The Homestar Group of companies, based in southern New Brunswick in the town of Quispamsis, and founded in 2002 by owner and CEO Mark Hatfield, is a full-service construction company offering residential, commercial, and government construction services, as well as historic property restoration services.
For several consecutive years, Homestar has received numerous awards including the “Best New Home Build” award from the CHBA (Canadian Home Builders Association) of New Brunswick for its custom-built homes based on quality, design, and uniqueness. This past March, the company received yet another award from the association as “New Brunswick’s Renovator of the Year,” at the annual gala held in Fredericton.
Homestar also received the “Commitment to Craft” heritage award in 2024 from the Saint John Heritage Board for the restoration work it did on The Chapman Group building, a three-story brick structure dating to the late 1800s.
“Bricks were falling off it, and it was considered to be a danger,” Hatfield explains. “We shut down Germain Street, barricaded the area, set up staging, and began work on the section where the bricks had fallen out after all safety precautions had been taken. Thankfully we got there when we did as overnight, more bricks fell out from the third story. This was in January and frost had gotten in behind the bricks, so we had to get up there and take the rest of the bricks down so no more could fall in the street, pin the wall with special ties, and board it up for the winter,” he tells us.
“In spring 2024, we removed the plywood and rebuilt the wall according to the heritage specs, using older style bricks and a process calling slaking the lime—putting in part water, part lime, sand, and white Portland, waiting 48 hours before using. We followed the procedure to a ‘T’ to put it back together, and installed heritage-approved windows that were rounded at the top, just like the originals. Feedback from the community and customer was that the project turned out amazing in response time, safety procedures and visual outcome/craft of the project.
How it all happened
We first spoke with Mark Hatfield in 2023 when he told us how the roots of his successful business go back to the ’90s when, as a high school student in Quispamsis, he began his entrepreneurial adventure, mowing laws and assisting homeowners with other yard work. This morphed into a business he named University Venture, which employed other students and allowed him to graduate debt-free from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2001.
After selling this first business in October of 2000, Hatfield considered a career in the corporate world, but his entrepreneurial experience drew him back home where he founded Homestar Inc. in August 2002, a custom home construction company serving the Greater Saint John area, which includes the City of Saint John and municipalities in the Kennebecasis Valley.
The company now offers construction services throughout the province of New Brunswick and parts of Nova Scotia. While there are no plans currently to expand further into Nova Scotia or PEI, Hatfield says this could happen in the “next three to five years.”
How Homestar Inc. became Homestar Group
Two years ago, when we spoke with Hatfield, he told us he had been slowly and patiently growing the company, surrounding himself with good people, and reinvesting profits to offer more services and remain competitive, with the goal of becoming a one-stop shop in the construction industry.
At the time, Homestar had become the authorized dealer for Castle Building Supplies; recently acquired Huff n’ Puff, a spray foam and blown insulation company; launched Allstar Heating & Cooling; and coupled with Property star, which formed in 2005, a holding company that manages over 50 properties. Hatfield was also set to incorporate a newly formed company, Maverick Electrical, into the Homestar Group by the end of 2023.
“We now have our own in-house electrical company that does both commercial and residential electrical work,” Hatfield says. “Originally, we had electricians working for Homestar, but after they gained experience working for us, they went off on their own, so I partnered with our electrician, Jon McVicar, to form Maverick Electrical and we now have 10 employees, both fully qualified electricians and apprentices,” he explains. “We do anything electrical—commercial or residential!”
In 2024, Homestar Group joined forces with Mackenzie & Wilkin’s Plumbing, a well-established company serving the Saint John area. “Together with two partners, we’ve grown the team from six to 16 skilled professionals in just over a year,” says Hatfield, “with the vision of a one-stop shop, providing our customers with the same high-quality service they’ve come to expect from us as builders now expanded to include every aspect of construction—residential and commercial—from electrical and plumbing to heating and ventilation.”
Next up, Star Safety
Hatfield launched a new venture in January 2025, Star Safety. A strong culture of safety has been a core value at Homestar Inc. from the beginning, supported by a robust in-house safety program.
Still in its early stages, Star Safety is led by Ryan MacMorrough and is designed to deliver safety training not only for Homestar employees but also for companies that may not have the resources to employ a full-time safety officer.
MacMorrough has developed a comprehensive suite of safety training programs with the guidance of WorkSafeNB designed to support small to medium-sized businesses—especially those without dedicated in-house safety teams. These programs cover essential areas such as personal protective equipment (PPE), equipment operation, and the development of customized workplace safety plans.
“Our mission is to build a culture of safety where everyone goes home at the end of the day,” says Hatfield. “We don’t just provide training—we help businesses establish and manage ongoing safety systems tailored to their needs.”
By offering hands-on support and practical training, MacMorrough empowers employers and employees alike to take ownership of workplace safety and stay compliant with evolving standards.
Happening now
The 140 employees at Homestar Group have more than enough work to keep them busy according to Hatfield, who shares that the company is just wrapping up one of its largest commercial expansion projects to date in Rothesay, has recently acquired Department of National Defence contracts from the federal government throughout the province, and is in the process of getting final approval from the Town of Rothesay for a 43-unit multi-family residence that will contain 12 affordable units.
“We are working with the government and CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) and hoping to break ground in September,” he says.
Meanwhile, Homestar, in conjunction with Property Star, is about to embark on its biggest project yet, a 40-plus-acre commercial development which will likely take between five to eight years to complete. “There is a need for a commercial development like this in the Quispamsis, Rothesay, Hampton, and Sussex area, with commercial establishments, hotels, restaurants, and shopping centres, but there are not many large parcels of flat land that are available for development, so finding this was a real win for us,” says Hatfield. “With the support of the Town and Council of Quispamsis, we are thrilled to be able to bring something like this to life for the surrounding community.”
The land, which has access from a provincial highway (NB Route 119), has been approved for rezoning, with water and sewer permits received. Hatfield is currently working with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure to finalize entry and exit points, and once that has been done, landscaping and development can begin within the next 12 months.
Looking to the future
No matter how much the company grows, Hatfield emphasizes the importance of staying connected to the local community by offering meaningful employment with competitive wages and benefits.
As part of its dedication to giving back, the company participates in annual charitable initiatives, community fundraisers, and supports public spaces for families and pets. These efforts reflect a broader commitment to being a responsible and engaged community partner.
Looking ahead, Hatfield states, “We are committed to maintaining the high standards our clients have come to expect. We’ll continue investing in our people and processes to grow, improve, and keep making things happen for years to come.”
