Consumer technology companies have been making products for home automation for quite some time, no doubt a smart move to carve a place within an industry that is currently valued at around $200 billion. Major brand names are now literal household names thanks to home assistant products like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri devices, as well as through complete home automation packages like Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, or the Apple HomeKit. What these packages offer is something that is highly sought after in the smart home space, which is a unified ecosystem of control. This means that every aspect and device within a smart home setup works together to create the ideal experience for a customer, which echoes how IoT is understood with today’s technology.

A unified ecosystem in home automation usually either refers to or includes the concept of interoperability, which is the ability of sensors in each aspect of home technology to communicate with each other in a manner that supersedes market competition. In an article for Internet of Things magazine, authors Dario Russo, Vittorio Miori, Gabriele Tolomei, and Dimitri Belli say that the goal of interoperability is “to implement solutions that allow users to introduce any HA device without worrying that it is incompatible with the current system.” This makes it so that each device can work seamlessly, even if the setup includes piecemeal solutions from different companies.

This level of device interoperability is made possible by efforts like the Matter Protocol, a universal open-source smart home standard that many large companies in the home automation space have agreed to adhere to. This agreement, developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), assures communication between different brands of devices to operate, functionally, as one. The Matter Protocol is being consistently updated and has recently moved to version 1.6; previous versions, like 1.4, allowed for these ecosystems to automate device access sharing with just a single user consent. Its near-universal adoption by big tech suggests that these companies understand how lucrative the market is and how valuable interoperability is for customers (and to their bottom lines).

Within these home automation systems, there are various aspects that technology companies are emphasizing to appeal to modern consumers. One such aspect is energy management, wherein smart devices are used for both energy conservation and user comfort, from smart thermostats that automatically adjust a house’s temperature based on various factors, to smart lighting that can set schedules for home light usage with an emphasis on greener energy decisions. One of the top trends in smart home LED technology, according to American Bright LED, is tunable, full-spectrum bulbs and fixtures that can automatically adjust colour temperature and brightness. These LED items integrate seamlessly with home automation systems and can therefore modify interior or exterior lights to a customer’s desire, even to the point of matching sleep patterns or working to enhance productivity.

One of the more popular home automation systems has to do with another growing consumer value: security. This can be seen widely across social media with the increased usage of consumer-grade home and porch cameras like the popular Ring Camera. Such products offer considerable variations on their base models to fit customers’ energy and internet preferences, from wired or wireless cameras to solar-powered models. These cameras can be used in concert with other smart security devices like automated door locks to provide a greater sense of comfort for homeowners whether at home or away.

Another trend in home automation is device management going local; that is, storage and memory moving from the cloud to localized apps within the home. In a piece for BGR, Jason Schneider says that open-source technologies like Home Assistant are growing in popularity thanks to this localized control, wherein “you can pull all the devices you may already own together into one interface.” Further features in the HA app also allow for greater interoperability than cloud-based home automation. Having a private, local connection for smart home devices also avoids potential cash sinks like subscription services and can be a way to bolster cyber-security among various connected devices.

Beyond brand names and singular items, much is evolving underneath the hood of home automation technology. For instance, this technology is often reliant on built-in sensors that can sense the presence of a person in or out of doors and account for their whereabouts; however, while sensor technology has often been good at detecting solitary and still objects, it has not necessarily been adept at dealing with a body in motion. A newer development in the space has been the rise of mmWave, radar-based sensors that are better suited to tracking movement. These mmWave sensors send out electromagnetic radio waves between 30 and 300 GHz, which allows for the tracking of tiny changes in movement and, as such, finer-point switches in a device’s smart features. This kind of technology needs to continue evolving and improving to meet and lead industry standards.

Of course, something else powering smart home technology in recent years is AI (artificial intelligence). It is these AI systems that are programmed to undergo machine learning, which is a kind of pattern recognition that enables the AI to make predictive changes based on user data. This also allows technology to not only detect changes but to make changes in an environment and even, over time, anticipate user needs. AI can be used to anticipate the changing of air quality in a house and filter in more breathable air, or to bolster detection software to differentiate friend from foe. As smart home manufacturers continue to offer more robust and diverse products, it is often a form of AI that is powering the home’s internal systems and delivering the customizable package that so many consumers want out of their smart home ecosystem today.

The possibilities for home automation technology seem almost limitless right now and more continue to be developed as hardware and software capabilities keep improving. A blog post for manufacturer Jabil says that, in the future, home-based smart appliances will be able to perform hyper-specific functions based on user need and desire, like smart ovens that cook food to the exact right temperatures or smart fridges that suggest recipes. “All these developments are teasing us from just around the corner. We just have a few more things to figure out before then.”

In a market that is valued highly and seemingly poised to expand ever further, homeowners looking to step up their at-home technological capabilities will continue to have no shortage of options to make life easier and streamline daily activities.

The post High-Tech Homes<p class="company">Smart Technologies for Home Automation</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Natare Pools boasts a more complex history than one might assume at first blush. The business began in the 1960s in Indianapolis, Indiana, launched by its Founder, Owner, and long-time President, Mike Walsh, a young swim coach at the time. With a young family, and looking to improve his fortunes, Walsh identified a gap in the swimming market when it came to obtaining important equipment like swim caps, buoys, and competition products. He then decided to open Mike’s Swim & Gym as an equipment distributor and spent the next two decades steadily building it.

It was in the 1980s that Walsh saw an opportunity for his company to become a manufacturer as well as a distributor, which allowed it to grow even further, morphing into Recreonics, a one-stop shop pool equipment supplier that became known across the United States. A decade following this, the company changed its name once more to its current identity: Natare Pools. The change was also internal, as Natare became solely about manufacturing after Walsh split with his business partner; as a result, the partner kept the Recreonics name and still operates that business from Louisville, Kentucky.

Growth continued, and another big change to the Natare identity took place. The business was purchased from Walsh in 2022 by his workforce, making it an employee-owned company, something that came about to reward the employees’ hard work and ensure that its people were being taken care of.

Current President and Chief Executive Officer, Troy Yoder, says everyone in the company shares in the benefits now, including annual profit sharing; becoming employee-owned has further improved performance in an already-motivated workforce. Yoder says that internal operations are handled the Natare way, which boils down to doing a job the right way without making excuses and going the extra mile to make the customer happy.

The Natare workforce also offers design services and consulting for any pool-related project. When it comes to consultation, Sales Manager, Joshua Albertson, notes that these services are something that the company engages in with its clients every day. Everyone at Natare is ready to answer any question or follow up on any interest when it comes to what a customer wants to accomplish.

The current team is what makes the company work so well today, says Albertson, describing the outstanding group of people who are more than just colleagues or co-workers, but more like friends and family, making this a great place to be. He says that the average tenure among the roughly 55 Natare employees is 13 and a half years, an impressive statistic.

Yoder adds that the company has had great luck, especially this decade, in finding good people who are willing to do what it takes to get a project done the Natare way. He believes the company has a strong team of young workers who are eager to travel the country in pursuit of the next project, which translates into wins for the company, the customer, and those employee-owners themselves.

In addition to the combined strength and intellect of the many people that have worked—and still work—here, founder Mike Walsh’s blood, sweat, and tears went into making the company what it is today, Yoder says. This effort was made without selling to outside interests, although Natare still gets those inquiries daily.

According to Albertson, becoming an employee-owned business has helped everyone understand that the happier the customer is, the better the chance Natare will have of working with them again. “As owners, we depend on the next project,” he says. “We are all the boss.”

To be sure, the last four years of employee ownership weren’t always smooth sailing. Early in the new phase of the company’s story, Yoder says that the challenge was getting Natare’s people to buy into the idea instead of simply leaving things up to a leader figure. Since then, it has been a continually positive experience for Yoder and everyone to see the company’s progress as well as the workers’ excitement. Even clients comment on how the care, detail, and precision of the workforce has improved from its already-high standard.

Beyond its continuing internal evolution, the main way the company has grown in the past decade is through the volume of work it is taking on. “We have the infrastructure in place to handle a lot of varied projects at one time,” Albertson says, something that could not have been said even as recently as five or six years ago but is possible now that the company has the right people in place. As these projects are not all in the same phase of development at the same time, Natare has the capacity to work through each one, whether a project is in the production, fabrication, or installation stage.

Indeed, Natare Pools has a busy docket at this time. The number of projects on the go, as well as their complexity of scope and vision, is interesting, Albertson says. As the world is ever-changing—and events halfway around the world still affect local operations—there is a strong degree of anticipation over these growing opportunities, and there will always be something to work on for the long-lived business. Yoder says that the swimming pool industry is moving, and the number of opportunities is not slowing down.

Along the way, Natare Pools has built not only its skill set but considerable recognition from both its industry and the local communities that benefit from its projects. The company has even netted a few awards for its consistent effort and attentive work ethic.

Looking ahead to the latter half of the decade, Natare Pools sees no need to reinvent itself—only to continue building on the foundation that has carried the company for more than six decades. That means refining its products and processes, embracing opportunities as they arise, and continually finding ways to make a strong operation even better. As Albertson puts it, “If things can get even one percent better, then everyone benefits in the end.”

That philosophy reflects much of what has defined Natare throughout its evolution: a willingness to adapt without losing sight of what matters most. From its beginnings as a small distributor to its emergence as a leading manufacturer of complete aquatic systems, the company has grown by recognizing opportunities, investing in its capabilities, and putting people at the center of its success.

Yoder half-jokingly says that the goal moving forward will be to keep heads above water. Behind the humor is a straightforward commitment: manage every lead and project as effectively as possible, continue delivering products and services to the highest standard, and remain responsive to the customers and communities that have helped shape the company’s journey. For Natare Pools, staying true to the Natare way is about continuing to move forward together, one project at a time.

The post Serving Industry the Natare Way<p class="company">Natare Pools</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

The advent of new technology across countless industries, especially in the way of AI (artificial intelligence), means that there are new advancements every year in practically every market niche, even when it comes to creating a backyard and/or patio space. As usual, the aim for a lot of homeowners is an outdoor space that provides maximum comfort and security, and manufacturers in the construction space are rising to meet that desire. According to an article for HBSDealer by Joe Raboine, “Experts predict that the outdoor living market will hit $3.66 billion by 2033.”

Lee Rivett for Retail Insider says that retailers across Canada, for instance, are beginning to move into displaying outdoor living supplies and ornamentation much earlier than usual in 2026, which could be an indicator that it will be an important market segment this year.

It will likely not be surprising for many to see more AI-infused technology become part of the typical backyard experience. In an article for Residential Tech Today, Rob Stott says that automation is already here for many areas of outdoor living and luxury. For example, motorized screens and outdoor shade structures like pergolas allow homeowners to relax in the shade to their desired intensity and coverage. Stott says that these systems can also be helpful in transitional zones like covered patios and screened porches to improve sun protection, wind and rain management, and even bug repelling. Lighting can also be controlled via LED strips on dimmer switches and customizable lighting schemes.

Outdoor automation can also be valuable for additional weather protection, as with sensors that measure important outdoor elements like humidity. “This level of automation is particularly beneficial for second homes or vacation properties,” says Stott, when owners may not be present to ensure an optimal environment. Now, homeowners invested in digital and AI platforms through Amazon Alexa and other like platforms can control lighting, home security, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems, and now the patio environment overall in one place.

An article for Realty Times says that automation in backyard technology continues to shape what the modern patio looks like. Products like the Pergola X by StruXure, a Georgia-based builder, allow for automatic control over the elements with innovations like sensors that automatically close the pergola roof when it’s raining or detect movement to synchronize with homeowner lighting. Even heating elements like fire pits can be remotely controlled and adjusted via mobile apps or even voice-controlled AI assistants.

StruXure is joined by others in the space aiming to make an impact in outdoor living, with outdoor furniture companies like Yotrio Corporation, Brown Jordan, Agio International, and more all focusing their efforts on the values of innovation, sustainability, and aesthetic appeal within the sector.

Another trend behind backyard and patio spaces is the desire of homeowners to create a space that supports physical and mental well-being. This endeavour can take many forms, like an outdoor space designed to enhance nearby natural elements like plants and trees. It can even mean simply making room for elements that look to bring a homeowner further comfort, from a simple yoga mat for daily practice to a barrel sauna or cold plunge for more intensive practices. Lee Rivett says that, when it comes to selling products associated with outdoor living, “Retailers are selling an aspirational lifestyle centred on entertaining, relaxation, and home investment.”

The patio/backyard space as one for positive effects on health has to do with its sensory qualities as much as any one piece of technology. Outdoor living experts often suggest promoting a quiet, peaceful spot through the plants and greenery you may choose to add, the natural light you let in, and the use of both the local environment and helpful tools like barriers or vertical wall gardens to keep noise at bay. Adequate space is also encouraged.

Comfort and ease of use are not the only concerns for modern homeowners, as many want to embrace the use of more ecologically friendly building materials so as to lessen a new project’s carbon footprint. Joe Raboine’s article says that alternative materials for fencing and decking became a much bigger talking point in 2025, including vinyl and aluminum options. Materials like these can be used to create spaces that are more resistant to weather elements like snow and rain as well as heat and insects.

The use of alternative materials to create a wood-like exterior in the backyard/outdoor space is called composite decking, a product now offered by hardware store chains. This practice allows for various aesthetic specifications to be made without sacrificing durability against typical North American weather or the wear-and-tear that traditional materials experience over time. Modular deck systems, ones that can be customized easily and installed affordably, are also a rising trend in the backyard industry. Raboine says that hardscape (i.e. pavement) manufacturers are bringing more modularity into their product designs because of its increasing popularity and the desire for customers to create a patio that is truly their vision.

Nothing is above rethinking in the backyard, to the point that even grass lawns are beginning to fall out of favour. The eco-friendly lens sees lawns as a more maintenance-intensive backyard option that has a less favourable environmental footprint, especially when compared to alternatives like low ground covers or turfs. Alternatives like these, such as certain clovers, echo the appearance of grass but require far less upkeep, with many types of cover calling for less watering or mowing than traditional grass. In some areas of the world, the methods of lawn upkeep (watering, sodding, mowing) are placing excessive strain on valuable water and electricity resources, so the move into environmentally friendly takes on the classic is a trend likely to accelerate with time.

No matter the reason for a new backyard or patio project, there are all-new considerations for both would-be and experienced builders as a new season approaches. Whether incorporating automation and new tech into the space, building more consciously, or simply looking to make a house feel like home, there are so many new and exciting ways to improve your outdoor experience and make something that may have only been imagined until now.

The post Patio Season<p class="company">How Technology Is Enhancing the Backyards of Today</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Now serving the Greater San Francisco Bay Area from its base in Fremont, the company has long since expanded its operations as an electrical contractor to include voice and data services to serve its varied clients across the construction industry, and its reputation is solid within its home state.

Four decades is a considerable amount of time to be active as a business, and President and General Manager Raul Real has been with RK Electric for nearly its entire lifespan. Raul, having started with the company just a year after its founding, rose through the ranks in a number of positions before carrying the company mantle forward after the retirement of its founder around 2001.

Having fulfilled various positions within the company for 39 years now, Raul says that the secret to success is not necessarily unique but rather tried, tested, and true. “The design-build capabilities we have are how we thrive,” he says.

He says that RK concentrates on what it provides to the construction industry, which is primarily service and construction for electrical systems and for structured cabling. A big part of that focus, especially on the electrical side, has to do with preventative maintenance. Thanks to its in-house engineering department, the company invests in this aspect heavily, preventing unscheduled outages that its clients cannot afford to have happen.

Preventative maintenance begins with ensuring that a client’s blueprints are accurate, followed by infrared testing and preventative maintenance work, which includes visually assessing panels and testing electrical breakers. Further breaker coordination and arc flash studies by RK engineers involve promoting safety for personnel working in the structure and the prevention of outages by coordinating breakers according to their specific size and specifications.

However, preventative maintenance is only as effective as its users allow it to be. Unfortunately, in the past, some clients have neglected to do the preventative maintenance work directed by RK, Raul says. As a result, these clients are put at risk of a large outage that can take down their operations for a long time.

Raul believes that clients who postpone these preventative measures can be short-sighted, a flaw that can prevent them from doing their research and development work normally. However, no matter what the situation, RK Electric is always ready to help bring its clients up to speed and ensure the integrity of their operations.

In his time with RK Electric, Raul has experienced all of the historic ebbs and flows of the technology world in and around Silicon Valley, ranging from the boom and bust of the dotcom era in the 1990s to the recent growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers today. The cross-industry focus on AI is significant, with many pilot lines—production lines meant to produce small amounts of a new technology on the way to larger commercialization—being installed in California for placing and testing servers.

“We see AI features in every company, and it’s amazing,” Raul says—and this widespread adoption does not seem to be stopping any time soon. This sector-wide AI focus has led to something of a boom period for RK Electric’s niche within the industry. Raul notes that although there was a brief period of sluggishness in the market around 2024, it has since been on a constant ascension and is still moving forward, with RK itself experiencing steady growth alongside it. There will certainly be no shortage of work as more AI pilot lines are built and the construction industry gets a handle on just what AI can do for it.

The RK Electric team continues to keep busy amidst this rise, having a number of future projects in the pipeline. Raul tells us that the company’s revenue this year is expected to meet its projected budget; it is now just a matter of keeping up with client demand while ensuring the company has a solid foundation and can continue to support its customers amidst this fast pace. Current market and project speed resemble that previously seen in eras like the dotcom boom, which was another period of marked success for the company. RK expects to be able to support quite a few of today’s burgeoning and top technology companies when it comes to structured cabling and electrical services in the near future and, hopefully, for a long time to come.

Following its celebration of 40 years of business, Raul believes that he and the company overall have learned quite a few lessons over the years. “You have to know what you’re good at… and stay in your lane” to succeed, he says. The RK team knows the things at which it excels in its sector, and that is where its focus will remain.

Along with its considerable suite of offerings, the company promotes itself as a flexible company that can change direction and move forward very quickly because of its in-house engineering capabilities. Even on fast-tracked projects where similar companies can often fail to meet expectations, RK can design ahead of time or even engage in real-time design with information flow directly from the end user. The experience and ability to pivot to meet a client’s needs at a moment’s notice is a key attribute that keeps RK’s client base coming back.

Of course, it is about more than just the bottom line and being nimble for RK Electric. Raul says that the company’s philosophy has always been to put forth a team effort, with no one person being more important than any other. “The company succeeds when everyone acts as a team,” he says, because it gives confidence to the business and, in turn, to customers when they see the team moving in one direction.

This kind of unity can be difficult to achieve, but here, it has been baked into daily operations from the very beginning. The present state of construction is allowing for some incredible, exciting opportunities, and the RK Electric team is united in its commitment to swift, client-centered, and effective electrical solutions.

The post 40 Years of Electrical Solutions<p class="company">RK Electric</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

David Huggins, head of National Pre-Construction Business Development, initially worked with the company as a consultant. In 2020, he transitioned from an entrepreneurial consulting role to fully joining Menard, seeing it through the current decade. He describes Menard’s role on a given construction project as one that “has everything to do with the soil.”

No matter the type of stakeholder—developer, geotechnical or structural engineer, or general contractor—when one is trying to purchase or build on a site with a challenging soil situation, Menard is called on to look into the difficulties the soils present and the capacities needed for it to support a structure, using design-build solutions as part of its detailed approach to ground improvement. The formula is essentially such that, if a structure is under 20 storeys and has deep compressible soils from two metres and deeper, Menard can deliver strong value.

This decade, so far, has seen Menard Canada capitalize on its momentum. Huggins says that, from the waning days of the COVID-19 pandemic up to 2024, the industrial sector was quite active, with the company completing numerous projects. Now, the market has paused, leading to a switch toward project in transit and infrastructure. Recently, Menard worked on a project for a maintenance facility for the under-construction Ontario Line in Toronto, part of the province’s new transit expansion. The team has also been involved in mining—specifically, support for a tailings dam project in northern Ontario.

Menard typically does not deal in high-rise developmental work simply because its systems are not built for those kinds of projects. Instead, it has been able to capture the market in mid-rise developments as well as communities dealing with old fill sites and deep, soft soil that needs to be strengthened before building new structures. Affordable housing has also been a hotter market for Menard, with a 15-person team undertaking a series of projects for Habitat for Humanity in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

During the early 2020s, the warehouse market was a big driver of the company’s revenue; however, the market for building industrial warehouses to specification is not as vigorous now. Huggins says that this is due to ongoing political uncertainty, as well as a scramble throughout COVID to establish last-mile setups for warehouses. Now, one of the more dynamic segments surrounds the boom in AI data centres, one of which Menard worked for in 2025. There has also been a push toward building public spaces such as community centres and hockey arenas.

The diversity of sectors in which Menard excels demonstrates its flexibility in applying its ground improvement systems and solutions. The beauty of the business is that it operates in a sector-agnostic fashion, says Huggins. This means that the type of structure does not matter, whether hospital, warehouse, data centre, or mid-rise building; if the soils are not good and a customer wants to avoid either a costly deep foundation system or a large replacement program, Menard has the answer. “We can be across all different sectors because we deal in the dirt,” he says.

Thanks to the breadth of work that can be found across different market segments, Menard has grown and opened new offices across Canada in the last five years. Since the company operates in a decentralized manner, with each office essentially operating its own business unit, it has been able to expand its teams and provide opportunities for its staff. “In an economically uncertain environment, people are looking for value,” says Huggins, and if people are motivated to build but are in need of cost-effective foundation solutions, Menard exists in that sweet spot.

As agile as the company has been inside the construction space, its role is still not as well-known as one may think. When compared to larger earthworks programs or piling/deep foundation systems, the area of ground improvement is still relatively new in terms of knowledge base and acceptance within the design community. To counter this, the company has been hosting lunch-and-learn talks with geotechnical engineers to get the word out about ground improvement. These talks cover topics such as excess soils, structural design codes, and why ground improvement makes sense on construction sites.

While keeping eyes open with respect to the rest of the year, Menard Canada will be taking a more cautious approach to operations. The business has grown substantially over the past five years, with things stabilizing in 2025, and this has allowed operations to catch up and ensure that the company is able to complete its volume of work under the right corporate structure. As Prime Minister Mark Carney announces major infrastructure projects, the company has been keeping active in areas like long-term care and getting good repeat business out of it, a trend it hopes to extend. It is also keeping its eye on transit expansion, especially in the GTA, with new highways, embankments, and associated works being built.

Menard is also monitoring housing projects closely, as many investment decisions are currently on pause. Developers are waiting for decisions on additional federal support—particularly the removal of certain charges and fees—to help improve project viability. While Menard is typically involved early in the construction process to offer ideas and solutions, investment in these capital-intensive developments has slowed over the past 18 months and as a result, some projects have been delayed or pushed into uncertain timelines.

In response to these market conditions, many developers are shifting away from high-rise condominiums toward larger, lower-density housing formats—a trend that aligns with Menard’s vision.

“We pride ourselves on our safety record and our approach to risk management,” Huggins says. Being owned by a large, publicly-traded European conglomerate, Menard Canada has both a great depth of resources and the nimbleness of local offices, teams, and yards. This results in a best-of-both-worlds situation for the company in delivering tailored solutions to its clients, as each project brings its own constraints that determine the best course of action. Menard Canada is more than ready to go from a project’s secret weapon to being an irreplaceable part of the construction process.

The post Canada’s Ground Improvement Specialists<p class="company">Menard Canada</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

General Manager and President, Andrew Cameron, tells us that in 2024, the company finished construction on the last of over 230 finished units, work that began in 2022. At this point, it was decided by upper management to set a five-year goal for Northumberland Properties to further motivate its upward momentum. This goal comes down to expanding its current unit count by more than double to a nice, even, 500 units. This is where the process of unit acquisition has become an important aspect of the work, leading to the company’s first acquisition of eight existing buildings (totalling 32 units) in Amherst.

The timing of this acquisition was auspicious because the original owners were ready to retire and came to the company with a potential deal, which was sealed in May 2025. The purchase was seen as a positive learning experience as staffing and capacity needed to be figured out along with the on-boarding of new units and tenants, and Cameron and the Northumberland crew are never ones to back down from a challenge.

Indeed, the past three years have been busy ones on multiple fronts for the company. In 2024, after completing its most recent subdivision, the company purchased a half-acre piece of land across the street from this subdivision for its first multi-family building. Northumberland has worked with architectural design agency Spitfire Design out of Moncton, as well as with the town of Amherst and local contractors, to bring the building to new life and get it ready for tenants. While the development is still in the middle of construction, it held its groundbreaking ceremony in August 2025, and Cameron says it has been an enjoyable process to oversee and participate in so far.

He explains that a lot of four-to-six-unit garden homes and townhouses have been developed in the last few years as well, further expanding the company’s portfolio. With federal and provincial money coming in for developers and businesses like Northumberland, both Amherst and Yarmouth are pushing for greater density of buildings to increase housing supply in their communities. To aid both this and its own goals, Northumberland took a step into developing multi-family buildings, a move that Cameron says was also driven by his desire to learn more about these types of developments. These buildings are of a larger scale than the company’s typical properties and involve more logistics (elevators, fire alarms, intercoms, et cetera), but are also a clear-cut way to expand company operations.

The growth being pursued by Northumberland is taking place during an interesting time for its business sector. Looking back on 2025, Cameron says that the rental industry was beginning to feel closer to the volume and feel of operations from before the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2021 to 2023, he says that it was generally easier to advertise new units and create interest for renters, whereas today, promoting new units takes considerably more effort. This means that Northumberland has to tighten up its approach to running day-to-day operations, especially in regard to marketing, repairs, and maintenance cost controls, because things in the rental and housing and development sectors are ever-shifting and still feel unknown.

The industry may have a somewhat fluid nature, but Cameron says that ultimately, housing and development is an industry still going strong, especially when it comes to construction and property management/leasing. While aspects of the industry remain uncertain thanks to extenuating circumstances like the ongoing American tariffs, Cameron says it is a reminder for both him and everyone in the business at large to focus on aspects that can be controlled, like the maintenance and utility usage of its existing units.

“It is still an exciting time for real estate despite any challenges,” he says, and Northumberland Properties is excited to provide quality apartments and services for its tenants while helping them tenants feel at home and secure where they are. “Everything in real estate is communication,” Cameron says, whether it be from developer to subcontractor or from tenant to staff member.

A new year brings more opportunities for the business to reach its full potential, and the first major goal for Northumberland Properties in 2026 will be to finish its first building of 18 units by the summer, ideally June or July. The company also has another small parcel of land that it can build an additional four-unit building on, so decisions will be made as to how best to execute that idea.

The team is also on the lookout for acquisition opportunities that align with this mission, with a potential eight-acre development in Yarmouth. Northumberland hasn’t built in the town in five years, so there is interest in bringing more units there as plans continue to take shape. Further land purchases are also being investigated in Amherst, such as acreages and infill lots, to complement the apartments currently on offer.

In 2025, Northumberland Properties celebrated 15 years in business, with Andrew Cameron having started the business in 2010 alongside his mother and father. “Our success has been reliant on so many more people besides me,” he says, and he has learned so much in 15 years from tradespeople, employees, and accountants alike on how to best run the business. To be successful in this sector takes a team effort and everyone’s contribution within the company has made a difference to its ongoing success, says Cameron.

When it comes to running a successful property management business, it’s simply made easier and less stressful when you can find and work with exceptional team members, including staff, subcontractors, and tradespeople. In fact, Cameron says, a key lesson learned in the past 15 years has been to find great people, support them, and let them do what they do best while listening and learning from them. Of course, paying one’s bills on time also helps, he says with a laugh.

As well as the value of being surrounded by capable and intelligent people, Cameron says a key to his company’s success has been to always remember that the tenants living in the many different properties are people first and not just numbers in spreadsheets. A lot of senior tenants in Northumberland developments live on their own, so allowing for the time and space for staff to build relationships with these people, as well as maintaining respect and connection to them through the staff and properties, helps them feel that they are known and looked after.

“Don’t forget who the ultimate customer is,” Cameron says, meaning the tenants and their families who will remember when a property and its owners have done right by them. He and his crew have kept this, and the firm’s other values, close to heart during the lifespan of Northumberland Properties, and it continues to pay off grandly for all involved.

The post Expansion Focused on the Ultimate Customer<p class="company">Northumberland Properties</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

This renovation project began in late 2018 when officials learned that the provincial library and its archives planned to move out of the centre and its Charlottetown location, which kicked off a year-and-a-half consultation process on what to do with the new area afforded to the space. Feedback from stakeholders, patrons, Indigenous voices, and other sources communicated a desire for the centre to house more learning programs, more Canadian content creation, and more programs talking about its role as Canada’s national memorial to its founders.

The ensuing renovation, still ongoing, seeks to incorporate these suggestions as well as provide massive, much-needed structural improvements to the building. Physical work began in the fall of 2024 and construction began in the spring of 2025, with Chief Executive Officer, Steve Bellamy, saying that it should be largely complete by summer 2026 with a rough move-in date of October or November.

Bellamy explains that the impact of the renovation will be substantial across multiple fronts. Beyond the addition of more learning programs and a more nationalized focus to the centre’s output, the impact on the local economy will be significant. The centre currently operates on a $12.5 million annual operating budget with a $27 million annual contribution to the gross domestic product. 400 jobs have been created by the centre, producing over $16 million in labour income and over $6 million in tax revenue. Operations post-renovation will likely expand, providing an additional $2.5 million annually with an increase in economic impact of around $5 to $6 million. In short, the expansion will create more jobs, more programs for the public, and more capacity for the centre to be a corporate partner for meetings and conventions in the Charlottetown area.

Artistic Director of Performing Arts, Adam Brazier, says that the renovation will allow the centre to become the largest and most consequential arts hub east of Montreal. It “will become a bucket list location for performers, creators, and leaders,” he says, and will come with greater physical accessibility to the space thanks to a clearer entrance from the ever-busy Victoria Road, as well as a warmer visual welcome to anyone entering its doors. The growth and positive experiences to be enjoyed by all who interact with the centre post-upgrade promise to be significant.

Although it is front-of-mind for everyone working there, the ongoing renovation is not the only thing the centre has been up to in the last few years. First, an arts academy was founded, from which its expanded learning programs will blossom. The academy will be able to expand the presently-offered artist training program and provide opportunities for short-term professional development for people in arts administration, cultural development, and in the centre itself. Next, a new arts innovation hub will provide facilities and resources for the creation of new Canadian content, from theatre to music and other forms of art.

Finally, the new Canadian leadership institute—the first of its kind in the country—will aim to house greater discussions about the nation, including programs like the Symons Medal presentation and lecture and the Charlottetown Forum, which will host conferences and lectures relevant to confederation on a variety of topics. According to Bellamy, all involved will discuss issues important to Canada, and the cultural impact will likely be enormous.

Amidst these improvements and plans for the future, this is something of a fraught time for theatre, especially in Canada. Bellamy notes that both the pace of inflation and an increase in annual operation costs are outpacing the centre’s ability for its revenue streams to keep up. While it does receive government funding support of roughly one-third of its operating budget, the majority of its revenue is generated through sources including tickets sales, education programs, food and beverage, and donations and sponsorships, none of which are able to match the pace of inflation.

Brazier points out that the centre has had to re-budget due to ongoing tariffs imposed by the United States, and sadly, in times of financial uncertainty, disposable income purchases by the public toward entertainment like theatre are often the first things to go when it comes to tightening the belt.

These challenges will not be solved easily; however, everyone at the centre believes in the art it produces and the power of that art to impact its audiences. “There’s a spirituality to what we do,” Brazier says, in getting people together to watch others perform. Theatre is feeling the crunch in competing with at-home entertainment like streaming services, yet the performing arts have the ability to create community through the shared experience of live theatre—so it is all about making sure younger generations understand that power and take advantage of it. The Confederation Centre of the Arts often must take risks on the shows it stages and the decisions it makes during hard times, but Brazier says that the talent in Prince Edward Island is abundant. That level of talent is ultimately what has gotten the centre through hard times again and again.

There is plenty to be excited about as the centre takes on these challenges and looks to enter a new era. In 2026, popular live shows like Come From Away and Anne of Green Gables: The Musical will be staged, along with an exhibit featuring the works of the late Prince Edward Island artist Erica Rutherford, curated by new Art Gallery Director, Pan Wendt, who was hired in December 2025. And later this year, the Symons Medal, one of the nation’s greatest annual honors, will be presented to Justice Rosalie Abella, who served on the Supreme Court of Canada for nearly 20 years.

The centre also looks forward to hiring the first director of its new leadership institute and establishing a new line of programming within it that will support people from diverse backgrounds convening to discuss important national issues.

It is an exciting time for the centre as it looks to expand its partnerships within the local business community. The centre has been a keen partner with businesses across the corporate spectrum in terms of packaging, experiences, and event planning, and Bellamy believes that the centre stands as a reflection of the country, an important piece of the Canadian cultural identity. “Now more than ever, it’s important that Canadians understand one another,” he says, and this can be effected through embracing activities that strengthen national bonds and allowing stories from different communities to be heard.

With its improvements slated to reach their conclusion shortly, Brazier says that the Confederation Centre of the Arts will soon match the output of the art created within it.

The post Becoming a Bucket List Location<p class="company">Confederation Centre of the Arts</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

For LIVIO Building Systems, the answer lies in rethinking how these facilities are delivered. Through its LIVIO AI Data Center Factory (LAIF) platform, the company has positioned itself at the vanguard of rapid AI infrastructure deployment, enabling developers to transform land and power into operational AI compute capacity in a fraction of the time traditionally required.

At its core, LAIF is a pre-engineered, multi-trade panelized building system designed specifically for AI data centers. The approach combines LIVIO’s modular wall and roof panels with integrated electrical and plumbing infrastructure, allowing structures to be assembled on site with remarkable speed. The system is designed to support scalable modules ranging from 20 megawatts to more than a gigawatt of capacity, accommodating the massive computing loads required by modern AI systems.

In practical terms, the LAIF approach condenses what would typically be a multi-year development cycle into mere months. Using standardized components shipped directly to the project site and assembled in a LEGO® brick-like manner, the building shell can be delivered in roughly 45 days, with hardware and rack installation following shortly thereafter. A complete AI data center can be converted from “land to compute” in as little as 99 days.

Engineering the next generation of AI infrastructure
The concept builds on LIVIO’s established panelized construction system, which has been evolving rapidly in recent years. In fact, since the company was last featured in Construction in Focus in 2024, two new generations of its building system have been introduced.

Generation 2.0 enhanced LIVIO’s original panelized platform by integrating structural sheathing into wall assemblies and incorporating plumbing and electrical infrastructure directly into the panels themselves. Founder and CEO Navneet Aron says the upgrade dramatically increased the completeness of the company’s off-site manufactured components.

Shortly afterward, Generation 3.0 launched as a fully closed-wall system designed to arrive on site essentially ready for finishing. With the interior surfaces prepared for painting and exterior surfaces ready to accept dry cladding systems, customers can move almost immediately from installation into the finishing phase.

These improvements laid the groundwork for LAIF, which adapts the same manufacturing philosophy specifically for high-performance AI data center environments.

“AI infrastructure is one of the fastest-growing construction segments in the world,” Aron explains. “The challenge is that traditional construction timelines simply cannot keep up with the demand for compute capacity.”

Solving the bottleneck
The surge in generative AI and large-scale machine learning has triggered unprecedented investment in digital infrastructure. Hyperscale technology companies and specialized developers are pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into new facilities, yet the pace of construction remains a major constraint. For many developers, the building itself—not the chips or cooling systems—has become the biggest bottleneck.

This is precisely where LAIF can make an impact. By fabricating building components off-site and assembling them quickly on location, LIVIO’s system dramatically reduces the labor requirements and construction time typically associated with large-scale data centers.

In one recent project in Ohio, LIVIO and its partners demonstrated the potential of this approach, delivering a fully operational AI data center facility within weeks of the project’s initiation. The speed and efficiency of that deployment led the developer to commit to using LIVIO systems across its broader project portfolio.

The LAIF platform also incorporates design features tailored to AI workloads, including compatibility with high-density racks, advanced cooling systems, and integrated infrastructure for power distribution and monitoring.

A platform built for global scale
While AI infrastructure has become the company’s most prominent offering, LIVIO’s building systems continue to serve a diverse range of applications, from residential and commercial developments to specialized structures with enhanced security features. Still, the explosive growth of AI computing is shaping the company’s global strategy. In recent months, LIVIO has seen strong demand not only across the United States but also from developers in the Middle East and other emerging markets eager to build new infrastructure quickly. Saudi Arabia has been one of the first regions where the company has engaged with major development groups, while opportunities are also emerging in parts of Africa and Asia.

As word spreads about the efficiency of its systems, Aron says developers are increasingly drawn to the company’s combination of precision, speed, and cost control.

“A developer anywhere in the world wants the same thing,” he says. “They want to build accurately, quickly, and predictably. Our system makes that possible.”

Reimagining how the world builds
Beyond speed, the company’s technology addresses several structural challenges facing the construction sector. Labor shortages continue to affect markets worldwide, while traditional building methods often struggle with delays, cost overruns, and inconsistent quality. LIVIO’s panelized system reduces on-site labor requirements by as much as 80 to 90 percent while delivering construction accuracy within one-eighth of an inch, Aron says.

“Our mission has been to reduce reliance on a highly skilled labor force on the job site,” he explains. “If we can simplify the process and make it more predictable, we can fundamentally improve how buildings are delivered.”

To help achieve that goal, LIVIO systems are designed to be intuitive to assemble, with clearly labeled components and step-by-step installation guidance.

The road ahead
As the global AI infrastructure boom accelerates, LIVIO expects its LAIF platform to become an increasingly central part of its business. The company is already preparing future generations of its building system, which will introduce additional pre-installed elements such as roofing assemblies, interior doors, and expanded finishing options.

The ultimate goal is to push the boundaries of how quickly complete structures—particularly complex facilities like AI data centers—can be delivered.

“We will continue to deliver to our current customers and expand our markets here nationally and globally,” Aron says. “AI infrastructure is only going to grow, and we believe our technology will play a major role in enabling that growth.”

The post Leveraging Technology for Global Success<p class="company">LIVIO Building Systems</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

New locations have been added as recently as fall of 2025, and growth has also occurred thanks to cooperative contracts in municipal and governmental sales, both of which have accelerated business operations. According to Thielbar, the company also has some new technological innovations with a broadening of technology and user interfaces. This is especially true as it pertains to safety in its spray patching and asphalt crack sealing product lines, the latter of which will see new technology in the first quarter of 2026.

The technology at the core of Cimline products lies in the interface of the machine control, which is used to eliminate variables for operator error and allows for better ergonomics and less physical exertion for the end user. Ultimately, these advantages make for a higher product rate as well as telematic reporting back to the home office. “We do want user feedback,” says Thielbar, especially from the end user and the dealer network.

For example, in its M4 crack sealer product, the team wanted to update a pre-existing product for greater job performance, safety, and ergonomics. To do this, it identified four high-use contractors of the specific size of machine being made, then reached out directly to identify areas for improvement. This process, says Thielbar, helps the company broaden its understanding and make sure it is detailing the right areas in its product suite.

The feedback received often applies to areas like use, melt rate, productivity, maintenance, upkeep, and various other issues. By merging this list with original company points, as well as keeping the dealer and end contractor informed of any changes, the engineering team can build the machine through computer-aided design programming. After obtaining final feedback from the advisory council, the pilot unit can be built, after which contractors and dealers are invited to the factory to put hands on the machine and be updated on manufacturing. Finally, the product is introduced to the marketplace.

Product success at this point is gauged based on orders received from participating contractors and dealers. This procedure was undertaken with the previously-mentioned M4 series as well as with the K-series Tack Kettles, and will be used in 2026 for the M1 and M2 melters, the best-selling product in the Cimline catalogue.

Another big driving factor in expanding innovation in technology is safety, especially for those who benefit from Cimline’s products. From road crews to agencies, state departments of transportation, and more, safety is the name of the game. For example, people repairing roadways often must do so in the middle of traffic, and safe procedure involves more than a simple lane closure or a traffic zone. If the company can reduce the number of people on the ground, shrink the footprint of the workspace, and limit overall disruption to traffic and timing—in turn improving operator safety—then it has done its job. Safety is “the main primary focus and directive for where we take our products,” Thielbar says.

He says that currently, the pavement maintenance industry is flat. Thankfully, this was incorporated into Cimline’s projections based on economic feedback from its pavement market as well as other various organizations and programs. There has been a slight decrease in job lettings for the fall season, as well as a tightening in advance of municipal budgets more quickly than in the past. There has also been a decrease in COVID spending as of July 2024, which previously funded about 50 percent of the company’s infrastructure spending through government programs.

Adding up these factors, Cimline goes back to its dealer networks to find out what their supply is, Thielbar explains. These networks are also in the midst of a flat cycle based on sales trends, so the big objective for growth lies not in the municipal or governmental markets but in contractor business, especially because of the cost of interest expense and the reduction in bid-letting in its category year over year. International Sales Manager Matt McCormick says that it has been a pleasant surprise that aspects like tariffs or the weak American dollar have not affected international sales to any noticeable degree.

Cimline’s dealer network is different from that of your typical pavement maintenance manufacturer in that it has both contractor and municipal sales, with the dealer network concentrated on asphalt and pavement maintenance. That focus is then used to educate and train the network and the industry overall. Dealers in the network are up-to-date on the latest training and resources, and are specialists in the asphalt pavement/pavement maintenance industry. This is “not just your average equipment sales company on the end of the street,” says Thielbar.

McCormick points out that growth continues, sales-wise, for Cimline across the globe. Thus far, the biggest market for international growth has been in Latin America, and the company has been fortunate to have developed relationships with quality distributors in markets like Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, and Colombia. Unit sales in Australia have also increased in the past three to four years, and several countries in Europe and Africa also have active representation. It is Cimline’s job to support these distributors in the best way possible with the resources available, wherever the team sees the potential and is able to respond and support its dealers, says McCormick.

A silver lining of being a company in the pavement maintenance arena, Thielbar tells us, is that its swings up and down are not as extreme as those of a mainline equipment supplier. This is generally because of the infrastructure in place that needs to be maintained, and maintenance dollars do not get shifted away as quickly as new construction or replacement dollars do, which will help stabilize the company’s overall market view into the new year. Meanwhile, manufacturing continues to rise and fluctuate consistently, especially thanks to ongoing trends like market tariffs on goods that go into the manufacturing process. While this coincides with Cimline’s annual pricing, it fluctuates at a pace where the end result of inflation input cost is not as extreme as one may think.

Looking ahead to 2026, Thielbar says that Cimline will consistently look to a route of safety and automation, especially as the younger generations continue to step into the pavement maintenance market. McCormick affirms that the company will be picking up a new distributor in the United Arab Emirates in 2026, and that it looks forward to CONEXPO-CON/AGG, taking place in Las Vegas in March. This is the biggest convention for construction equipment in the U.S. market, as it always gets a good international turnout and attracts lots of visitors—including the company’s dealers—for one-on-one interactions.

With so much on the horizon, Cimline has weathered recent storms and looks to make 2026 another exciting and successful year.

The post Not Your Average Pavement Company<p class="company">Cimline Pavement Maintenance Group</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

The third generation, family-owned company was put up for sale in 2004 after, Wes Austin, the owner’s son who would have eventually taken over, passed away suddenly. Current Chief Executive Officer Daniel Cramer’s father, a paper salesman at the time, got a group of buyers together in Amarillo and purchased the company outright from Wes’ father, Fred Austin, Jr.

Daniel Cramer has been with the company for 20 years now, starting as an hourly worker when the business only had four locations: Amarillo, San Antonio, Odessa, and Wichita. After graduating college, he transferred into sales out of the San Antonio office, then moved to a branch manager role, and eventually became CEO. In that time, Austin Hose has grown into a business that sports 13 locations as well as a considerable national presence in states like Louisiana, California, Kansas, and more.

The past two decades have brought significant upheaval and development for Austin Hose. “We are a totally different company from where we started,” Cramer says, evolving by marketing its services to other industries that use hoses while continuing to work in agriculture. From offering hundreds of purchase and rental opportunities to suit any need to its plug-and-play hose shop that allows clients to make their own hydraulic hosing, Austin Hose acts as the go-to name for its industry.

This decade so far has also seen the company acquire other hose businesses such as Powertrack International and GT Southwest, and both the Odessa and Amarillo locations moved into new facilities, both over 175,000 square feet in size, last year. And the company is in no way finished with its plans for growth.

Austin Hose has set a standard for itself in dominating the more difficult parts of the industry and overcoming barriers that other businesses in its space often have to deal with. Over time, the company expanded into further industries and attracted more and more top-line people, says Cramer, and this has been the biggest marker of growth so far. Along with its home industry of hoses and hydraulics, Austin Hose is also heavily involved in the oil & gas market and regularly supplies rotary hoses for drilling rigs; Cramer says this is the most challenging specific hose product line in which to be successful. The company has come to excel in that space.

It is not just about financial success, though. Cramer says that culture is everything at Austin Hose. The business has always been focused on the team and on family. When Cramer started at Austin Hose in 2005 (known as Austin Distributing at the time), the average employee age was around 65; over time, the team has become considerably younger, with most of the leadership team under 40. “We transformed into a modern company that has an incredible runway ahead of us,” thanks to this savvy combination of both youth and experience on one united team, he says.

The business has also become recognized across the state of Texas and in its local communities, even becoming an official partner and proud supporter of the Dallas Stars National Hockey League team and other state hockey teams. Austin Hose has become well-known for its spokesman and for the quality of service that lies beyond that friendly face.

The hydraulic hose industry has become somewhat stagnant for various reasons that can be difficult to effectively track, Cramer explains, and Austin Hose finds itself in a great place with plenty of room to grow even further. The business is going extremely well, with strong growth on track for 2026, and the young and motivated business has a strong foundation to build upon. With plans to continue expanding, Cramer tells us that Austin Hose will come to be seen all over the country, one year at a time.

The team has also found itself mixed up in some unusual challenges. Cramer says that an ongoing problem in the hose industry has to do with lawsuits surrounding non-compete clauses, provisos in work contracts that can prevent an exiting employee from working for competing organizations for a set amount of time. At the end of 2025, the company found itself part of a movement on social media called ‘Free Dick,’ concerning an employee who was sued after going to work with Austin Hose. Although these non-compete clauses rarely hold up in court, it often costs the employee a lot of money—potentially around six figures—to defend themselves, and the average person cannot afford that.

Companies engaging in this practice are largely unconcerned about winning these lawsuits and are only seeking to financially ruin people as a message to other employees, which Cramer views as plain wrong; in his opinion, employees should be able to go after whatever opportunity is best for them, including anyone who works for him. He, and Austin Hose as a whole, are standing up and making waves with this social media movement, a way for him to use his voice to help lawmakers realize the serious nature of the issue and protect at-risk employees.

Cramer believes that, ultimately, everyone at Austin Hose is in the hose industry for the right reason: providing genuine care and support to customers and each other, with success flowing from this approach. The company refuses to compromise on this people-first paradigm and wears it as a badge of honor.

With very little turnover and a consistent people focus, it is not all about the dollars at Austin Hose. This is simply everyone following through on the golden rule of treating others how you want to be treated, says Cramer, and the satisfaction he receives from his people reporting how the company has changed their lives for the better is very meaningful and motivating to him and the management team. Simply put, at Austin Hose, “We take care of each other,” he says with pride.

The post Making Waves in Hydraulics<p class="company">Austin Hose</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.