Canstar Restorations

Image by: Paul Joseph

Number of employees: 160
Head office: Port Coquitlam
Quote: “This company knows the value of good employees and welcomes each employee as part of our continuous growth as a team”

If my company were a celebrity, it would be:  MIKE HOLMES
“The people he helps are going through a rough time; he helps them and he does it right”

A double row of cubicles dominates the front office of Canstar Restorations, where a welcoming receptionist sits by a calendar featuring a perky, bounding terrier. It’s a fit emblem for staff at a company where “respectful” and “supportive” are common descriptions of a corporate culture in a workplace facing rapid change.

Growth topping 10 per cent a year has propelled Canstar to annual revenues in excess of $20 million, while the number of employees has grown from just 25 in 2000 to 160 today. The hunt is on for a new headquarters approximately double the size of its two existing locations in the Tri-Cities area.

But staff aren’t lamenting Canstar’s growing pains. “We’ve got a good core crew,” says Calvin McDonald, a project co-ordinator whose desk sits before a “Have fun!” sign on a door to the yard.
Company managers have taken steps to improve the growing flow of information from Canstar’s portfolio of flood, fire and associated restoration projects. Having worked both in the field and now in-house, McDonald says information flows are vital to satisfying customers and reducing hassles for staff, which goes a long way to maintaining workplace morale.

“Communication is our big positive here and it ensures that we do our job right,” says Raj Deol, a field supervisor who says he’s never seen another company rival the interest Canstar takes in maintaining a respectful corporate culture.

The hours might be crazy, but president Jay Dargatz sets the tone for treating staff with respect and expecting them to treat each other likewise. The values of the company credo, crafted by operations manager Art Johnson, blends principles from Ritz-Carlton hotels to the Pike Place Fish Market.
Melissa Sandry says the environment has given her the autonomy she needed to move from being a manager’s assistant in previous jobs to being a manager in her own right overseeing a staff of 15 people. The challenge was daunting at first, but she received the necessary training and enjoys the challenges she now has.

A monthly staff meeting provides employees with business updates and feedback from customers, keeping everyone informed, while the occasional pancake breakfast helps to introduce and get to know new hires. In recognition of its rapid growth, Canstar recently established a human resources department so the company can better recruit employees and match them with opportunities within the company.

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