New home buyers tend to focus on aesthetics, like kitchen countertops and cabinetry, says Construction Manager, Jason Cabrelle. “A lot of people take energy efficiency for granted—until they see the savings on their hydro and gas bills.” In the past few years, Park View Homes has focused even more on its commitment to creating properties of the highest standards, and this includes what Cabrelle calls “behind-the-scenes” activity, like air barriers and mechanical systems.

Going “airtight”
Around 2022, Park View started as an ENERGY STAR^® for New Homes Standard builder. Only builders licensed by the Government of Canada “can promote themselves as ENERGY STAR^® builders and can apply to have their homes ENERGY STAR^® certified,” according to regulations.

Owing to the program’s exacting standards for new homes, there were some growing pains surrounding airtightness. “We air test every single one of our houses, which, at the end of the day, gives people more comfort in their homes,” Cabrelle explains. “We want to make sure that you’re as comfortable as possible in your house and that your house is as efficient as possible.” Some of the many advantages of airtightness include fewer drafts, greater comfort, a healthier and quieter home, reduced heating and cooling loads, and less energy waste.

Far from just talking quality, the company measures it, air testing every single house for potential leakage. “Testing each house keeps us accountable; we can’t get away from the results,” Cabrelle says. “We have to honour them. It’s not just that we say, ‘we are ENERGY STAR^®,’ it’s that we are tested, and we live up to it.”

To ensure houses meet rigorous standards, the company works with a third-party energy advisor on energy efficiency designs. Once homes are reviewed and signed off, they receive an ENERGY STAR^® sticker. And Park View has been featured several times on Homesol’s social media as a ‘Tight Home of the Week.’

“Because our homes are so energy efficient, it helps homebuyers qualify for green financing options,” says Cabrelle of the RBC Green Home Mortgage Program, where buyers have the option to extend their amortization period to up to 35 years (compared to typical amortization periods, which are usually a maximum of 30 years).

Attention to detail
Starting as a site supervisor and working his way up to Construction Manager, Cabrelle has seen plenty of changes to Ontario’s home-building sector over the past 14 years. Regardless of home model, location, or price point, all Park View homes are created with the utmost attention to detail and a tight build process.

“We take a custom home feel and quality and transfer that to all our homes, whether it’s a single home or townhouse. We pay the same attention to detail to all our products. It really raises the consistency of our final build quality and the comfort of our houses,” he says.

“People are extremely happy with us as a company and with our communication and attention to detail. We aim to exceed expectations, and number one is our attention to detail. We take pride in our homes and in ensuring the buyer is happy. For me, it’s about building relationships and making sure those homeowners are happy. I don’t think a lot of companies do that; they are just there to build the house and turn away.”

Bellamy Farm Phase III
Founded in 2002, family-owned Park View Homes focuses on secondary markets, which are largely more rural than urban. The company is proud to be part of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA), the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), and the Lanark-Leeds Home Builders’ Association (LLHBA).

Much of the company’s marketing is in two significant categories: downsizers and first-time homebuyers. Believing that high-quality houses built without cutting corners should be within reach, Park View Homes properties are priced in the low $400s; some, like Bellamy Farm Phase III, start at $379,000. And Park View Homes is offering a promotion on select inventory homes where only a $5,000 deposit is needed to secure your new home.

In the heart of Smiths Falls, Bellamy Farm Phase III is in an area known for its stunning natural beauty. Just an hour’s drive from Ottawa, Smiths Falls boasts small-town charm and nearby amenities like shops, restaurants, and medical facilities, without the stress of big-city traffic congestion and noise. Three home styles are available—Garageless Bungalows, Bungalow Townhomes, and Two-Storey Townhomes—all beautifully designed with ENERGY STAR^® efficiency.

Attainable bungalow townhomes have the option of one or two bedrooms. About 1100 square feet in size, bungalows have a finished basement and are completely freehold. Along with a driveway, the properties have sheds ideal for tools, recycling bins, and other items. Equipped with a heat pump, these homes run an 8kW backup electric heater as secondary heat in the system.

“Those specific buildings—with some changes in our paperwork—could be registered as Net Zero Ready homes,” explains Cabrelle. “The quality is exactly the same as in our $1.5 million homes, as far as finished quality goes.” Creating houses that balance craftsmanship and attention to detail with energy efficiency is a team effort.

Something for everyone
Along with Bellamy Farm Phase III, Park View Homes has two other main subdivisions underway in the Ottawa area: Russell Ridge estates in Marionville (just outside of Russell), and Merrickville Grove in the heritage village of Merrickville. Combined, these three subdivisions cover the varying tastes and needs of many different buyers, from singles to young couples looking for their first house, to families with children, to older empty-nesters seeking the peace of a laidback, rural lifestyle.

Established in 2021, the Russell Ridge community consists of spacious homes on three-quarter-acre country lots with nearby nature trails and quiet country roads. Available in three, four, and five-bedroom designs with optional finished basements, Russell Ridge embodies the finest in construction and efficient ENERGY STAR^® design.

With just 24 homes and no through streets, Russell Ridge is tranquil, secure, and exclusive. With nearby access to schools, shops, and restaurants, easy access to Highway 417, and a 25-minute drive from the east end of Ottawa, this community is perfect for hybrid workers and families alike. Built to order in about 12 months, the Sussex Craftsman Model measures 2,250 square feet and is priced at $1,069,000.

The company’s Merrickville Grove is an 83-home community near Merrickville’s historic Main Street. Known as the “Jewel of the Rideau,” the development is five minutes on foot from the Rideau Canal, coffee shops, quaint local stores, and restaurants. These bungalow townhomes and two-storey townhomes start at an attainable $499,900.

With nearby parks, schools, shopping, and safe, quiet streets, Merrickville Grove is the perfect place for young couples to raise a family and for active retirees who want the comfort of a home with low maintenance. It is a quiet place where homeowners can walk downtown, grab a coffee or a meal, browse shops, and say hi to neighbours. And, to give back to the municipality, Park View Homes hired a company to build a park with structures for everyone to enjoy. Most times, builders will save the park until the very end of the subdivision development; Park View did the opposite. By installing the park early in the construction process, buyers were able to enjoy it as their homes were being built, and locals could take advantage of the space. “We try to help out the communities we work in,” says Cabrelle. “Recently we helped put a new deck and accessible ramp on the public library in Merrickville at no cost.”

Living its values
For most of us, buying a new home is not only a big financial investment, but an investment in the lives of our families. Realizing this, Park View Homes treats homeowners and potential buyers with the utmost respect and integrity. “It’s all about things like that, the relationships we build with homeowners,” says Cabrelle. “We give everybody the same treatment.”

Focused on more than product, Park View Homes builds not only homes but entire communities, and the company’s team stands behind its proven track record of over 1,200 houses constructed to date. “For me, that’s an important thing, where we can help out and show that we aren’t a ‘big bad builder’ who doesn’t care about homeowners,” says Cabrelle. “Actually, it’s the complete opposite; what we care about is that the homeowner is happy with their home and community,” he says.

“We are super proud to be building in those communities, and proud of where we’ve come from. We’re proud to be focusing on home comfort and making sure that we exceed expectations while we try to give them the best experience, start to finish.”

The post Crafting with Care<p class="company">Park View Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Sherriff Goslin Roofing provides both residential and commercial roofing while offering superlative service regardless of a project’s size. The company, which also installs windows, gutters, and siding, has been family-owned throughout its lengthy history.

“We go back a long way. I’m currently the fourth generation,” says President and Chairman of the Board, Steve Ticknor, who is the great-grandson of co-founder Fred Sherriff.

Serving homeowners
Sherriff Goslin Roofing has 17 branches in total, situated across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. All branches are company-owned and mutually supportive; if one branch requires assistance on a project, other branches are happy to step in. And while the team does work on commercial projects, the focus is on “residential reroofing on existing homes,” explains Executive Vice President, Craig Lockerbie.

“Our bread and butter is your average homeowner in the small town of Anywhere, USA,” agrees Ticknor. “We want to keep them happy and have them tell their friends and neighbors about us.”

The company’s primary focus is residential reroofing and commercial flat roofing. Its services include roof repairs and replacement, storm damage restoration, and installing shingles and specialty roofs. Among its ancillary services are gutter, window, and siding installation—again, largely for existing structures.

Standout products
At present, the company can handle almost any type of roofing project, including specialty assignments involving metal, copper, or even ‘green’ roofs. Metal roofs are highly durable, stand up to brutal weather conditions, and are aesthetically pleasing. Lockerbie points out that metal roofing “is becoming a bigger part of the business,” due to increased customer demand.

A green roof, meanwhile, features a layer of live vegetation, be it shrubs, flowers, plants, or even trees, installed on a flat roof surface. Rooftop flora enhances insulation, resulting in more energy-efficient buildings, and absorbs rainwater, reducing the flow of runoff into sewers. Green roofs can also offer office workers a tranquil spot to unwind while helping building owners and developers achieve LEED certification. The growing popularity of green roofs “has a lot to do with LEED building; you get credit points for installing a green roof,” Lockerbie explains.

The team has also installed copper roofing, including a recent project involving a copper roof on a Greek Orthodox church.

In addition to outstanding service, Sherriff Goslin stands out with the patented Art-Loc, a specialty shingle originally developed in the 1920s by Bert Goslin. Unlike traditional shingles, these shingles interlock, forming a visually striking and structurally sound diamond-shaped pattern. Initially used to cover cedar shingles at a time when sealant strips were not common, Art-Loc has been an enduring success.

This product “is really what propelled us as a company at that time,” Lockerbie shares. “We still install thousands of squares each year of this product in the Midwest.”

In fact, almost all the shingles used by Sherriff Goslin are manufactured by the Atlas Roofing Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia. “They make Art-Loc for us. We’re the only ones who can sell it,” says Ticknor.

The biggest asset: people
The company’s family ownership model has provided consistency throughout the many decades and serves as a template for workplace loyalty. All told, managers of the 17 branches have a collective 454 years of service, a testament to the dedication and commitment that gives Sherriff Goslin a competitive edge. “We think loyalty is a big deal,” says Ticknor, citing cases where two generations of the same family work for the company.

“One of our biggest assets is the people that work here,” echoes Lockerbie. “We’re still here because of them. That’s very important to us.”

Sherriff Goslin employs between 150 and 180 staff on a seasonal basis as, for obvious reasons, work slows down in wintertime when snow blankets the Midwest. The team self-performs some tasks while subcontracting out other roofing duties, and in terms of new hires, the firm prefers “somebody willing to do whatever the job takes. Somebody not afraid of heights, obviously—you spent a lot of time going up and down a ladder—and somebody that really cares about servicing the customer,” says Lockerbie.

Safety and quality above all
To support its people, the company offers comprehensive employee and safety training. Two full-time safety monitors—who happen to be father and son—conduct safety training and perform on-site inspections, ensuring that employees are up to date with their training, keeping track of new Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, and constantly visiting jobsites.

And the Sherriff Goslin team is equally devoted to quality and customer care. Each roofing project begins with a free, thorough inspection. If clients wish to go forward, they are assigned a specific project manager who guides them through the process and keeps them updated on the progress of the work. Project managers are immersed in all aspects of an assignment from start to finish. Jobsites are tidied after work is completed, and clients can contact the company if any post-construction problems arise.

High standards, of course, are imperative given the nature of Sherriff Goslin’s business. “When you sell a roof, you’re selling something that you look at every day,” says Ticknor. A poorly done roof will be obvious to anybody driving by. Given this, it is essential that the work is done correctly and that all projects go according to plan, and this attitude is reflected in the company’s core values: safety, integrity, and quality.

A rich history
Sherriff Goslin Roofing traces its roots to 1906—a time when airplanes were a new innovation and automobiles were still rare. That year, Fred Sherriff organized the Battle Creek Roofing and Manufacturing Company. In 1910, he partnered with B.G. ‘Bert’ Goslin, and Sherriff Goslin Roofing was born. In the early years, employees were known to travel to jobsites by bicycle or train.

At one time, the company had branches as far afield as Illinois and even Florida, but over the decades, these were consolidated to streamline operations, as having to drive hours for projects was not a recipe for profitability, says Lockerbie. Regardless of these structural changes, the presence of the Sherriff and Goslin families has remained a constant, and the two families currently share majority ownership.

Churches, along with barns, offices, and other structures, represent the commercial side of the company’s business. High-profile projects within this segment include the Gilmore Car Museum, a huge complex featuring hundreds of vintage vehicles in multiple buildings spread over dozens of acres in Hickory Corners, Michigan. Among other tasks, Sherriff Goslin installed metal roofing and Art-Loc shingles on the museum’s facilities. “It’s a pretty big project that we continue to work. They keep adding buildings there,” says Lockerbie.

Success in the modern era
While Ticknor is certainly proud of the team’s achievements in the commercial sector, the company’s residential work remains paramount. “The big, fancy projects are really cool, but really our mainstay is dealing with individual homeowners, whether a 1,200-square-foot Cape Cod or a $1 million home. It’s about dealing with that individual person, because their home is [probably their] largest investment,” he notes. “No matter how big or small their home is, they’re trusting us to take care of them.”

“I’m seeing a wide variety of work. It’s not just residential; it’s round barns, country clubs, apartment complexes, huge condo complexes,” says Vice President of Marketing Cindy Goodison. Goodison takes the lead in the area of company promotion and uses a licensed drone pilot to get aerial shots of completed roofing projects. Such footage offers a vivid demonstration on how the firm blends old-fashioned craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology.

Goodison explains that advertising by the individual branches is more localized. Branches are better suited to respond to local conditions—whether it be a storm or strong economic growth in a community—and use print or television to spotlight their services. “Branches have the latitude to do what they see fit at a branch level,” she says. “They’re the boots on the ground. They know their competitors. If the competition turns up the heat, they know it’s time to start making noise in their areas.”

Going forward, the company plans to focus on enhancing its existing service offerings and continuing to hit high benchmarks in terms of quality, safety, workplace loyalty, and customer support.

“We’d like to be at 125 years in business,” Ticknor says of the five-year forecast for the company, adding that he is thankful for the company’s longevity. “We’ve made it to 120. We don’t take that for granted at all.”

The post This Family-Owned Business Marks 120 Years<p class="company">Sherriff Goslin Roofing</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

“We build trailers for people who work hard. That’s our mission. That’s who we design for, that’s who we respect,” says Francis Wieler, head of Marketing.

Regardless of the industry served, the company’s trailers are used by “working professionals who rely on this equipment daily,” he adds.

Products of the highest standard
RawMaxx has recently launched a variety of new trailers as well as an advanced solution called 3D Configurator. The latter enables prospective customers to create digital trailer designs on a computer screen based on their input, while the new trailers include the G7X Series, GDX Knight, DTX Deckover Tilt, and SGX models. Wieler describes the G7X Series as “an evolution of our GTX Series.” While the GTX trailer is 102 inches wide, the G7X is narrower, at 83 inches. As such, the new G7X Series represents a more affordable option for clients looking for a trailer that is both maneuverable and compact.

Trailers in the G7X Series include the versatile Bumper Pull model, which is available in 20, 22, and 24-foot lengths and comes with a front toolbox, powder coat finish, and a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 pounds (the measure of the total weight of a fully-loaded trailer).

The G7X Gooseneck trailer is another model in the new G7X Series, also available in 20, 22, and 24-foot lengths with a 14,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating and front toolbox. The G7X Gooseneck trailer offers exceptional stability and is well-suited for heavy loads.

The company’s GDX lineup consists of general duty dump trailers, a category popular with contractors. The new GDX Knight trailer features 10-cubic-yard capacity, 41-degree tilt angle, and a manual tarp system. The trailer offers durability and efficiency, and loading and unloading is a cinch. The GDX Knight is designed “for crews who consistently push heavier materials or higher volumes. It has structurally reinforced walls and increased capacity,” says RawMaxx.

The DTX Deckover Tilt is also designed for handling heavy loads, with a GVWR of 14,000 pounds. This model boasts 17-degree tilt angle and a hoist-lift system fitted with a 5×16” cylinder for speedy and efficient loading and unloading. An upgraded version offers a gross vehicle weight rating of 20,000 pounds.

The SGX trailer, meanwhile, has a gravity-tilt design, an 8,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating, and is suitable for moving boom lifts, scissor lifts, and cherry pickers.

Some of these trailers feature the Milwaukee PACKOUT system, an innovative, modular storage setup comprising various chests, boxes, and cooler units for heavy-duty storage. Milwaukee PACKOUT “gives operators an organized space and secured tool storage placement under the trailer directly.”

Quality from the start
RawMaxx was founded in Mexico in 2017 with a focus from the start on manufacturing heavy-duty steel trailers. “While the product line has expanded significantly, the core mission has remained the same: build strong, dependable trailers.”

Manufacturing and design work is all performed in-house aside from a few components such as axles and hydraulic systems, which are obtained from trusted outside suppliers. The company uses CNC laser cutters, press brakes, plasma cutters, and other machinery to self-perform its engineering, fabrication, welding, assembly, and finishing. “We maintain control over our production process to ensure consistency in quality.”

The company sells its products through an extensive dealer network—most based in the United States, with a few in Canada. While clients cannot buy directly, RawMaxx sees this as an advantage.

“We do not sell to end users,” he says. “This allows us to focus on manufacturing products and development. It also helps keep the price lower, because we can sell a full load to a dealer, which ensures that the customer is going to get a better price. If somebody from New York buys a trailer from us directly, the cost of shipping that one trailer is going to be more than if we ship seven or eight trailers on one load.”

People-powered service
At present, the company employs 600 people, an increase of about 40 from this time last year. The spike in personnel can be attributed to increased demand for the products in the United States.

When it comes to new hires, RawMaxx looks for people with a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn, a team mindset, a sense of accountability, and an alignment with the company’s values of integrity, hard work, expertise, innovation, and adaptability. “The culture overall here is blue collar, performance-driven, with a focus on continuous improvement and respect for the craft.”

The company prides itself on being “non-corporate,” he adds. There is no rigid company bureaucracy; issues are dealt with right away, and do not require months of meetings, memos, and analysis to address.

Customer support is offered via the company’s nationwide dealer network, and to this end, RawMaxx offers spare parts, replacement parts, service guidance, technical assistance, product updates, and warranties including five years for axles, three years for structural issues, and one year for paint. “If a customer has an issue, we work directly with the dealer to ensure that it’s resolved quickly and properly.”

In addition to its customers, the company believes in supporting charities and its workforce, with charitable endeavors including funding for a local orphanage and an overarching commitment to its nearby communities. And the RawMaxx team is happy to help fellow staff members through rough patches with financial aid or other forms of assistance. Staff members “will always stand together and support each other in times of need or when surrounding communities are in need. The entire team will rally and organize food, clothing, and financial drives. It’s part of the culture here at RawMaxx.”

Safety, of course, is also central to the company culture. Workers receive comprehensive safety training with established protocols in case of accidents or mishaps. Personal protective equipment including helmets, work boots, and googles, are mandatory and paid for by the company.

Making customization easy
RawMaxx has also forged a partnership with prominent automotive celebrity Dave ‘Heavy D’ Sparks, who co-starred on the reality show Diesel Brothers on the Discovery Channel. Heavy D shouts out the company’s innovative design, superior components, focus on safety, excellent customer service, wide array of products, customization, and heavy-duty construction in his glowing testimonial on the company website. Heavy D also participated in the launch of 3D Configurator at the North American Trailer Dealers Association (NATDA) 2025 show in Nashville, Tennessee and praises the solution in a company YouTube video.

3D Configurator, as mentioned, allows potential customers to view digital trailer models based on their selections regarding size, specifications, options, colors, and models. Customer input is used to add or remove details, and the ensuing image can be viewed from multiple angles, giving clients a clear sense of what they are buying. Customers “can see where every dollar is going. They can see visually what the trailer is going to look like,” states RawMaxx, adding that the 3D Configurator “is a tool to give as much confidence to the buyer as possible.”

The solution has earned the company industry kudos and took first place in a competition for ‘Best in Show for Services & Software’ at last year’s NATDA conference.

Facing challenges
While optimistic, RawMaxx is well aware of certain challenges facing the company, including volatility in the trailer sector. Underlying this volatility are rising material costs, supply chain changes, and regulatory developments. RawMaxx addresses these issues “through strong dealer and supplier relationships, in-house manufacturing control, operational efficiency, and strategic pricing adjustments. We focus on stability and long-term relationships rather than short-term reaction.”

Going forward, the company has plenty of new ideas, enhancements, and product concepts in the pipeline. “There’s always new stuff that comes out. We have a few engineers who consistently look at the market, look at what the needs are out there and what people are asking for. It can take months or years to refine something before we do release a new type of trailer.”

Over the next few years, RawMaxx also hopes to see the company strengthen its dealer network even further, continue to innovate on the digital front, and maintain its reputation for durability and integrity.

“Our goal is sustainable growth, while protecting product quality and brand reputation. That’s very important. There are a lot of people who depend on RawMaxx to make a living, whether it’s the people building the trailers or the people who depend on them to get their job done.” RawMaxx plans to be there, serving all of these people with quality, innovation, and integrity, for the long haul.

The post New Products, New Partnerships, and New High-Tech Solutions<p class="company">RawMaxx</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.

The advantages of design-build
To date, ARCO has been behind the completion of more than a million square feet of warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing space across the U.S. Known for its tagline, “We build the facilities that keep America going,” ARCO’s well-honed design-build approach makes life easier for clients seeking all types of construction projects. Specializing in light industrial distribution, manufacturing, and cold storage warehouse work, the company is also active in myriad other project areas, including aviation, commercial, e-commerce, life sciences, mission-critical, multi-family, and self-storage.

For projects of all types and sizes, the highly skilled team at ARCO uses its expertise to ensure every job runs smoothly, from inception to completion and handover. Repeat customers know the inherent value of working with ARCO, and new clients are delighted to discover just how smoothly the company’s design-build approach works.

Unlike having to deal with multiple contractors, the design-build strategy bears countless advantages. When you deal with ARCO, you are working with the best. One firm handling design and construction means a streamlined approach to projects. This makes for a single contract and one clear, well-defined, surprise-free budget. There is also a greater degree of accountability since ARCO oversees construction from start to finish. And enhanced communication with a single entity means fewer, if any, changes being required.

If any modifications are needed, they can be discussed in real time, making for greater openness and flexibility. When clients work with just one construction company, project turnaround times are usually faster, which can result in significant cost savings for customers. “ARCO’s turnkey approach provides our customers a direct relationship with one company versus multiple organizations,” states the company at arcodb.com. “This streamlines the process, expedites schedule and reduces client risk.”

#1 in the U.S.A.
In recognition of this expertise, ARCO Design/Build has won a number of awards for its exemplary work over the years. This includes being ranked as the #1 domestic builder of Distribution Centers and Warehouses in the United States by Engineering News-Record (ENR). In 2024, ARCO made #4 on ENR’s list of Top 20 Design-Build firms. Initially appearing on its Top Design-Build list in 2006 at #79, the company’s impressive growth saw it achieve more than $6.5 billion USD in revenue in 2023. “This impressive growth underscores ARCO’s commitment to excellence and solidifies its position as one of ENR’s largest design-build firms,” stated the company in a 2024 news release.

That same year, ARCO possessed a significant portfolio including more than 5,500 design-build projects. And in 2024, ARCO ranked on several of ENR’s other leaderboards. These include #17 on the Top 400 Contractors List, #4 in Top 50 Domestic Building/Manufacturing Revenue, and #50 in Top 50 Contractors Working Abroad.

This industry recognition not only demonstrates the firm’s commitment to the broader construction industry but its ongoing allegiance to quality and innovation. Said the company: “These accomplishments reflect the dedication and expertise of ARCO’s team. ARCO’s approach to the design-build methodology sets it apart as an industry leader, focusing on providing comprehensive solutions that meet and exceed client expectations. As ARCO continues to grow and expand its footprint, the company remains committed to maintaining its high standards of quality and innovation. The recognition by ENR is a testament to ARCO’s relentless pursuit of excellence and its ability to deliver outstanding results.”

A range of projects
As a premier design-build firm with multiple locations nationwide, ARCO takes on a range of diverse projects. Some of the company’s recent efforts include Millworks Molina Healthcare and The Press Telegram Building, both in Long Beach, California. The self-storage sector in particular is growing, and in May 2025, ARCO announced a dedicated self-storage division to meet the rising demand.

“The dedicated team focuses on delivering comprehensive solutions tailored to the unique needs of self-storage developers,” stated the company in a media release. “With over 300 completed facilities nationwide totaling more than 30 million square feet, ARCO has long been a trusted partner in this rapidly growing sector.”

For the company and its clients, the new division couldn’t have come at a better time, as Research and Markets reports that demand for self-storage facilities is booming across America. According to a 2024 report, the U.S. self-storage market is showing considerable growth. In 2022, the market size was $44.20 million USD, and it is projected to hit a staggering $67.02 million USD by 2030, with a forecasted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3 percent.

“This division represents the formalization of our proven capabilities rather than a new venture,” said ARCO President Eric Thompson in a release. “Through our team’s experience delivering hundreds of successful self-storage projects nationwide, we’ve developed specialized knowledge that our clients value. They consistently seek partners who understand both the technical construction aspects and the business-specific requirements of self-storage development.”

Along with the dedicated self-storage division, 2025 saw the company celebrate the grand opening of its new office space in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The new office is at 7 Radcliffe St., Suite 200, and at 6,000 square feet, it encompasses the entire second floor of the building in the heart of the city’s business district. “Our expansion into downtown Charleston represents a strategic investment in a market that is integral to our Southeast regional growth,” added Thompson, responsible for overseeing ARCO’s operations in Charleston, Charlotte, and Greenville. “The port’s connectivity to major industrial highways creates unique development opportunities. The talented Charleston workforce has been instrumental in serving our diverse client base across multiple sectors, which remains a cornerstone of ARCO’s business.”

Indeed, with its many locations and decades of combined experience, ARCO Design/Build is much more than a vendor, “but a dedicated partner committed to your company’s success,” states the company. “ARCO DB delivers the strength, resources, and expertise of an award-winning national design-build company, combined with the responsive, personalized service you’d expect from your local construction firm.”

The post America’s Design-Build Leader<p class="company">ARCO Design/Build</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Since being profiled in Construction in Focus in February 2025, Troyer Post Buildings has expanded its workforce and opened a new branch in Greeneville, Tennessee.

“We’ve got about half-a-dozen offices or so for people to come in and meet with salesmen and design their dream building,” explains Owner and CEO, Tim Troyer. “The Greeneville branch is a local presence in the community there,” and is already meeting with success, seeing 650 quotes and $4 million in sales already.

As shared in our previous profile, post frame buildings have a unique heritage. The concept originated during the Great Depression in the 1930s, when impoverished farmers sought out new materials for building barns. To save money, farmers began to embed decommissioned telephone poles in the ground and place a roof on top. By using telephone poles as support columns, farmers could avoid the expense of digging foundations and then pouring concrete. Pole barns could either be open-air or enclosed (walls can be added once the structure is up and then insulated if desired). They proved to be as sturdy as conventional barns and became widely popular.

What began as a cost-saving measure soon caught on, and the pole barn concept was expanded to include warehouses, sheds, and private residences. Bigger post frame structures still lacked foundations for the most part, but frequently featured concrete slab floors to enhance interior comfort. Steel trusses were also incorporated into larger structures to augment stability.

At present, the agricultural sector brings in the most business for Troyer Post Buildings. Within this sector, the company offers hay pole barns (roof-only structures with metal gables and steel trusses); pole equipment sheds (three sided-buildings featuring single-sloped roofs); and pole barn lean-to sheds (made from wood rafters or steel, these sheds are usually attached to a building and are used to protect equipment from inclement weather). For the commercial market, Troyer sells pole barn riding arenas (spaces for training horses); storage units (ideal for boats or recreational vehicles); and warehouses.

The residential market, which largely consists of barndominiums or “barndos,” is currently experiencing the strongest growth at the firm. Over the past year, the company has helped build roughly 40 barndos, which feature roomy interiors and a rural vibe. Commenting on their appeal, Troyer says, “I think most people are trying to find affordable housing. At the end of the day, they’re trying to find a large living area with a lot of square footage for a reasonable price.”

The barndo segment might become Troyer Post Building’s leading market “in the next year or two,” he adds.

The company’s barndo models range from the simple and compact (the Birmingham Barndominium, for example, measures 1,200 square feet based on a four-inch monolithic concrete slab) to the grand (the partial double-story Lexington Barndominium measures 3,032 square feet based on a four-inch monolithic concrete slab). The company also sells enclosed pole barn garages and an enclosed pole barn workshop (a space for doing hobbies or crafts) within the residential segment.

With strong ties to its communities, Troyer Post Buildings primarily works in Tennessee and Kentucky, although the team has also served clients in Georgia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. The company maintains a lumberyard at its main location, stocked primarily with wooden poles made from Southern Yellow Pine, “a local lumber that’s strong,” explains Troyer.

And while Troyer has a wide selection of existing building models that customers can choose from, clients can also create their own design. The company offers a software program called 3D Designer which allows customers to select the color, length, height, roof type, roof pitch, interiors, windows, doors, and building frame of their proposed property. The program analyzes the customer’s input and then comes up with a design.

Once the customer settles on a design, the company offers advice about feasibility and cost. If all goes to plan, Troyer Post Buildings can put together a package of materials that consists of wooden poles and other structural elements. These material packages are then delivered to the customer who can either erect the building themselves or hire a contractor recommended by Troyer. The same delivery and construction process occurs when clients chose a building from an existing model.

Given that its business is centered on lumber and construction material, Troyer Post Buildings adheres closely to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protocols. “We do pretty intensive safety training… and we follow safety guidelines,” says Troyer. “The biggest thing is not trying to rush people and to let them do their job—quality work at a steady pace. I think that’s the key for safety: focusing on quality and taking your time to do it right.”

This has been a priority from the start. The company was founded in 2014 by Tim Troyer and his brothers, who learned about construction firsthand from their father. The young firm primarily focused on pole barns for farmers but soon grew to encompass multiple sectors.

One thing that hasn’t changed since the early days of the company is the importance of faith. The Troyers are devout Mennonites, a Christian denomination that emphasizes hard work, family values, and simple living. Philanthropy is one way the family puts its beliefs into practice; when we spoke, Tim Troyer had just returned from a trip to Africa. His African mission was undertaken alongside Feeding the Orphans, a non-profit group from Knoxville, Tennessee that provides care, support, and religious uplift for the needy. Troyer Post Buildings also works with local food banks, adoption centers, and other charitable endeavors.

The family also expresses its faith through honesty and fair dealing, business practices that lead to win-win results. “We built a name in the industry for being trustworthy. We do what we say we’re going to do. At the end of the day, if we say we’re going to be there, we’ll be there. When you build with us, there are no hidden surprises. You get what you signed up for,” says Troyer.

The element of trust applies to the company’s supply chain as well, and Troyer Post Buildings prefers to work with a selection of known vendors rather than constantly switching suppliers based solely on price. “We consider our suppliers our partners. We try to create long-term relationships with our suppliers and treat them like part of the company. We try to create a win-win situation for both of us,” explains Troyer.

Promotion is handled in a low-key and decidedly unflashy fashion. While the company uses social media, online marketing, and banners to promote itself, it also sets up booths at country and local fairs to spread the word.

Clearly, it’s a winning strategy, as the firm’s workload has increased so much it’s expanded from 40 employees at the time of our previous profile to 60 today.

“When you do good work, you always get more work. All of our departments have grown,” says Troyer.

To be sure, he is proud of the company’s ability to create good, new jobs within local communities. When it comes to new hires, the company likes “humble and hungry people,” he says. This fits with the company’s culture, which is centered on such values as trust, innovation, consistency, and being helpful.

Thankfulness is another core value: “We’re very blessed by God, so we’re thankful for that. We’re trying to make our decisions based on what would please God and to follow the principles that’s he’s laid out,” explains Troyer.

The company aims to remain debt-free when possible and to constantly add value in everything it does—and this later trait applies to employees and clients alike. “We’re focused on adding value to each other as a team. We’re focused on adding value to our customers,” says Troyer.

Its success has not gone unnoticed, and the company has been earning industry kudos as of late. In April 2025, Troyer Post Buildings was ranked #224 on the Financial Times’ list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies. The list ranks the 300 companies in the U.S. with the largest revenue growth between 2020 and 2023. The firm was also awarded as Best Pole Barn Builder from The Greeneville Sun, and has ‘Recommended Builder’ status from Upper Cumberland MLS. Tim Troyer is reluctant to take credit for these achievements, stating he’s “blessed to have a good team to work with,” and that earning such honors wouldn’t be possible with their efforts.

Of course, Troyer Post Buildings faces its share of challenges and difficulties. The company is dealing with the impact of “a lackadaisical economy… people are struggling, and don’t have extra money. We’re trying to show our customers… that what we bring to the table is worth what they’re paying for,” says Troyer.

Still, things look good for the company, which plans to build on its existing competencies instead of adding new services per se. “We’re just trying to do what we do and do it well,” says Tim Troyer. “I just hope that we can serve more customers in the future and continue to build an even bigger and better team.”

The post This Family Business Offers Building Alternatives<p class="company">Troyer Post Buildings</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

View Homes is a unique, award-winning home building company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with a multi-state presence, a flair for aesthetics, and a reputation for customer support. This firm offers a wide array of new homes to prospective buyers in different communities in a variety of styles, sizes, and price points.

In operation for over 30 years, View Homes works with a series of franchise partners and brands including Horizon View Homes, Aspen View Homes, and Desert View Homes. Through these partners, the company provides affordable luxury across New Mexico, Texas, Iowa, South Dakota, and Colorado. But what sets the company apart isn’t just how many homes it builds; it’s how it builds them. At the heart of its philosophy is a simple belief: “build high-quality, forward-thinking homes in places people want to live, [and] you’ll have happy customers for life.” This insight guides everything View Homes does.

Indeed, View Homes doesn’t chase trends; instead, it learns from people, with a design process that begins with understanding how buyers want to live. That means creating floorplans and communities that feel intuitive and welcoming, spaces that blend timeless style with practical features people truly appreciate. Standard offerings often include upgrades that other builders might charge extra for, so homeowners get added value as a baseline.

The company pairs its construction expertise with “best-in-class customer service,” a commitment to guiding buyers from first look through closing and beyond. This commitment is designed to exceed expectations at every step, a promise that has contributed to the company’s growth and reputation and been recognized by the broader industry with a series of awards, including the NRS Award in Customer Satisfaction, two consecutive “Builder of the Year” awards, and the Better Business Bureau Torch Award, the organization’s highest honor for ethics and business practices.

The company’s transparent, service-first approach is exemplified by its easy-to-navigate website, launched in 2023. Since a home is one of the biggest investments a family will make, View Homes takes that responsibility seriously, making it easy at every step for prospective buyers to find what they’re looking for. As Valerie Varney, View Homes National Vice President of Marketing, puts it, “We wanted a site that reflects the innovative approach we take when building our homes. Not only does our new site offer a fresh modern look, but the ease of use and new customization elements allow for a more intuitive and responsive user experience. It’s never been simpler to find the View home that perfectly suits your family’s needs,” she says.

The “Find Your Home” tab offers a wealth of information about a range of properties and neighborhoods, while Community Overviews note key details such as local schools, parks, nearby Interstates, military bases, retail offerings, and more—all important details for people looking for a place to settle and put down roots. Potential buyers can also enjoy digital walkthroughs of the company’s home designs to gain a better feel for the interiors, exteriors, and overall space, and can access advice for first-time homebuyers, tips for accessing financing, and more.

View Homes’ website also showcases its Thoughtful Home Collection, an “unparalleled collection of homes [that] represents decades of experience and research, resulting in our most technologically advanced residences to date,” says the company.

This collection consists of attractive houses with high-tech touches and user-friendly features, representing “the ultimate in modern living.” Each Thoughtful Home comes with a top-end HVAC system, a fully finished garage with heating/cooling and epoxy floors, a water treatment system, a touchless faucet and soft close kitchen cabinets, “Whole House” connectivity and a Wi-fi network on each floor, three garage lifestyle options (a murphy bar, a fitness area, or a work bench), and an Amazon drop box on the front porch.

The Thoughtful Home Collection is currently offered at Callan Village in Waco, Texas, and at The View at Desert Springs in El Paso, Texas.

To be sure, View Homes has built a robust marketplace presence with its family of brands, each reflecting the unique character of its region while maintaining the company’s core values of quality and customer focus. The company also offers a Local Builder Program, inviting experienced homebuilders and construction professionals to bring View Homes’ models and values to new markets. This program taps into shared technology, design resources, and operational support to help partners succeed under the View Homes umbrella.

Ultimately, View Homes does more than just sell homes; it builds neighborhoods and strengthens entire communities. The company values compassion, excellence, honesty, and collaboration, and these principles inform all aspects of the business, from material selection to sales, marketing, and post-purchase service. Support for clients doesn’t end once the homeowners receive the key to their property; rather, View Homes provides warranties along with support for customers experiencing after-hours emergencies, who can contact the company for intervention.

View Homes represents a hybrid model in the homebuilding space: a company with enough scale to operate across multiple states and brands, but with a commitment to craftsmanship and customer feedback more commonly seen with regional or boutique builders. From first-time buyers to people upgrading into their forever homes, View Homes focuses on the human side of homebuilding, delivering places where families can grow, thrive, and make memories. The company’s ongoing evolution—including dynamic online tools—reflects a company that listens to its customers and adapts without losing sight of its foundational values.

As the firm continues to grow, its mission remains the same: to provide great properties at decent prices, paired with excellent customer service during all aspects of the homebuying experience.

The post Creating Happy Customers for Life<p class="company">View Homes</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

As one of the most reliable and effective producers and wholesale distributors of premium HVAC sheet metal products and equipment serving Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Kansas, and Texas, this 100 percent employee-owned (ESOP) company is both proudly family-founded and made in the USA.

Offering contractors in the Western United States a comprehensive range of heating and air conditioning system products, Hercules Industries cultivates a continuous improvement mindset and culture within its organization, making investments in the company as it grows in order to provide resources to accommodate a wide variety of upcoming opportunities.

In terms of the company’s various expansions, acquisitions, and strategic growth plans, Hercules Industries is looking ahead with purpose and potential.

“We continue to invest in distribution centers across major cities within our regions, strengthening logistics and optimizing inventory management,” explains Southern Region Manager, Paul Torcoletti. “At the same time, we are actively evaluating both new and existing markets to ensure we meet our personnel talent needs, expand product lines, and secure the right square footage. These initiatives are central to our long-term growth as we execute our strategic plan with focus and discipline.”

Founded in Denver in 1962 by William E. Newland, Hercules now runs five manufacturing facilities and 23 sales and distribution centers in Colorado (in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Pueblo, and Grand Junction); Utah (in Salt Lake City, Sandy, and Ogden); Arizona (in Tempe, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tucson, Surprise, and Show Low); New Mexico (in Albuquerque, Roswell, and Las Cruces); Wyoming (in Casper and Cheyenne); Texas (in El Paso); and Kansas (in Lenexa). Until October 2019, the Newland family owned and operated the company before finalizing the transfer of ownership to its employees on October 1, 2019, ensuring the continuation of its long-term, family-oriented values.

“Employee ownership is a privilege that offers every individual the opportunity to build life-changing wealth,” Torcoletti emphasizes. “We embrace a philosophy of continuous improvement, knowing that as we grow together, we create not only financial success but also a deep sense of self-worth and pride in our shared accomplishments.”

Hercules Industries has made continual investments in manufacturing and distribution infrastructure, customer relations, and human resources since its founding in 1962, particularly in production expansion to provide opportunities in new markets with a full range of products, from HVAC equipment to a variety of duct systems.

Since the early 1980s, the company has also invested in its manufacturing facilities, leading to substantial expansion and improved daily customer service, while striving to offer the greatest range of HVAC products on the market. Among those products are Mighty Tough sealants and adhesives, a comprehensive line, as well as Hercules’ custom commercial duct fabrication.

The company’s Commercial Division—one of Hercules’ five production facilities spread across five states supporting the company’s fabrication of commercial and residential sheet metal products—has been producing conventional and specialized sheet metal and fiberglass products for commercial and industrial use since 1999, and is now among the biggest steel fabrication facilities in the Western United States. From project takeoff and estimating to delivering the completed product to the job site, Hercules serves all the needs of its HVAC contractor clients.

Among the company’s other products are single and double wall rectangular duct and fittings, grease duct and other welded applications, spiral pipe systems (DuraFlange joints or self-sealing gasket systems), polyvinyl coated underground duct and fume exhaust systems, flat oval duct and fittings, fiberglass duct fabrication with sound boots, shearing capabilities up to 3/8” 12-foot mild steel, HVAC duct accessories, and residential and commercial equipment.

Through Hercules’ Engineered Products Division, projects are completed quickly, precisely, and affordably, thanks to skilled estimators, and are guaranteed to boost clients’ bottom lines and offer peace of mind, especially when combined with the company’s high-quality products.

Additionally, Hercules can now use its Automated Seam Welder to develop bespoke projects. Combined with its technology, work is done automatically to create whatever precise, ready-to-use product is required, whether that is grease ducts, exhaust stacks, vacuum systems, laundry/linen chutes, huge welding projects, dust collection systems, vehicle exhaust systems, fully welded venting systems, welded sleeves, or waste/recyclable material chutes.

Along with these investments in both manufacturing capacity and equipment, the company has also experienced a period of expansion, says Northern Region Manager, John Newland. “In light of the economic headwinds that we’ve faced in both residential and commercial markets, we’ve realized the importance of continuing to invest in areas that we know will produce opportunities and have long-term growth in future years.”

March 2024 saw the opening of a new distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona, now one of the company’s key points of distribution along with Salt Lake City and Denver, with Ogden, Utah and Lenexa, Kansas also opening in the last year and a half.

“Though we began as a distributor, we eventually invested to become a fully encompassed HVAC manufacturer.” Over time, Hercules made the decision to add to its distribution offering by adding full lines of residential and commercial HVAC equipment. Newland says, “We looked at this as another avenue for growth and diversification, and as we’ve continued to expand in the equipment markets, it’s been a launch pad for us to grow in areas that we haven’t been in before. Overall, diversification has allowed us to continue in upward directions in downtimes.”

Along with investing in the company’s products and sales growth, its strategic growth plan also embraces a number of personal pillars. “It’s been a consistent investment in new branches, new products, as well as our people,” Newland says. “If we remain committed to the investments that we’ve made, we’re very confident that we’re able to continue to grow exponentially more than what we are doing today.”

Through Hercules University, each employee takes required courses, such as workplace conduct and OSHA, as well as additional professional development courses and product knowledge courses, such as Condenser 101, Heat Pumps 101, and Furnace 101. These courses have proven invaluable in helping educate employees in various areas of the company’s products and specializations.

“Training has been a big initiative for us, especially as we continue to grow into new markets and bring aboard new employees to supplement our growth. We want to be able to bring value to our customers, and arming our employees with training on product, industry updates, and tools to bring accuracy and expediency to our product delivery will all provide this needed value,” Newland adds.

Operating under an ESOP means the employees also have a large say in what’s going on within the company. They’re able to join a committee that ties in with decision-making processes and participate in initiatives to boost employee morale. And an internal social media platform keeps everyone connected through announcements, be they work-related or not. “We’ve heard the saying that ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast,’ and we truly believe this. Many aspects contribute to a strong culture, but it ultimately ties back to living and acting in accordance with our company values of servant leadership, common good, and human dignity,” says Newland. “We started as a family business, and even though we are now an ESOP, we still strive to maintain the same family culture that allowed us to grow to where we are today.”

It’s that connectedness and knowing each employee plays an integral part in the company as a whole that has helped shape Hercules’ success within the industry, both as a wholesaler and a manufacturer.

“For a lot of the wholesaler distributors that are competitors, that’s all they do,” Associate Brand Manager Emily Eads says. “We produce and fabricate our own ductwork, we sell sheet metal, and we sell steel coils through our own separate Steel Division; the vast majority of wholesalers don’t have that. We’re a combo: you can do an entire HVAC job with us from start to finish. We have everything you need.”

“Because of the constant reinvestment back into the company, we have an advantage over many distributors that we pass along to our customers to allow them to be successful in the market. By eliminating another step in the supply chain, we are able to better keep up with our customers’ demands as well as eliminate risks of product outages especially during turbulent economic times,” says Newland.

Keeping goals in sight in the upcoming years will be an ongoing priority for Hercules while embracing the long-term strategic growth plan.

The company also recently launched a new ERP and a brand-new website in April at the same time, on the same day, Eads adds, closing completely for two days to revamp and transfer all data internally and externally. “We established a whole new system when it comes to managing our sales, data, and marketing, and our customers got a new face on the outside as well,” says Eads. “We’ve made a lot of investments into our e-commerce platform, streamlining the process for current customers and reaching an even broader audience.”

While getting the new website to a point where both customers and employees are completely satisfied with how it works—which includes being able to access all images and spec sheets from all of Hercules’ different vendors—is an ongoing task, there are a few other industry challenges to tackle as well. “The industry-wide refrigerant transition has been our most significant challenge in recent years,” Torcoletti tells us, adding that managing the reduction of R401A inventory while ensuring the availability and rollout of R454B and R32 has been critical to maintaining competitiveness in the market. “At the same time, rising interest rates have slowed residential new construction and project financing has faced numerous delays, adding further complexity to our operating environment.”

Hercules Industries is more than up to the task, however, ready to embrace and enhance its various expansions, acquisitions, and strategic growth plans, both in the sales and manufacturing areas, as well as through vital attention paid to employees.

“Building a world-class culture is a long-term journey that requires years of dedication,” Torcoletti says. “It demands unwavering commitment and a true team effort as we strengthen the network within our company, ensuring that every individual contributes to and benefits from the collective success we create together.”

Contact Hercules for all of your HVAC needs! Visit www.herculesindustries.com or call (800) 356 5350.

The post Collective Success: Building a World-Class Culture at Home<p class="company">Hercules Industries</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

It comes as no surprise, then, that legacy operators are developing innovative ways to expand their reach and secure their stake in this lucrative field. McShea Contracting, a leading road striping firm based in Lehigh Acres, is currently leading the way in establishing Florida’s largest-ever presence in this market.

Following Florida’s rapid population growth boosting road user rates to all-time highs, McShea Contracting spent the past year and a half turning itself into the state’s single largest company of its kind with the help of a few strategic acquisitions and decades of solid business acumen. Specializing in methyl methacrylate paint services for the road infrastructure sector, McShea’s premium UV- and weather-resistant road markings keep road users safe across the state by improving traffic flow and safety management.

In a state that rates third in fatal road incidents with more than 24 million registered vehicles and nearly 19 million drivers on the road, McShea Contracting understands its crucial role in Florida’s efforts to improve road user safety only too well. Now, with this large group dedicated to end-user satisfaction and road safety in the state, fingers are crossed that the people of Florida will continue to see a steady decline in road accidents despite current, widely reported congestion issues.

To this end, the McShea team is committed to playing a significant role in helping to keep traffic across the Sunshine State running smoothly. With federal support implemented through programs such as the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Safe System Approach, overall traffic infrastructure such as roundabouts and other management and speed control features is also being improved.

With a strategy that smartly defies the old-fashioned way of expansion—where burgeoning organizations become too impersonal to care about remaining in touch with the humans that make them work—this forward-thinking company recently acquired some of its most respected competitors. Going from 90 employees to over 430 and nearly five times its original earnings in revenue, it created a single company powerful enough to serve the 65,758-square-mile geographic region of Florida with personal service delivery that puts a positive customer experience at the heart of its mission. This is achieved with the help of McShea’s highly engaged micro teams, who are familiar with customers and continue nurturing these valuable relationships with the same care the company did when it was a smaller operator.

Growing from four offices serving the state’s southern regions to 10 serving the state, McShea’s goal is simple: to provide a comprehensive road striping service that not only integrates with its road builder customers’ schedules and their overall needs, but also delivers a quality service with a high level of personal engagement. “Of course, we don’t claim to be perfect. But we do handle any mistakes or problems on jobs,” says Dan McWilliams, President, of the company’s commitment to becoming a premium preferred supplier in its market.

True to its roots, open communication leads the way at McShea. The company’s improved capacity now also means extending its reach to new geographies. To achieve this as seamlessly as possible, weekly scheduling meetings serve as gathering posts where plans for such expansion are discussed and implemented.

Officially established in 2009, the family contractor had its earliest origins in Michigan, where McWilliams’ uncle established the mother operation, PK Contracting, half a century ago—a company that is still in business there. Following the striping business to their uncle’s holiday house in Florida, Dan and his cousin decided to leverage their access to generational knowledge and longstanding connections with Michigan road constructors to build their own business. “We started with one little office and just a couple of trucks,” McWilliams says.

The business grew, and in 2021, the family sold both their operations to a private equity outfit, Frontline Road Safety Group. “That was a change for us because we went from a family-owned mom and pop business to a more corporate structure,” McWilliams continues. Having had similar propositions in the past, the family was, at first, not too keen on this one either. Keeping its family-owned character was important, and so was retaining its staff. However, once Frontline made it clear that the acquisition would require the company to continue operating with all its existing staff and management intact, the offer was accepted. The rest, as they say, is history.

In this way, McShea’s company culture was preserved, McWilliams stayed on, and today, the firm is stronger than ever. Following the first acquisition, that of Sanford, Florida’s Oglesby Construction in 2024, owners Tim Parker and his son continued running the operation as they had for decades. Emerald Coast Striping in Pensacola followed only a month or so later. That was followed by another two acquisitions in Tallahassee and Panama City, respectively. There is also Angco Striping in Longwood, all in the state of Florida.

News of McShea’s steady expansion got around as well as its reputation for being a good and fair employer. As a result, the company saw over 70 percent of another competitor’s staff join its ranks following a steady decline in staff satisfaction there. “We had no idea it was going to be the domino effect that it was,” McWilliams says of the en masse walk-over that would enable McShea to open yet another facility, this time in Plant City. Frontline then purchased said competitor’s parent firm, securing a fully operational office space in the same city that the original McShea Plant City outfit could then move into.

Considering the number of acquisitions since July last year, it stands to reason that blending all these teams into a well-functioning unit with a healthy operational culture has taken some careful planning. With every acquired business bringing a decade or two of operational value to McShea, alongside many decades of collective expertise, the company is now in a better position for scaling its operations than ever.

“I’m very proud,” says McWilliams. “We’re still trying to put this thing together operationally in terms of combining our best aspects. It’s a special thing for us all to be on the same side now and have all this knowledge and these resources under one roof.”

Naturally, all this effort is underscored by McShea’s deep understanding of the market—and the importance of pleasing its customers through more powerful capabilities and ever-improving service. As such, it is looking at two more companies it hopes will soon join its stable of service providers. This will enable the team to better serve the entire state, including the region between Gainesville and Jacksonville.

In further developing its service portfolio, McShea is also exploring the addition of rumble strips—a safety feature applied to tarmac where road surface incisions alert drivers to potential hazards. There is also traffic maintenance work lined up in the state’s panhandle region, which will see the advent of package deals that its contractor client base will soon benefit from.

Remaining in stride with its customers’ demanding schedules also means being able to pivot at short notice. By maintaining a well-supervised network of operators across the state, the company’s extended team is able to reach most of Florida. And, with the largest fleet of striping equipment in the state, becoming multi-talented has become a superpower that McShea Contracting is especially proud of.

“We want to be the leading road striper in the state of Florida, providing the best service to all the prime road building contractors,” McWilliams says. Recognizing the sheer volume of expertise and collective time in the field that this company brings to the table, more and more road-building contractors are increasingly turning to McShea for durable industry excellence in roadmarking and other infrastructure services that they know they can count on.

The post Striping the State of Florida<p class="company">McShea Contracting</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Approaching 20 years in business in 2026, Brush Arbor Homes is recognized as one of the top builders in Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area. The firm provides its clients with timeless luxury, incorporating hand-crafted wood floors, bespoke handrails, and classic elements paired with the latest and greatest in modern features and fixtures. A home from Brush Arbor is “designed to remain timeless as it evolves with your family and our area’s discerning real estate market.”

Yet building glamorous villas is not all this dynamic firm does. Rooted in a culture of care for people, the proudest aspect of the company’s mandate is its BuyOne BuildOne program.

Under this program, for each high-end home Brush Arbor builds, it commits to building one home for a less fortunate person or a family in need of a roof over their heads, typically in a developing country. Each of these homes is built with a designated share of the profits from the company’s builds in the United States.

Brush Arbor Homes’ efforts do not stop with the donation of the money. The team regularly travels abroad to get physically involved in building these homes, ensuring that its high standards are upheld no matter the location. The team also contributes to the construction of community centers and clinics, improving the lives of those who might be living in economically challenged regions.

Moreover, Brush Arbor Homes has also begun to collaborate on the construction of churches used by Compassion International for helping underage victims of sex trafficking. Historically, locations include countries like South Sudan, Uganda, Guatemala, Bolivia, and others in South America, where Brush Arbor Homes’ founder and owner Jonathan Smith lived for some time.

Back on American soil, the region the company serves is already highly populated; as a result, land is scarce and comes at a premium. Brush Arbor’s solution is to find and purchase land which it then offers to clients, alongside building speculatively. In this case, finding good lots typically means rebuilding on formerly occupied land. The process can be tedious and costly, but is worth it for those in search of an address in this desirable area. “Inside the beltway, there isn’t a lot of raw land, but usually, when people retire, land becomes available. It’s very competitive,” Smith says.

This, he points out, is due to a trend of foreign builders looking to protect capital from offshore fluctuations by investing in real estate in the United States, which has impacted American construction companies by driving up the price of tear-downs.

“We build for very wealthy people,” he explains, “but the guys who are working on the houses are generally not wealthy, and so we’re passionate about treating every person with dignity and respect,” Smith says, exemplifying the company’s approach of doing business with decency and empathy.

“I’m excited to show young people especially just what helping others does for you, why God calls us to help other people. It’s not just for them; it’s for you,” Smith says. His reason for sharing this precious knowledge is simple but profound: “I feel like a lot of young people are looking for a sense of purpose and mission in their life, and that God tells us to help other people because it helps us as much as it helps them.” Living this universal truth for a lifetime, Smith would know.

Having established trusting relationships with partners abroad, Smith relies on them to connect the company with individuals in need in each respective area. Story after story is touching, but some stand out, like that of a young single mom in South Sudan with two children living in a makeshift lean-to. This vulnerable living condition led to her daughter with Down syndrome being routinely violated. Their new home featured lockable doors and windows that could protect the family from criminal entry, other intruders, and monsoon-style rains.

The process of connecting a local construction client with a foreign family is relatively straightforward. By connecting with its partners across 10 countries, Brush Arbor receives the profile of an identified family whose story the company then shares with a customer ready to start construction on their American home. As the house takes shape, progress on the BuyOne BuildOne home is shared with them—an experience that is understandably precious to the philanthropically-minded.

Not everyone everywhere is as well-intentioned as well-meaning people would like, so part of the identification process includes partners assisting families in securing title deeds to land first. This simply means that the company is then assured that no third parties can lay claim to the homes it builds for the needy. Smith has many stories to tell about these situations, which explain why he and his partners make it a habit to serve as support figures in the background in case new foreign homeowners have difficulties with jealous neighbors or family members, which has been all too common.

“One time, we had built a house for a widow and her children. Her sister and brother-in-law kicked her out of that house and were making her live in the shack next door,” Smith shares. In response, Smith went the extra mile, flying there himself and explaining to the envious relatives how things would go from then on, which solved the problem.

The Brush Arbor Homes team enjoys its foreign construction projects as much as it enjoys its work on home soil. “We had six or eight employees with family members and friends who went to Guatemala in August,” he tells us. The team built several houses and repaired existing buildings for a few of its partners. “It’s a blessing to us as a team to see that and meet a family that’s so grateful for our work.”

While Smith runs the company on Christian principles, with his focus on the universal truths reflected in the Gospel, he does not expect his team to subscribe to his faith. On the contrary, people of all backgrounds tend to stay at Brush Arbor Homes because they appreciate the culture. To maintain this overall spirit, the team gathers monthly to discuss projects at home and abroad, sharing details of identified families and meticulously planning the mission.

“Not everybody in our company believes the same way that I do, and that’s okay. They know that they have the freedom to believe whatever they wish,” Smith says. “It’s free information that we can share, and people can take it or leave it.”

As a servant leader with as much respect for his team as he has for his customers, Smith is heartfelt in his appreciation. “I like my team because they get the bigger picture. They get the fact that we don’t want to just work to make as much money as possible, but that there’s an eternal value in what we do.”

To this end, the company places family values above its bottom line. In Smith’s experience, this approach makes everyone better team players, improving in turn the quality of the company’s work in the field and delivering longevity.

Smith explains that his success was not a magical rise to the top, but rather a hard-earned path of relentless commitment to his faith and his people. Working for a big-name national construction firm upon his return from South America at the age of 27, Smith soon realized that the business-as-usual status quo did not live up to his inherent sense of ethics. Following what could be described as a divine hunch, the entrepreneur set out to build himself a construction company with integrity. “It was a pretty risky proposition. But I knew that I felt like God was saying, ‘you can do this’ and that I wanted to be able to do things like BuyOne BuildOne and not live from paycheck to paycheck,” he shares.

His hunch paid off. Today, Brush Arbor Homes is an example of down-to-earth authenticity, and of how business done right can yield positive results. Today, even his children are involved in the mission. His daughters make significant contributions, and his eldest and youngest sons have both travelled with him, as well as solo, to help build some of the houses.

Coming up on its twentieth year in business, “We’re stronger than we’ve ever been just because we have great people. And I could say something about each one of them that is specific to that person just from their character,” Jonathan Smith says. “I’m blessed to have the team that we have.”

The post Building Homes, Relationships, and Hope<p class="company">Brush Arbor Homes </p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.