Quality people, quality work
Kyle Demelo Construction is an excavating company based in the Okanagan, with the ability to deliver contracts anywhere across British Columbia. Backed by their experienced management team, their dedicated staff, their expansive fleet of heavy equipment, and the latest technology, they have the capability to efficiently oversee any type of excavating project, large or small. Kyle Demelo, the company’s eponymous founder and co-owner, is a third-generation farmer and has spent much of his life living in the South Okanagan. Prior to starting this company, he was a professional freestyle motocross athlete. His partner, Felicity Johnson, graduated with honours from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Business Management. Prior to helping found KD Construction, she was the general manager for another successful-start up business – Area 27 Motorsports Park. When COVID happened, both Kyle and Felicity decided they wanted a change. They purchased an excavator and a skid steer and took a job pulling out an orchard for a family friend in the nearby town of Oliver. The work just continued from there. About a year in, Joe Vieira, Kyle’s cousin, joined the company as a partner and the general manager. Joe came from a long career in the civil construction industry, having started when he was just 19 years old. He was previously consulting for oil and mining companies across Canada, and was getting tired of travelling when Kyle approached him and asked him to help the company expand into the civil space. According to Felicity, Joe agreeing and coming on board “really propelled the company to what it is now.” Today, KD Construction provides a variety KD CONSTRUCTION
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of services, including: mass earth moving, subdivision development, agricultural builds, civil infrastructure, and environmental construction. In terms of industry sectors, they are currently focusing on commercial, industrial and institutional projects. In terms of geography, they mainly work in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan. And in terms of project size, Joe says there’s virtually nothing too small or too big – the company can take on projects valued anywhere from thousands to millions. According to both Joe and Felicity, there are a plethora of factors that set KD Construction apart within their broad niche. One of the main factors, they say, is their quality of work. Felicity largely credits that quality to the calibre of their team – and to Joe in particular. “Joe has an incredible wealth of knowledge and a vast array of expertise, but one thing that never waivers are his really high standards for deliverables,” she says. According to Kyle himself, the company’s other team members might not have as many years of industry experience, but he says they are equally passionate. He shares the credit with them. “We have between 10 and 15 staff, and everyone really cares. They have the same attention to detail. Everyone takes pride in their work and works really well together. And by staying a smaller company, we can ensure that everyone who works with us is a really high-quality person.” Another factor that sets KD Construction apart, Joe adds, is their ability to quickly design and re-design engineering plans. That ability helps greatly with keeping projects on schedule – “and on schedule usually means on budget,” Joe KD CONSTRUCTION
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KD CONSTRUCTION says. Again, he credits that ability largely to his experience. “Oil companies and mining companies used to hire me to do constructability reviews for engineers,” he explains. “So I would oversee multiple engineers on their designs and give them feedback on how we can make it constructible so that when we get out into the field we have ironed out some of the changes. After doing that for a few years, I learned to look at a set of plans and visually identify what needs changing to make them work. I also learned how to make those changes in the field. That’s an ability I’ve picked up over the years.” Part of KD Construction’s ability to be efficient and re-design as needed should also be attributed to the technology they use. GPS is common in their line of work and several of their pieces of equipment are outfitted with Trimble Sitech GPS hardware for efficiency and accuracy. In conjunction with Trimble Business Center (a Trimble CAD/Civil 3D model program), they actually have the ability to create project models in-house for the GPS equipment. KD Construction also uses drone technology to capture large areas of survey information with a designated flight path that can cover up to 200 acres in 15 minutes – it would typically take ground surveyors three-to-five days to extrapolate that much data. By using drones like that, and by using the Propeller program, they can capture highresolution survey topography data that is within two centimeters accuracy and a two-centimeter grid.
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KD CONSTRUCTION “This software also allows us to check elevations, design cut/fill requirements, measure distances, areas, volumes, and more,” says Kyle, “but we work in a world of millimeter differences, so we also use a Robotic Total Station for accuracy to one-millimeter survey stakeouts.” On top of that, KD Construction is also backed by a very strong team of employees – like Kyle said; it’s not just him and Joe driving the company’s success. “For this kind of work, we have a great team,” Joe reiterates. “We have a younger team member, Ryan Powell, who really helps on the technology side with our survey and CAD services that we offer on projects. We also have a great superintendent, Mat Jabalee, who has been with us for a few years now, who helps implement everything in the field and oversees projects. It’s definitely a team environment.” When it comes to adding people to that environment, Joe reiterates that they are very selective about who they work with. A big part of it, he says, is “they have to enjoy what they’re doing and have a good attitude.” “I’d rather teach somebody with a good attitude than have somebody that has experience but doesn’t fit the culture,” he says. “We want people with the right mentality. We also want people who are hungry to learn and take personal pride in what they do. I think that definitely describes the people we have now.” KD Construction has also formed some strong relationships with suppliers, vendors, and subcontractors. Felicity describes those partners as “integral to our operations.” She goes on to add that, “we use predominantly CAT equipment, so we would not be where we are today without the support from the Finning Kelowna branch. Their customer service with sales, warranties, repairs and maintenance are what keep our equipment running at 100 per cent availability.” “We’ve built a lot of great relationships,” she says. “We are good to them and they’re good to us. We go above and beyond for each other. That’s just one of those things about working here. West Kelowna and the Okanagan in general is actually a fairly small area, so word travels fast within the industry.” Another good example of a close partner would be Emco Waterworks Interior, which is based out of Kelowna. Emco Waterworks is the largest waterworks distributor in Canada, with a network of 48 locations located across the country, but their business platform is decentralized. That means Emco Waterworks Interior is able to offer a higher level of customer care, the kind typically associated with smaller, privately-held companies – all while still leveraging the purchasing power, ERP systems, and economies of scale that come up with being part of a national business. KD Construction has long benefitted from that unique value proposition.
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA No compromises on quality Over the past few years, KD Construction has largely grown on the back of referrals and repeat work, including some direct award work. That shows the kind of relationships they have built with customers. In fact, Joe goes as far as to say, “I don’t think we’ve had any bad reviews.” Moving forward, one of the company’s main goals is to keep up that streak. Another main goal is to get into bigger projects. They are already well on their way there, as some of their current projects are among their biggest yet. For example, throughout the winter they have been working on a seven-acre industrial park in West Kelowna. They have also been working on multiple school additions in Kelowna and West Kelowna. In the future, they are poised to take on a big pipeline in conjunction with the Black Mountain Irrigation District. They also have a subdivision in Lake Country that will commence this month – that’s been on the books for over a year-and-a-half and
KD CONSTRUCTION they are excited to get started. Though the projects may get bigger, the KD Construction management team is content with the current size of the company. Joe calls growth a “double-edged sword.” He has personally worked at companies that have doubled and tripled their revenues in his time there, only to see their profit margins drop, along with their quality. He doesn’t want to see that happen at KD Construction. “I don’t want to grow and compromise on quality,” he states definitively. “I also don’t want to lose the connection that we have with our workers. I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re just a number. I’ve worked with bigger companies and I’ve seen what that does to people when they feel that way.” “Right now we have control over everything that’s going on, we have great staff and a great culture, and our clients are very happy,” he concludes. “That’s what matters most to us.”
For more on Kyle Demelo Construction, their range of services, their past projects, and their commitment to safety – and to get in touch with their expert team, including Kyle, Felicity and Joe – visit their website https://kd.construction/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
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