initiatives and progressive building techniques,” he recalls. “I remember we actually bonded over discussions around air sealing and detailing windows. From there we agreed to team up and we amalgamated.” Aaron came from a background in sales and marketing, so while Ian focused on building, Aaron focused on growing the company. They started with just the two of them, but they grew quickly, and within a year they were employing a team of 12-to-15 carpenters and about five project managers. Three or four years after, they had grown to a team of over 50 people between the field and the office. From there, the company took a slight detour as they purchased a 13,000-square-foot warehouse space in order to start a panelization business. At the time, Ian was a “bull” on off-site manufacturing – though he’s since changed his mind. “At the time, I thought it was the solution to a lot of construction problems,” he recalls. “I no longer think that. At least in the custom building world, I don’t think it’s the solution. I’m full bear on that now. I don’t see the efficiency gains in any way, shape, or form. I think our problems are different and the solution is entirely different.” Fortunately, Ian and Aaron were able to cleanly divest from that business without any lasting negative impact, even despite the challenges of COVID at the time. From there, they saw an opportunity to expand into Muskoka, where they teamed with a locally-based owner. Aaron moved up there full-time time about three years ago, and the Muskoka office now employs between 12-to-15 people. Ian continues to oversee the company’s operations in the GTA, though in the last year he’s taken a step back to focus on a new venture called Projekt Network, which he sees as “the solution to the pervasive skilled trades issue that we’re experiencing across North America” – more on that later. APRIL 2026
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