award in recognition of the project’s “economic viability and social inclusiveness.” Later, at the Thompson Okanagan Kootenay Building Awards, it won a merit award. Ian credits that recognition to both the quality and attainability of the building. Of the attainability, Ian says “we brought a product to the market that the average family in Vernon could afford, and that appealing to a lot of different types of people – from young families to retirees to everyone in between.” Of the quality, meanwhile, says that is a credit to the team he has put together. Prior to starting AIM he didn’t personally have a background in construction, but he says he surrounded himself early on with people who knew what they were doing. “We’ve always been very careful when it comes to selecting our trades and suppliers,” he says. “First of all, we make sure we know what they are doing and they’re qualified. But more than that, we include them in the whole decision making process.” “We like to have an integrated design process,” he explains. “Once Anne has set the tone for what kind of a building she wants to see and what the market is looking for, we get our partners involved. We let them know ‘This is what we’re looking at building’ and we ask for their input. By doing that, I think we get their buy-in from the start. They become invested in the success of the project.” “My mantra when I’m dealing with contractors and suppliers is ‘Treat it as if it’s your own project.’ If they get to a point where they don’t know what they should do, we want them to consider what they would do if it was their money or their project – and then we empower them to make decisions. That typically results in quality. I think that’s been a key factor for our success.” Many of AIM’s subcontractors and suppliers have beenworking with the company for over a decade. “For the most part, we’ve stuck with the same folks,” Ian says. “If they deliver for us, we don’t see a reason to change. And they typically make themselves available to us when we need them. They tell me that it’s an enjoyable environment on our sites.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Ian co-founded and operates the company with his wife Anne, who’s been a local realtor for the last decade. Prior to starting AIM, neither Ian nor Anne had backgrounds in construction – when they originally came over from South Africa, they were working in information technology. After arriving in Canada in the late 1990s, however, they looked around for housing and found that most of it was unaffordable.
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