The team here at Stonerise Construction is fortunate to collaborate with a long list of dedicated trades on each of our projects. This month, we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of these impressive companies and the great work they do in our communities.
Joseph & Co. Inc
We’re a full-service scrap metal and solid waste recycling company that has been recycling since 1880, we manage scrap metal and solid waste streams on your projects in Kitchener and Waterloo.
What advice would you give someone looking to enter the trade your company focuses on?
We operate in an extremely dynamic and competitive industry which allows for a lot of innovation – which may seem counterintuitive when you’re discussing scrap metal and waste management. Take the opportunity to learn about all aspects of the waste streams that a company may generate and work with your client to get the best program for your client’s needs. As cities are growing up, not out, there is only going to be a growing need for consolidated recycling services that can be managed by one company – making it seamless for the builder.
What upcoming project are you most excited about and why?
We are very excited to see the development of the Schneider’s property. We have watched Stonerise transform many parts of our region over the past decade. The team’s commitment to community and attention to detail will create an amazing urban space in an area that is in need of revitalization.
How do you give back to your community?
Community is very important to me and Joseph & Company. I am personally very involved in the fabric of our community on a number of levels: I’m an active Rotarian, I sit on the board of several community organizations, such as the vice chair of our Family and Children Services foundation and I’m the President of Beth Jacob Synagogue. Corporately, we support our hospitals and front-line workers (a value that we hold, regardless of our current health scares), our regional food bank, our colleges and high schools and many of our youth in sports and arts. The list is too long.
Follow Joseph & Co on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn for all project and company updates!
Stybek Roofing
We’re a commercial flat roofing company specializing in single ply technologies for the last 29 years, while also expanding into modified-bitumen cold process systems.
What advice would you give someone looking to enter the trade your company focuses on?
If you’re looking to enter the roofing industry, be sure to harness and focus on your craft, get as good as you possibly can, and always bring your best attitude forward!
What upcoming project are you most excited about and why?
We are most excited for Arrow Lofts, especially since some of us have memories from when it was the old Arrow Clothing Factory. We used to cut through the alley to get to Dutch Boy Food Market and would sometimes score free shirts from the factory.
What does community mean to you?
Since most of us have grown up in the area, our personal connections and memories scattered all over the tri-cities make each job that much more special.
Follow Stybek Roofing on Facebook, Instagram for all project and company updates!
Newmar/Casa Bella Windows Inc
Newmar Window Manufacturing Inc. specializes in the design, manufacture, installation and service of vinyl and aluminum windows for multi-home and mid/hi-rise projects. We started as a small business in the early 1950’s and have evolved into a dynamic, customer driven corporation operating from two manufacturing plants located in Mississauga/Brampton. Newmar works with Canada’s largest residential builders and supplies many of the largest housing projects in the country.
What advice would you give someone looking to enter the trade your company focuses on?
The products and service Newmar provides are an integral part of the construction process. Delays in delivery or service issues could end up increasing project costs for the developer/builder. For someone looking to enter the same industry, it is imperative to have clear communication throughout the entire process – from the tender to production and delivery/installation. You would want to make sure you don’t overcommit your production abilities, which can result in costly delays. In addition, you have to have the ability to react quickly to any service issues that arise.
What upcoming project are you most excited about and why?
We are excited to work with Stonerise on their Barrel Yards and the Arrow Lofts projects. We are well underway on these projects and so far, it has been a pleasure working with their design and on-site staff.
How do you give back to your community?
Newmar Window Manufacturing supports various charitable organizations and has supported local sports teams through sponsorship. To us, community means people, whether it is our employees or the relationships we have established with our customers – it is our people that have made Newmar the success it has become. Many of our employees have been with the company for 20 plus years, including family members from different generations.
Follow Casa Bella Windows and Doors on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for all project and company updates!
EllisDon
EllisDon is a world-leading construction and building services company that completes in excess of $5 billion worth of contracts annually, in every market sector and across the globe. Over the last 69 years, EllisDon has grown from being a general contractor to a multi-faceted company that can deliver any aspect of a project. From cradle to grave, EllisDon has a variety of services to offer. Some examples include virtual design and construction, sustainable building solutions, energy and digital services, furniture, equipment and design, Gate Three (software building) and project management.
In addition, EllisDon Forming Ltd. has over 65 years of experience, and offers a full suite of in-house services and solutions, consistently ensuring the highest level of engineering and quality are implemented through all project phases.
What advice would you give someone looking to enter the trade your company focuses on?
Our skilled trades can include carpenters, form setters, labourers, concrete finishers & tower crane operators. As seen in most trades, all positions are in high demand. There are several methods of apprenticeship through local workplaces & unions. My advice is quite simple; treat it like a career, take pride in your work & never stop learning.
What upcoming project are you most excited about and why?
The redevelopment of the Schneider’s land in Kitchener (The Metz) will be a massive development rarely seen in the area. Everyone has seen the demolition and remediation occurring on the site, and the development will soon be reshaping the area. The development will add 2,800 residential units, and includes a variety of buildings, from two-storey townhouses to tall towers
How do you give back to your community?
Being able to give back to the communities we work in has always been a priority of our company and our people. One initiative is Steps for Life – EllisDon frequently takes part in this annual event as a national sponsor. Steps for Life is the flagship fundraiser for Threads for Life that aims to educate about the devastating ripple effect of workplace tragedy. At this year’s event, teams from across EllisDon worked together to raise over $8,000, placing first in the top five national donating teams. A corporate sponsorship of $15,000 was also contributed by EllisDon.
Other ways we have given back include participating in the Step Up Challenge annually, an event that raises funds in support of prostate cancer research as well as our EllisDon Ottawa golf tournament that raised $82,500 for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.
Giving back has always been at EllisDon’s core since our inception. In 2017, the Smiths (EllisDon’s founding family) donated $1,000,000 in their mother’s memory to help create a new home for pregnant teens and young moms and their babies – the Joan Smith Building for Youth. In 2015, EllisDon exceeded $1,000,000 donated to the United Way through its on-going fall campaign.
During COVID, EllisDon has tried to help in a variety of ways including a joint venture donation of over $200,000 in support of a mental health urgent care clinic at The Royal, a donation of over 200 N95 respirator masks to the frontline workers at William Osler Health System – Brampton Civic Hospital as well as a donation of 10,000 sq. ft. of EllisDon’s Modular Facility to help Hamilton Food Share sort and distribute their 28,000 food hampers.
Follow Ellis Don on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter for all project and company updates!
Turner Fleischer Architects
Turner Fleischer’s studio is comprised of open, honest and continuous learners. We believe in our staff, celebrate high performance, evolve and give back to our community together. Our projects enhance communities across Canada and stand as a testament to our commitment to technical advancement, quality, creativity and progress. Our portfolio includes residential, retail, commercial, urban mixed-use and industrial designs, as well as experience working with highly complex, historically significant properties. The TF team consists of approximately 170 committed and creative professionals, with two offices: Toronto and Halifax.
What advice would you give someone looking to enter the trade your company focuses on?
For our studio, although we focus on Architecture and its related specialities, knowledge of construction and the need to be flexible / able to solve various issues on site is very important. It’s one thing to design but it’s another to design and have an understanding of how the various pieces come together so that the result is a successfully built project. Additionally, understanding how to leverage technology to better help our clients, such as Stonerise, is critical to success at TF.
What upcoming project are you most excited about and why?
Our studio is very excited to see the last phases of The Barrel Yards completed. This is a project we collaborated with Stonerise on, and we are proud of how it’s transforming and adding to a neighbourhood. The sheer scale of site, and its mixed-use components are true community development. Check it out here.
How do you give back to your community?
At Turner Fleischer giving back to those less fortunate, and doing so in a hands-on way, enriches our work by making us more aware of what “community” really means. That makes us better and stronger as a team.
We have an internal team, TF Community, that organizes and promotes activities and events that support our longstanding partnerships with over a dozen charitable organizations. As a studio we are enthusiastic, committed, open to new ideas and always seeking new organizations and causes to embrace. We currently work with CAMH, Canadian Blood Services, CFHU, Community Share Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Jack.org, Kiwanis Boys + Girls Club, Milk Bags Unlimited, Royal Canadian Legion, The Redwood, United Way and Ve’ahavta. Each studio member is given 8 paid volunteer hours to use over the course of the year to help these and other groups.
We are particularly proud of our longstanding relationship with the Ontario Ride to Conquer Cancer for 13 years and raised nearly a million dollars in that time.
Even during the current times, when volunteering for charities can be restricted, our studio has found a way to give back. For every KM that staff or immediate family moves, TF will donate $2.00. Every two weeks we donate the money raised to a different organization. #TFMovesTogether.
Follow Turner Fleischer on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn for all project and company updates!
FCF Carpentry
FCF Carpentry Inc specializes in the installation of interior trim, wood & steel frame doors, decorative mouldings, cabinetry and exterior wood working.
Maintaining a high standard for quality work and ensuring the safety of all employees are two of the key values shared by FCF’s founders. FCF Carpentry Inc was established in July 2018 by three long-time colleagues who together have 34 years’ experience in the industry.
What advice would you give someone looking to enter the trade your company focuses on?
For someone looking to enter the carpentry trade, specifically finishing trim, we would recommend working alongside an experienced trim carpenter to gain as much hands-on experience as possible. In our opinion it’s the best way to learn and to cultivate your skills. Having acute attention to detail is very important within the trim carpentry trade. We would also recommend working to some degree within different scopes of the carpentry trade to gain some knowledge in the different areas as many of the skills are transferable.
What upcoming project are you most excited about and why?
An upcoming project we are most looking forward to is working on the next phase, Tower I at the Barrel Yards. After having worked on the job site during construction of the Delta Hotel and three other towers start to finish as part of another company, we are very excited to bring our high-quality standard of work and talented tradesmen to site representing our own company, FCF Carpentry Inc. It is always nice to work alongside familiar trades and faces and we look forward to working with the Stonerise Construction team again and hope to for years to come.
How do you give back to your community?
Our local community is very important to us and we are happy to give back when we can. Most recently we made a donation to Food4kids Waterloo Region. Having young families within our company, this cause is of great importance to us.
Follow FCF Carpentry on Instagram for project and company updates!
Seeing large scale projects come to life is never a solo endeavour, and Stonerise Construction is thankful that we have the opportunity to work with companies who are as dedicated to our projects as we are! Learn more about our existing and upcoming projects here, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up to date with all things Stonerise!