All the best, The Editorial Team We will keep adding business units that enhance our offering and separate us from our competition. “ ” Editor From The Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue of Construction Source Canada, the magazine that highlights the best in building and building products from across the country. In this edition, we’ve looked at a broad spectrum of companies and organizations across Canada encompassing the entire design, building, and property management lifecycle. Within these pages are stories on some of the industry’s leading homebuilders, manufacturers, material suppliers, site services providers, electrical trades, property managers, real estate solutions providers, one structural engineering firm, and more. Kor Structural, like their name implies, is the industry-leading structural engineering firm we were fortunate to feature. Though based in Vancouver, their reach actually extends beyond Canada – over the past 25-plus years, they have supported clients throughout the Lower Mainland, the rest of Canada, the Western United States, Mexico, and Asia. We spoke to John Markulin – the firm’s managing principal, as well as one of its founders – about Kor’s history and some of their highlight projects. We also talked about what they are doing now, particularly in British Columbia and California. Looking to the other coast of the country, also featured in this issue, is C.F. Construction – is a longstanding contracting company based out New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, known for providing a complete general contracting service. Over their more-than-30year history, they have developed a service offering including new home construction, home renovations and restorations, cabinet building, excavation and other site development services. They have also developed several sister companies, including a truss manufacturer, a development company, a quarry, and an environmental services provider, making their offering even more complete. We spoke to several key C.F. Construction employees – including Mitchell Fraser, the second-generation leader of the company – about the company’s history, the completeness of their service offering, and their vision to grow even larger. Located between the coasts, in Tecumseh, Ontario, is the home base of Alta Nota Custom Homes. Though historically a custom home and renovation company, they are a company now moving into the multi-unit construction, where they see the most demand and need. We spoke to Agnes Buchcic, the company’s founder and owner, about how they are meeting that need now and their plans to meet that need on an even bigger scale in the future. For more on those stories – and more like them, about other longstanding industry leaders and family-powered businesses across the building spectrum – just keep reading.
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THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA With a readership exceeding 145,000 senior executives, The Construction Source takes immense pride in providing an enticing platform to amplify your message to the most pivotal audience – your valued customers. Whether your aim is to promote an exciting new condo development, attract crucial financial investments for upcoming projects, or establish a commanding brand presence, we’re here to assist you every step of the way. To explore opportunities for featuring your company or showcasing your latest project in The Construction Source, please reach out to our Group Publisher. Jermaine Poulsen e: info@theconstructionsource.ca The Costruction Source Canada 202 - 1200 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5R 2A5 E: info@theconstructionsource.ca Executive Publisher Jermaine Poulsen COO Alexandra Box Editor in Chief Zach Janes Director of Operations Cathy Ditchburn Jacqueline Van Belois Director of Business Development & Marketing Tamara Breen Business Development Managers Mary Ann Taylor Mike Turenne Scott Carter Production Manager Brennan Midghall Digital Strategist Pranim Thapa Administration Manager Belyn Quijance-Dorero
MAY 2024 KOR STRUCTURAL Structured Engineering C.F. CONSTRUCTION Building with pride ALTA NOTA CUSTOM HOMES Responsible development PREMIER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Delivers exceptional service to residential and commercial clients CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD | STEVENSON Meaningful connections S.A.M. MANAGEMENT INC Housing for today and tomorrow MARTELLO GROUP Stable, dependable, and personal JAMES BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION Investing in employees INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS INCINERATING TOILETS IN THIS ISSUEMAY 2024 PREMIER PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ONSITE SIGN GROUP NETCO ELECTRIC
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA CONSTRUCTION MCVEIGH Quality without compromise AC PROJECTS Quality without compromise SWMW Group Ltd. Quality and customer satisfaction NETCO ELECTRIC Where service matters AMPLIFY ELECTRIC LTD Keeping clients happy AMPED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING Amped-up quality STOR-IT SYSTEMS An industry icon ONSITE SIGN GROUP Taking care of everything S.A.M MANAGEMENT INC. MARTELLO GROUP
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Kor Structural is a longstanding and industryleading provider of structural engineering, consultation, design, and inspection services. Since forming in Vancouver in 1998, they have supported clients throughout the Lower Mainland and across Canada, the Western United States, Mexico, and Asia. They have delivered efficient and creative designs for projects of all sizes and types, they have earned experience with all common construction materials, and they have grown from a team of three founding partners to a team of more than 40 design professionals. Along the way, they have become known as an “industry centre of excellence,” according to John Markulin, managing principal. “Our promise to our clients is to deliver efficient, creative, and buildable design solutions,” he says. “We want to help them build inspiring, efficient buildings to be proud of.” John was one of the three founding partners of Kor Structural. All three brought many years of experience to their roles, and their expertise has only matured in the years since. John, for example, graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering in 1991, and then later earned a Master of Structural Engineering from the same institution. Over the course of his professional career, he has designed hundreds of buildings and high-rise towers throughout Canada and Western North America – including the International Hotel & Tower in Downtown Vancouver, the Parkside at Waterfront development in Calgary, Solo District Towers Stratus, Altus, and Cirrus in Burnaby, and the Lougheed Heights development in Coquitlam. Over the years, under the leadership of John and his partners, Kor Structural has grown at a steady but measured pace. According to John, the goal has never been to be a “large organization with MAY 2024
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hundreds of people.” “We’ve always had a desire to be hands-on as the principals, and because of that we’ve always been very careful in terms of growth,” he explains. “We’ve grown along with our clients.” Growing alongside clients has often meant expanding geographically – when the company first started, they primarily worked in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, but within the first few years they started working with clients who were also active in the United States, particularly in California. As a result, Kor Structural has since done many projects in cities including San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Irvine. That work has also led into further work in states including Arizona, Texas, and Washington. Within Canada, the company’s reach has similarly broadened over time, and they have participated in projects in almost every province. Today, Kor Structural is led by 10 principals. In addition to their head office in Vancouver, they also have satellite offices on Vancouver Island and the Okanagan – both opened to accommodate the needs of their clients who were active in those areas. They have done a wide variety of work over the years, and their capabilities remain vast; their clients are primarily private developers, and their projects are mainly residential towers. As a company, they are well known for working with concrete, but they also work on a lot of woodframe and steel buildings. No matter the material or project type, however, John believes Kor Structural earns client loyalty the same way. A lot of it, he says, “has to do with the collaboration that occurs during every project.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
“We’ve always tried to be part of providing the solution for our clients,” he explains. “We provide them with the know-how to actually execute what they are trying to do. That is an important part of the service we provide.” “We provide a lot of knowledge and input, and that’s very important in terms of project development,” he adds. “We are able to come up with solutions for our clients – that’s something we’ve done quite well over the years. That is a big part of why we have had so many clients return to us.” John emphasises that they provide that knowledge and input at all stages of a project – before design, during design, and even after design. “Once projects go into construction, it’s very important to us that we provide information and answer questions in a timely manner,” John says. “We’re willing to work closely with contractors throughout the entire process.” “Within our industry, I believe we have always been thought of and known as being ‘easy to work with’ and ‘contractor friendly,’” he adds. “What this means is we are open to different ideas and open to solving problems in different ways. We are not dismissive to what a contractor might propose. If they have an idea for how to do something differently, if they think it might be more cost effective or quicker to build something in a different manner, then we are willing to look at that and work with them constructively.” In the world of structural engineering, that kind of openness is not as common as it should be. In John’s view, that’s not because people are closed off consciously – instead, he believes it MAY 2024
is “a function of us being in a pseudo-creative industry.” “There’s some creativity to what we do,” he explains. “Because of that, it is natural for everyone to take a little bit of ownership of what they produce. And as soon as someone critiques what you have produced, there is a natural tendency to be defensive about it. Sometimes people get in the groove of saying ‘No, I designed it that way for a reason, I like it, and I don’t want to change it.’” “I think that’s the wrong way to think,” he adds. “Because yes, this industry is creative based, but it also relies a lot on the input and expertise of the people who are constructing what we have designed. Their feedback is very important. The design process of structural engineering in terms of the style of work that we do, it has to be collaborative. You cannot be resistant to ideas that other people have. That is a trap you can easily fall into, but we try our best to avoid it.” As a result of their collaborative approach, Kor Structural has been able to build some very longstanding relationships with some clients. Many of those relationships, John says, go back between 20 and 30 years. Some of those relationships even predate Kor Structural – the principles worked with them in previous roles, and when they teamed up and formed their own company, they followed them. One longstanding client, for example, is Anthem Properties – a real estate development, investment, and management company committed to creating strong communities and meaningful spaces. Like Kor, they are headquartered in Vancouver, but have offices across Canada. The two companies have been collaborating for two decades. The success of their partnership has been powered by their similarities – both Kor and Anthem are passionate about the quality of their projects, they are dedicated to collaborating with their partners, and they are committed to forming long-term partnerships with companies who share their values. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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Growing with clients Currently, Kor Structural is highly active in Vancouver, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, and the Okanagan. As previously mentioned, they are mostly working on multiresidential projects – though they do a variety of work within that niche, including a mix of high-rise, mid-rise, and low-rise projects, and a mix of concrete and wood-frame buildings. They are also involved with some institutional work, including some community centres and care facilities. Kor Structural continues to be active in southern California – although compared to three or four years ago, the active pace there has slowed down, as financing has become more difficult for many developers. John sees that work picking up again in the future, however. He also sees more opportunities in the state of Washington, which is not that far from them in British Columbia. Moving forward, the company’s goal is to continue to work Proud to work in collaboration with Kor Structural Engineers yamamotoarchitecture.com THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
in both markets, and to go wherever else their clients need them – ever since the company was founded in 1998, John emphasizes that their growth has always been client-driven, and he anticipates that will continue to be the case. As for the type of work they will be doing, John envisions sticking mainly to multi-residential, as that is where their team has the most know-how and expertise. “That said, we would do, have done, and are doing more institutional work,” he clarifies. “In the future, I expect we will do more of that. But we are not going to chase work just because we decide that is the kind of work we would like to do. Just like our growth, it is going to be client driven. If we have a client that wants to do something a little different, we are going to be here to help them out.” Lastly, John says, the company’s goal is to maintain their flexibility and nimbleness. He says they have room to grow and want to grow, but never to the point where they compromise what makes them special: “I think growth is good, I think being a larger company is good and has some nascent benefits in terms of the style of work we can do, but we don’t want to become an organization that takes on too much of a corporate profile,” he concludes. “We do not want to create the bureaucracy that comes with being too large of an organization. That does not fit with the culture we want to promote internally. As principals, we want to stay accessible to all the people who work here and be accessible to our clients.” MAY 2024
For more on Kor Structural, their approach to structural engineering, their wide range of services, and examples of their past projects – and to get in touch with John and the rest of his expert team – visit http://www.korstructural.com/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Building with pride
C.F. Construction is a longstanding contracting company based out New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, known for providing a complete general contracting service. Over their more-than-30year history, they have developed a service offering including new home construction, home renovations and restorations, cabinet building, excavation and other site development services, and more. They have also developed several sister companies, including a truss manufacturer, a development company, a quarry, and an environmental services provider, making their offering even more complete. In all their activities, the team at C.F. Construction and their sister companies takes pride in the quality of their workmanship and the professionalism of their service. According to Mitchell Fraser, the second-generation leader of the company, that quality and professionalism has powered the company’s longevity, and will continue to power their growth moving forward. “Most of our work comes from repeat customers,” Mitch says. “That wouldn’t happen if we were doing shoddy work or if we weren’t treating our customers the right way. If we weren’t doing the right thing, those repeat customers wouldn’t keep calling. We have relationships with some customers that go back 30 years. We have customers, my dad dealt with when I was a kid and I’m still doing their work today, and that means a lot to me.” C.F. Construction was first founded by Mitch’s father, the eponymous Craig Fraser, roughly 36 years ago. He started out as a carpenter building houses, then after purchasing some equipment MAY 2024
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got into doing foundations and structural work. Over the years, he continued to diversify, and the company grew substantially as a result, at one point employing over 100 people. On several occasions, the company has restructured to accommodate that growth. In recent years, that’s meant splitting off into several different companies – including, as previously mentioned, a truss company (called Top Notch Trusses), a development company (which is developing subdivisions and condominiums in Pictou), a quarry (located in McLellans Brook), and an environmental services company (which is based in Broadway). These days, the C.F. Construction part of the business is run by Mitch. Under that banner, they work with a variety of clients and provides a wide range of contracting services – everything from new home building, to renovations and restorations, cabinet building, excavation, snow removal, other site development services, and – especially as of recently – heavy infrastructure work. To start with, as a new home builder, C.F. Construction strives to “bring clients’ dreams to life” with “best-in-class service and attention to detail.” They provide a turn-key solution for our home building clients, from lot clearing and driveway construction, all the way to custom built kitchen cabinets and other finished interior details. Their team also has decades of experience in renovating and restoring older homes and structures, and they draw on that experience to provide clients with solutions to the most challenging of projects. MAY 2024
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C.F. Construction also provides excavation and site services for private landowners and commercial clients alike, as well as servicing both municipal and provincial levels of government. With their wide variety of earthworks equipment and their experienced team of professional operators, they have the capability to do everything from new road construction, to site preparation for new commercial developments and shopping centers, to ditching and development for agricultural, municipal, and provincial clients. Currently, however, C.F. Construction is primarily focused on heavy infrastructure and largescale commercial and multi-residential projects. Recently, they had the opportunity to work with larger general contractors on the infrastructure site at the Nova Scotia Community College campus in Stellarton, as well as on the expansion of the deCoste Centre in Pictou. Currently, they are also working on a large condo development project in Pictou, which will comprise 72 units across 36 buildings. That project is being developed by their sister company, RC Fraser, and C.F. Construction will be responsible for all the infrastructure work. According to Mitch, clients with projects of that calibre are typically drawn to C.F. Construction by the depth of their in-house capability: “We can do a lot of stuff in-house – especially compared to our competitors, who would have to subcontract a lot of the scope out,” he explains. “We accomplish this with our own employees and our own gear. That helps us with the cost and it helps us keep a tight control over our quality.” Mitch also says that clients recognize the quality of service that C.F. Construction provides. He says they are known for being responsive to clients and for going the extra mile to meet their needs and make sure they are satisfied at the end of the project. He explains that their reputation is very important to the company, as they are in a small town where word gets around quickly: “We meet a lot of our clients in the grocery store,” he says. “We come face-to-face with them on a weekly basis. We want to be spoken well of in town. That drives our service and our performance. We have a reputation to uphold.” MAY 2024
Quality is the priority Currently, C.F. Construction’s direct team comprises about 30 people, most of them longstanding. According to Marlene Sheehan, office manager, some employees have been with the business for over a decade. One employee, Laurie Campbell, has even been there 30 years; he was basically there at the beginning with Craig and he’s still there today. Another key team member, Chris Stewart, has been with the company for seven years now – he’s an accomplished engineer and has played a key role in some of the company’s biggest projects with utility companies and major infrastructure projects for towns, municipalities and large general contractors. “Everyone here has quite a few years of experience,” Marlene says. “We have a lot of loyal guys who’ve been with the company a long time. They work well as a team facing today’s many challenges in the construction THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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industry. This is the CF Group we are proud to be a part of.” Mitch partly credits the employee loyalty to the fact that C.F. Construction strives to provide employment year-round, where a lot of construction companies shut down for the winter. Scott Weir, meanwhile, runs the company’s new truss manufacturing plant, which they just opened in July. That makes him a newer addition to the C.F. Construction team, but he’s been working in the local industry for a long time – and he’s known Craig for a long time, as they used to be neighbours – and he has long admired the company and their culture from afar. “I really liked Craig and I liked the company he created,” he says. “I liked the work they did, I liked the values they demonstrated, and I wanted to be a part of it. When the opportunity came about to be involved in this truss plant, I jumped on it.” Moving forward, the goal for C.F. Construction is to continue cultivating a culture that retains employees for decades, and that industry veterans like Scott want to be a part of. They also want to keep attracting new employees, as some of their more veteran team members are nearing retirement, and they want to bring in some younger team members to learn from them while they are still there. That doesn’t mean the company wants to grow much larger, however. According to Mitch, they have been bigger as a company in the past and THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
they’ve experienced the potential downsides of that: “The most important thing to us is we keep our quality,” Mitch says. “That’s our highest priority. We’ve found that the bigger you are, the better the chance that your quality starts to suffer. We only want to get bigger if we can keep our standards and quality high.” As for the type of work they want to be doing, Mitch reiterates that their vision is to do more infrastructure work and larger-scale commercial and industrial projects. As a company, they are still open to doing some new homes and renovations and restorations, but their goal is to do more projects along the lines of the condo project they are doing now with RC Fraser. Most importantly, however, the company wants to continue working with their long-term customers – whatever those customers need, they want C.F. Construction to be there for them. “We are very grateful to our supportive customers over the years,” Mitch concludes. “We wouldn’t be where we are today without them.” MAY 2024
For more on C.F. Construction and their full range of construction, renovation, excavation, and other site development services – and to get in touch with their expert team today – visit https://cfconstructionltd.com/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Responsible development
Alta Nota Custom Homes is a custom homebuilding company based in Tecumseh, Ontario. Since forming over 10 years ago, they have focused primarily on delivering high quality custom homes and renovations for individual clients. These days, they are moving more into the multi-unit construction space – as that’s where they see the most demand and need – but their goal is to deliver those multi-unit projects to the same standard of quality as their single-family homes. No matter the size or scope of the project, they always strive to provide the same level of professionalism, customer service, and attention to detail. “Any home building project, be it a small renovation, a custom dream home, or a multi-unit project requires having the right, professional team to execute the project right from its inception to the after-sale service,” says Agnes Buchcic, founder and owner of the company. “Responsibility, professionalism and customer service are what we’ve built our reputation on.” Alta Nota was first formed in 2011 by husbandand-wife team Mariusz and Agnes Buchcic. From the start, their goal was to build homes – initially single-family custom homes for clients, as the name of the company implies. They started small but very quickly achieved some success and renown, and as the years progressed so did their workload. In the last few years, they started purchasing some land in order to develop some multi-family properties. They still have some single-family lots they are willing to work with clients on, but they intend for the multi-family sector to be their focus moving forward. MAY 2024
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Already, the company has made strides in that sector. Last year, they completed their first multifamily project, and this year they started on their second. They also have land in their inventory suitable for bigger projects, some of which are already in the pipeline – for example, the company has one significant multi-family project in development called ‘Gateway Gardens.’ Gateway Gardens – located in east Windsor, at the corner of Lauzon Road and McHugh Street – will consist of 291 condo units spread across three six-to-seven storey buildings. The buildings will feature a mixture of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom suites. Mariusz and Agnes came across that land a couple years ago and “we jumped on the opportunity to get it,” Agnes recalls. “We loved the location. It’s like the name of the project says – it’s the ‘gateway’ to Windsor. It’s a little bit on the outskirts of the city, but still very close to the tunnel, to the bridge, and to the downtown area. It’s a great location for someone who doesn’t want to be right in the heart of the city, but wants to be close to the city.” The site is also close to the Tecumseh Mall, and even closer to the WFCU Centre. That proximity adds to the appeal, according to Agnes. “If someone has kids or wants to watch hockey games, the WFCU Centre is right there,” she says. “It’s within walking distance.” Alta Nota’s goal is to add density to neighbourhoods like that, but in planning and designing Gateway Gardens they also wanted to make sure the units THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
were large enough to be comfortable and that there would be room for common areas. “We wanted to take the residents into consideration as much as possible,” Agnes says. “We wanted to make sure the buildings would be appealing places to live.” The company also wanted the buildings to look good, Agnes adds. To achieve that aesthetic appeal, they worked with a designer they were already collaborating with successfully on another project. Together, they came up with a design that stood out while still being cost-effective. “You don’t want any two buildings to look the same but you also have to keep cost in mind,” Agnes explains. “Cost plays an important part in the design process – and the whole process altogether, of course. So we tried to come up with a design that was somewhat cost-efficient while still being aesthetically pleasing and slightly different than anything else on the market.” In the near future, Alta Nota is looking forward to executing that design and delivering it to their high standard of quality. It will be their biggest project to date, but they are confident they can do it because they have a great track record of quality and some great relationships with subcontractors and suppliers: “We have some very reliable trades. I would say 95 per cent of the trades we work with are trades that we’ve been working with for years. We use the same companies over and over. We don’t change trades year-to-year, we have the same steady guys. We’re loyal to them and they’re loyal to us.” MAY 2024
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“Maybe there are minor issues that happen onsite – everybody’s human, everybody makes mistakes – but our trades are always there to take care of it right away,” she adds. “They get it resolved instantly. That’s why we really like working with them, because we can trust them. I think that’s one of our competitive advantages – we have trades we can trust to do right by us and right by our clients.” Though they are very loyal to their trades, Agnes admits that sometimes they do need to bring on new partners. When that happens, she explains that they look for companies with longevity and professionalism: “We look for trades who have been in business for a while. We look for trades who don’t cut corners when they perform the work. And we look for trades who are easy to work with. Those are the kind of trades we stick with for a long time.” Moving forward, the vision for Alta Nota Custom Homes is to maintain their existing relationships with suppliers and subcontractors who tick those boxes, while also building new relationships as the company grows – and the company is definitely growing, Agnes says, as their shift to building multi-family means they are going to be building more residences than ever. “We’re going to still do a little bit of singlefamily custom home, but I think the majority of our business in the next few years will be developments like Gateway Gardens,” Agnes reiterates. “That means we need to grow. Most likely, we’re going to be a medium-sized company – I think that’s very manageable for us. At that size, I think we can help meet the needs of the market while maintaining the quality and professionalism we’re known for.” MAY 2024
For more on Alta Nota Custom Homes, their process, examples of past projects, and to hear from past clients – and to get in touch with Mariusz, Agnes, and their team – visit https://altanotacustomhomes.com/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Delivers Exceptional Service to Residential and Commercial Clients
Premier Property Solutions is an award-winning property management company based in Winnipeg. Backed by more than 10 years of experience and a premier reputation with clients and tenants, they offer exceptional services to both residential and commercial property owners. Nik Fast, the company’s founder and CEO, credits their success and longevity to their effective communicative. He explains that strong communication between a property management company and their clients is essential, as is strong communication between a property management company and tenants. That communication, however, is something that’s not always present in the industry – Nik says that’s part of what sets Premier Property Solutions apart. He also says that focus on communication has been there from the beginning: “So right from the get-go, we’ve invested in adequate staff,” he explains. “We’ve also invested in making sure that we have the technology in place. We’re evolving with our technology to allow us to communicate effectively and quickly with most stakeholders, the clients on one side and the tenants on the other.” He says that Premier Property Solutions has several important means of communicating with stakeholders. One that may seem simple, but that he considers especially important, is having a team member answer their office telephone and respond to calls. “We have an actual, living, breathing person who answers the phone during business hours. This seems like it’s a small thing, but that’s the feedback we get, ‘you answer the phone.’ We’re very much accessible to our clients.” “We’ve invested quite a bit in our property management software, and we are able to communicate on a number of levels through SMS messaging back and forth with tenants through our software. Tenants and clients also have their own online portal that they can log in,” Nik continues. “Clients can monitor in real-time work orders and maintenance requests that are going in and out for their properties. They can see charges or income that is posted to their ledgers in real-time by logging into our system,” MAY 2024
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Finding a Niche Nik started dabbling in real estate as a side hustle while pursuing a full-time teaching career. As his portfolio of properties began to grow, so did his need for someone to manage those properties. But as he researched just who that might be, he discovered that finding a property management company with a good reputation wasn’t an easy task. Realizing that the niche was out there for a reputable company, he decided to start his own business. He obtained the necessary credentials and Premier Property Solutions was incorporated in 2015. The company was registered with the Securities Commission in early 2016. At first, Nik kept teaching while running his property management company on the side. He would eventually decide to leave his 20-plus year teaching career and devote himself fulltime to Premier Property Solutions. MAY 2024
“I started up managing one house for someone in 2016. I was doing that on the side as I was still teaching at that time. Fast forward, I left teaching completely and I’m now a fulltime business owner and property manager managing roughly 1000 units,” he says. “Our bread and butter is the residential side although we do have commercial properties as well. It’s a 90/10 split between residential and commercial. Our commercial properties are smaller strip malls, stand-alone units, and retail, restaurants, and offices.” “We started doing a lot of single-family homes and some duplexes and that’s about one third of our portfolio that we manage on the residential side,” he says. “We also have smaller multi-family from three- to ten-unit wood frame constructions, a third is in that classification. The other third is larger blocks, and they range from 24 to 98 units.” Premier Property Solutions offers a range of services including tenant selection, marketing, maintenance, and rent collection. They also provide monthly reporting to property owners and have experience working with the RTB. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Relationships with Stakeholders According to Nik, Premier Property Solutions has relationships with that go back to their first year in business. That speaks to the company’s responsiveness and the quality of their service. “They don’t leave unless they’re selling the properties,” Nik says. Nik also says that the company’s relationships with subcontractors are very important. “Without good relationships with contractors, we couldn’t do what we do. We have an inhouse maintenance team that does the small projects, but when it comes to HVAC or electrical we subcontract that out.” “We have some longstanding relationships with subcontractors that go back almost to the beginning, and some have been added as we grow.” As far as the company’s relationship with tenants, Nik says that being accessible and MAY 2024
having clear communication are vital. “Sometimes tenants just want to be heard,” he says. “My background is teaching and working with students and parents is not a directly related field, but some of those soft skills have transferred to the way we deal with tenant situations,” he points out. “We always remind our owners that our tenants are a very important part of their investment. If you don’t have tenants, this investment doesn’t work. We want to make sure that our tenants are satisfied and happy and are willing to stay the duration of their lease time and that rent increases are something that they can understand.” “When it comes to tenants that have issues about being able to pay their rent we like to work with them and set up agreements or payment plans and have them stick to it or educate them about some of rent assist programs that are out there if they qualify for them.” Premier Properties inhouse team includes nine employees. Nik says they have a hybrid setup where there are always two to three people physically working in the office on a given day with the remainder working from home on a rotating basis. He says his employees exhibit strong teamwork. “Everyone knows their responsibility very well work together.” THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Vision for the Future Looking ahead to what’s in store for Premier Property Solutions Nik says, “We want to grow. We want to get into more of the larger multi-family, new construction, managing those sorts of properties. We’ve been able to team up with a couple developers in this past year that have allowed us to grow but have also given us new challenges.” They’ve already jumped into one such project, a new, 82unit property that they’re taking from zero to full-occupancy and then handling the subsequent management. “This year we’re looking at doing that three times with buildings all about the same size, 80-100 units. Our aim is to work with those types of investors to help us scale and grow quickly. But also, we like our brand. Having our brand succeed with those types of developments is also strategic for me. It puts us on the map. It takes us from a small up-and-coming company to somebody who’s a larger, legitimate company that bigger investors are taking seriously. That’s where we want to go.” MAY 2024
For more on Premier Property Solutions, their approach, their range of services, and their current properties – and to get in touch with Nik and his expert team – visit https://premierpropertysolutions.ca/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
Meaningful connections
Cushman & Wakefield | Stevenson is a full-service provider of commercial real estate solutions located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their service offering is diverse, just like the changing needs of their clients, and include: commercial sales and leasing; valuation and advisory services; property management; and more. Their comprehensive range of services is fully adaptable to align with the specific real estate needs of their clients, and all their services are provided with the goal of transforming the real estate industry and redefining the client experience. “We understand that real estate management is more than just a business – it’s about creating vibrant and thriving spaces where people can live, work, and grow,” says Nina Ladouceur, Manager, Multi Family Management for CW Stevenson. “We want to make sure our clients know they can count on us for trusted knowledge, guidance and support to help them make important decisions,” she adds. “We build long-term and meaningful connections and together with our clients, want to create a lasting legacy in communities.” Though locally owned-and-operated, CW Stevenson is also a part of Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate services firm with over 400 offices in approximately 60 countries. That means CW Stevenson can provide local expertise while also having global reach. This combination has helped CW Stevenson evolve into one of the leading commercial real estate partners for clients in Winnipeg and Manitoba. According to Nina, who has been with CW Stevenson for over 10 years, the evolution of the company has been significant over the past MAY 2024
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decade. This was especially evident in the past few years, where the company has seen extensive growth in service offerings while also working to create excellence. CW Stevenson currently manages approximately 4,500 multifamily units (condominium and apartment), and five million square feet of commercial space. Nina believes what sets them apart are the relationships they build with clients, contractors, and colleagues. “In today’s interconnected business landscape, I think partnerships and relationships are what set a company apart,” Nina explains. “We have an extremely collaborative team as well as an inclusive environment which adds more value to those positive relationships.” CW Stevenson is not just a property management company. According to Nina, “We deliver a real estate solution that caters to each client’s specific requirements,” she says. “We become their real estate partner. They come to count on us for trusted knowledge, guidance, and support to help them make important decisions.” For example, CW Stevenson works closely with a number of local developers, not only managing their properties once they are up-and-running, but also helping them get up-and-running in the first place. Nina and the CW Stevenson team are partners from the conceptual phase and find positive benefits in providing their partners with guidance and support during pre-construction, pre-leasing and the occupancy phase to generate revenue faster and more efficiently. They provide those partners with advice and guidance during the pre-construction and construction phases of their project, and they offer their expertise in sales and leasing to accelerate lease-up campaigns. MAY 2024
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“By getting involved early, we can have a really positive effect on the overall operations of a newly-constructed building,” Nina explains. As a recent example of a project where they had that effect, Nina cites Osborne Terraces, a six-storey apartment building in the heart of Osborne Village with commercial space on the main floor and 90 apartment suites scheduled to open August 1st. CW Stevenson is working with Sharfe Developments, partnering on property preparation, pre-leasing, data analysis, and management once the building opens. The project has been a true collaborative effort for CW Stevenson, combining their Property Management, Marketing, Business Solutions, and Brokerage services in order to prepare for the lease-up of both the residential suites and commercial units. The team at CW Stevenson is extremely excited to take occupancy on this property, which features bachelor, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites and includes unique amenities such as spacious outdoor terraces and balconies, vaulted ceilings, and oversized windows. The property also includes heated underground parking, secure bike storage, a car co-op, Snaile parcel delivery system, and more. This new development aims to change the neighbourhood for the better and bring fresh energy to Osborne Village. Another project proudly managed by CW Stevenson is 300 Main Apartments, which is the tallest building in Winnipeg. On that project, they worked closely with Artis REIT, providing professional leasing and property management services for the building. They are particularly proud of their efforts, as “it’s such an iconic building that is helping revitalize Winnipeg’s downtown and we’ve been honoured to be a part of creating history,” Nina says. “The property is stunning and is truly one of a kind,” she explains. “It’s incredibly luxurious and has unique amenities. FORTY, the 40th floor amenity space, and tallest point in the city, includes an elegant dining room and fully equipped kitchen, modern games room, along with working spaces and reading nooks.” MAY 2024
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Staying innovative Over the years, CW Stevenson has invested in new technologies in order to create exceptional experiences for both their clients and team members. Nina advises that in recent years, technology has been evolving at a rapid pace, and CW Stevenson has invested a lot of time and effort into ensuring innovation is at its best. Through strategic initiatives and improvements, CW Stevenson recently started utilizing Yardi – an end-to-end residential property management software that combines accounting and property management data in a single, centralized system – as well as RentCafe – a tool that features a resident portal allowing tenants to seamlessly pay their rent online with flexible options, and effortlessly submit maintenance requests to the correct point of contact. The system also has a listing service that drives traffic and a tool where property managers We are a Proud Partner of Cushman & Wakefield | Stevenson Aon clients are better informed, better advised and able to make better decisions. aon.com Commerical Maintenance & Service Solutions. MAY 2024
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can list apartments for rent, and prospective renters can view detailed property information as well as contact the property and apply online. “Implementing effective tools has really helped both our leasing workflow as well as day-to-day operational items become more consistent,” Nina explains. “Those tools have also increased the effectiveness of our communication with our staff on-site – including residents and team members.” CW Stevenson is always exploring new ways to enhance technology. With the introduction of their Business Solutions Team earlier this year, upcoming innovations are also under way including AI, and tools for areas such as rent optimization and predictive maintenance. “It will be interesting to see how the industry continues to evolve as a whole,” Nina says. “We certainly intend to stay at the forefront of that evolution.” Moving forward, CW Stevenson is excited to continue building positive relationships and playing a key role in their community. “So far, we have been very successful in achieving our goals,” says Nina, “and we are looking forward to continuing to redefine the industry and client experience.” MAY 2024
For more on Cushman & Wakefield | Stevenson, and to get in touch with their experienced team of industry experts – visit https://cwstevenson.ca/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
An Introduction to Housing for Today and Tomorrow S.A.M. (Management) Inc Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, S.A.M. (Management) Inc. is committed to implementing new, forward-thinking strategies and changing the dynamic of affordable rent options across the province.
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Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, S.A.M. (Management) Inc. is a non-profit organization managing housing for single persons, families, and senior citizens. Their founding vision is to provide quality housing that’s affordable and safe, and to manage in a way that ensures tenants have the opportunity to enjoy their homes and develop a strong sense of community. In order to achieve that vision, they provide a full spectrum of management services, including asset management, applications monitoring, fiscal management, building maintenance, secretarial services, and capital project administration. For over 50 years, S.A.M. (Management) Inc. has grown to manage over 1,200 affordable housing and non-profit residential units. Their diverse portfolio consists of a unique combination of direct managed properties, management of properties for third-party developments, and non-profit life lease property management. In recent years, they have done some rethinking and restructuring of their organization - moving forward they intend to develop more of their own properties. Helping lead that charge is January Melillo, Director of Housing and Properties, who joined the organization in 2021. Prior to joining S.A.M. (Management) Inc., January was employed in various roles with the Manitoba Housing Authority for nearly twelve years. In those roles, she gained a wealth of knowledge and experience in all aspects of building development, maintenance, and management. At S.A.M. (Management) Inc., she saw an opportunity to implement some new ideas, and felt driven to lead the kind of positive impact she wanted to see. MAY 2024
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In her time at S.A.M. (Management) Inc., January has seen the organization change and evolve considerably - particularly in terms of their strategy. They have shifted focus and intend to help more people find and secure long-term, quality housing. This means taking a more active role in property development than they had in the past. In conjunction with one of their partners, S.A.M (Properties) Holdings Inc., construction is set to begin on a mixed market and affordable multi-unit building on Beaumont Street that will comprise over 130 residential units with both commercial and provincial daycare spaces. Moving forward, they are working on development of more projects with a similar size and scope. The plan is to build more mixed-use projects, with commercial space on the ground floor and residential units above. When completed in its entirety, the project will add approximately 433 much needed residential units to Winnipeg’s housing market. S.A.M. (Management) Inc. is dedicated to fulfilling the needs of the communities they are developing in, putting significant efforts into the research and planning phases of their projects. They’re focused on what is currently happening in the community and what improvements could bring the biggest positive impact. They want to ensure the project is done right – and they’re not just listening to the opinion of developers of similar projects. Holding community and stakeholder meetings, actively pursuing solicitation of community feedback, and implementing their own knowledge of property operations has been a big part of the planning phase. MAY 2024
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