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Thursday, March 17, 2011
Mario Bellerose of Northwood Country Homes Ltd
Northwood Country Homes Ltd is a Canadian company specializing in the design and distribution of custom-designed, ready-to-build houses and residential project management in Ontario and Quebec. Whether you're looking at a structural insulated panel, post and beam or log type construction, they guarantee you outstanding professional services. Since the company opened in 2000, Northwood has become a landmark in the field of custom-built homes and cottages.
You know what you need, you can picture what you want... they have the expertise to make your vision a reality. The Northwood team is composed of highly efficient employees, enthusiastic clients and committed contractors and they rely on teamwork to help you build your project according to your budget.
At last week's luncheon Mario shared with members a brief overview of what brought him and his partner Annie Bourguignon to where they are today. Annie and Mario met in 1995 through their Professional Association and shared the goal of becoming business owners. This meeting became a turning point for them in both their professional careers and their personal lives as it lead to them becoming partners in both areas. Mario and Annie were married in 1999 and became part owners of Northwood Country Homes in 2002. Mario started his own drafting business in 1995 and then began designing for Northwood in 2000. Annie worked mostly in commercial drafting for engineering firms, but they were looking for an opportunity to work together in a larger scale company. This opportunity came in 2002 with the partial purchase of Northwood Country Homes Ltd. Mario and Annie's goal of being business owners together was fully realized when they became the sole owners of the company in 2007. Since that time Northwood has prospered and in the Spring of 2008 they added two new members to their team and they are expanding again with the addition of a third employee who is coming on board next week.
Mario discussed with members the fact that Northwood is not limited to selling home shell packages. They offer many different services all under one roof to help support their clients in creating their retreat home or cottage. Some of these services include site elevations to help create a design according to a client's land profile (visualizing the best location for house, septic and well), plan design, construction and project management to help clients choose the right contractors for the job in order to ensure a successful project.
Northwood offers 4 different types of construction methods to meet their client's needs which are conventional construction,
structural insulated panel construction, post and beam construction and log house construction. Northwood is always looking to improve the quality of materials they have to offer their clients so in 2008 they became distributors of ENERSIP which is a pre-insulated structural wall panel that is more energy efficient. Northwood is Energy Star certified which adds to the high standards they set in their residential construction.
As he wrapped up his talk, Mario provided members with some interesting facts about Northwood Country Homes.
- In the last 10 years they have built over 150 homes and cottages across the Ottawa and Outaouais region and have extended as far as Tremblant, Wolfe Island, the Gaspé area and Nunavut!
- Their business is all about human relationships which are developed over a period of a few intense months.
- Over the past 10 years Northwood staff have travelled 600,000km which is the equivalent of 15 complete trips around the world and equals one trip to the moon and back.
- They have used 84,000 litres of gas, 5 trucks, drank 1600 coffees and saved thousands of trees by working with clients to cut only the minimum number of trees required on each project.
You can help Mario and Annie to continue to grow their business by promoting Northwood Country Homes and what they have to offer to people you know. Particularly to people who are looking to build a custom home or cottage anywhere from 800 to 6000 square feet. To learn more about what Northwood Country Homes Ltd has to offer visit them on the web at www.northwoodcountryhomes.com or contact Mario and/or Annie at (613) 820-8872. | 
