The Construction Source

MAY 2021 process and be recognized for what you do is very rewarding.” Again, Phillip credits the company’s success to the calibre of their team, and to their strong corporate culture – which is evidenced by their unrivalled rates of retention. Last year, the company gave out ‘long-term service awards,’ and they found a number of employees had been with the company for 35 years, 30 years, and 25 years. For the most part, those employees started in junior positions and have grown into leadership roles. “We believe in investing in our people,” Phillip says. “Every year, one of our key objectives is training and development. We want to make sure our team feels valued for what they do, and we want to make sure they have the opportunity to grow and advance.” “We invest a lot of resources into furthering people within the company,” agrees Francesca Lucia, Marketing & Communications Coordinator. “The company really sets its employees up for success.” “We have a strong support system, with ‘supportive’ being one of our core values at Acres,” she adds. “We cheer for one another and we celebrate each other’s achievements.” That support, combined with that investment in professional development, is a big part of what makes the company’s culture so special. Another big part is their involvement in their local community. According to Phillip, Kamloops is a relatively small and tight-knit community, and Acres takes pride in projects that give back. For example, the company recently worked with the non- profit Open Door Group on their Gardengate expansion. Gardengate’s focus is to provide a space of healing and recovery through horticulture activities for people living with mental-health conditions. Their previous space was roughly 700 square-feet, and was largely unusable during the winter months due to a lack of heat. Acres worked with them to design and construct a new facility, which more than tripled their space, allowing for more programming and participants, and providing both heating and air conditioning for the winter and summer months. “They approached us late last year,” Phillip recalls. “They said ‘This is us; this is what we’re about, and this is our budget. Do you think you can make something work?’” “So we took their design, we pulled it apart, and we managed to find a solution that worked within their budget,” he continues. Employees appreciate being a part of projects like that – as does the company’s roster of subcontractors and suppliers, many of whom are also locally- based. From the beginning, Acres has recognized the value of those kinds of partners and strived to form strong and lasting relationships based on integrity and fairness. Over the years, they have been very successful in that aim – some of their partnerships go back decades. For example, theyhave regularly worked with KM Contracting – a full-service construction firm known for providing superior quality workmanship, and for completing projects efficiently and affordably. They are an example of a company that provides the kind of value Acres expects from their industry partners. “We only want to work with sub-trades and suppliers that align with our core values,” Phillip explains. “They have to understand our end-goals. They have to understand the quality assurance that we expect, they