforehecouldgohisfatherwouldmakehimspendonehourworkingwithhimattwoofhispassions:gardeningorcarpentry.“Ihatedthemboth,”Cliffrecalls,buttreasurestheconversationstheywereabletoshare.Whenaskedabouthisfirstflirtationwithentrepreneurship,hesmilesandsays,“IthinkitmighthavebeenwhenIwashigh-schoolpresidentandwebroughtinbandsfordances…wealwaysmademoney.”

Today,afather’spassionsmayverywellbewhatfueledhisson’s.Carpentryisverymuchthefoundationoftheconstruc-tionbusiness,theCliffLedeVineyardisindeedagardeninparadise,andpeopleareverymuchattheheartofboth.Andwhileonemightassumethatthismaybethetimeandtheplacehetakesawell-earnedbreakandenjoysthefruitsofhislabour,Cliffwithatwinkleinhiseyesays,“Well,Ican’tannounceitofficially…”asheenthusiasticallydiscusseshisnextnewventure.AproudfatherBillwouldbe.

Fromamodestbeginningin1947,fatherBillLedeestablishedthecompanythenknownasLeducConstructionCo.Ltd.Acquiringthecompany’sfirstcrawlertractor,thecompany’sentryintotheconstructionindustrywasahistoricone:buildingtheaccessroadandwellsiteforImperialOil’sfamousdiscoveryoilwell,LeducNo.1.In1968,hewaselectedmayorandservedasmayorofLeducfor12years.“Noonewouldrunagainsthim”saysCliff,“hewassowellrespected.”

In1980,theinconceivablehappenedandBillwaskilledonthejob–hewasburiedalivewhenthefaceofa20-metre-highpileofgravelfellonhim.“Icertainlygrewupthatday”Cliffrecallsbothsomberlyanddistantly.“Weweretherewhenithappened.WedughimoutofthegravelpileandthenwenthometotellMomthatDadwasdead”.

Inadditiontobeingbotharealistandafreespirit,Cliffalsodescribeshimselfasanon-conformist;andperhapsthemostchallengingofthefoursiblingsto

Poetry Inn: “a microclimate

of luxury where slippers

magically appear beside your

bed, the pillow is preordered

to your specifications, and

killer views from your private

entrance lull you into believing

that the entire Napa Valley is

yours and that you are the only

one with the key.”

Architectural Digest, June 2006