renovations, often with a design sensibility that respects older homes and traditional aesthetics. Accordingly, Emco Stratford has tailored their showroom – which is called The Ensuite – to cater to homeowners and custom homebuilders, and to showcase more traditional products than some of the showrooms in other locations. At the same time, Emco Stratford’s showroom also caters to contractors and plumbers, who Joshua describes as the “foundation of our business.” “We try to ensure a consistent experience for everyone who walks through our doors,” he says. “We want to make sure that they feel seen, heard, and appreciated. When they walk back to their cars – or their Ubers – we want them to not just feel enlightened and excited with the possibilities for their given project, but also thrilled with the thought of their next opportunity to come back through our doors.” Emco Stratford’s showroom also reflects the character of the community they serve. He credits the showroom’s recent success to the “incredibly creative local designers” who put their fingerprint on it. Ambiance Interiors, a firm based in nearby Atwood, played a significant role in the initial renovation, and the firm continually works with other locally-based talent to stay modern and upto-date. “I have a lot of very creative and far smarter people around me who help keep us on track,” Joshua says. “We’ve always been willing to get a bit outside the box to ensure that customers come in a bit surprised that something like this is tucked away at the end of Dunlop Place.” Beyond the uniqueness of their showroom and service offering, Emco Stratford also stands out due to their operational excellence. Joshua credits to a number of different key contributors, including Alex Speck, operations manager, and Dean Kaufman, warehouse manager. “I’d argue our warehouse is second to none,” Joshua says. “I’m not sure health and safety would approve, but you could eat off the floor of that warehouse it’s so impeccable.” Joshua also credits Emco’s leadership team for making Emco Stratford’s success possible. In his time with the company, he says they have consistently lived up to the company’s core values, which include fairness and caring, straight talk, generous listening, and trust and respect. “I’ve truly found our leadership team lives and breathes these values,” he says. “I’ve never once been asked to do something that went against my principles or what I felt was right, and have been fully supported when we’ve elected to use resources to do what we felt was right rather than what was most profitable.” Photo: Meghan Landers FEBRUARY 2026
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