FEBRUARY 2026 with are our biggest champions.” The company’s biggest challenge, however, is getting that chance in the first place. Melinda says there are still sector-wide barriers to broader adoption, including risk aversion, limited exposure to offsite techniques, and financing models that release funds only when materials reach the jobsite, even though much of the building is fabricated in the factory. “Change is difficult,” Melinda says. “There’s the risk you know and the risk you don’t know, and people are more comfortable with the risk they know. But the truth is we can actually significantly de-risk projects with our products. Using panels, you can get an enclosure up within a quarter or a sixth or even a tenth of the time it would take using traditional site-built methods. Once clients see that, they don’t want to go back.” Moving forward, Tooketree’s goal is to continue educating clients about the benefits of panelization – though they believe there’s room for the government to do more to help educate builders as well, and to push them towards CSAcertified panel producers and modular builders. They also believe there needs to be significant changes to the procurement and financing side of the business. In particular, they want to see a shift towards more integrated project delivery that brings all stakeholders – owners, designers, contractors, trades, and offsite manufacturers – together early in the process. “That way, right from the beginning, we can really make sure that we are optimizing the design for the highest quality and getting the most efficient and cost-effective build,” Melinda explains. “The traditional linear of design-bid-build model is not coherent with doing offsite construction, and so that needs to change.” Looking ahead, Tooketree also plans to keep growing. As previously mentioned, they are already in the process of greatly expanding their facility – Melinda believes “we could easily have 10 times our output capacity given what we’re doing to the building and the efficiencies we’re gaining.” Tooketree is also in the process of adding more team members, and forming more partnerships with municipalities, as well as not-for-profits like the Keepers of the Circle. Their biggest priority is simply “to get more projects built and get more people in good quality long term sustainable housing,” Melinda concludes. “It’s good for the climate and it’s good for people.”
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