Getting the job done is fine. Getting it done the Taylor Way is better. The team of professionals at Taylor Construction pays attention to all the small details that make a huge impact on a project, taking it from acceptable to exceptional. After all, it’s often those small details that are overlooked that cause leakage issues down the road, especially during housing booms.

“We do building envelope restoration or renovation. We basically repair all kinds of leaky buildings,” says Dan Bourgault, president and CEO of Taylor Construction.

For the past 10 years, owners Dan Bourgault and Cameron Brown have built the company with equal parts passion for the work and a desire to prevent the leakage issues they were seeing. They noticed that most contracting companies brought in subtrades that weren’t trained in building envelope techniques. Missing critical tie-in details opened the door for water to get in and cause serious damage. This was not the way Bourgault and Brown wanted to do business.

“We decided we needed our own in-house building envelope team, so we have built that up over the last six years,” says Bourgault.

The company has grown from a small operation working out of a 10×10-makeshift office to a mid-sized company with 25 employees working out of their own Shepard-area building. Taylor has become the go-to general contractor for restoration projects, as clients know they come with experience, expertise and integrity. With Taylor, clients are confident the job will get done well.

Unlike most competitors, who sub out more than 90 per cent of the work, Taylor prides itself on hiring and training its own teams in order to ensure each step of the process is done to the company’s high standards. By offering the gamut of general contracting services including cladding systems, waterproofing membrane, roofing, windows and doors, Taylor’s consolidated approach provides efficiency in the process and saves clients money. For the areas outside their specialty, like stucco, EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) and masonry, Taylor is on hand to manage its team of trusted subtrades to ensure the in-between tie-ins are done properly and the building will be sealed up.

“We are the first ones there and last ones to leave,” says Cameron Brown, vice president of Taylor. “Between all the different stages and subtrades, Taylor is there to make sure it’s done right.”

That dedication to excellence is no accident. It has been ingrained in the corporate culture from the beginning and has become an important part of the philosophy at Taylor Construction. The Taylor Way is guided by strong relationships with employees, subtrades and clients. Many projects are with long-term clients on multi-year builds, and consultants often use Taylor as an early resource when planning their projects.

“They know the quality is top notch. We don’t cut corners. We work well with consultants. We want to make our clients happy and keep those relationships strong,” says Brown.

By being transparent, thorough, skilled and honest, Taylor has built a reputation in the industry that has led to its year-after-year growth. The company stays abreast of changes in the construction industry as well as administrative side of the business in order to provide the best product at the best price. Consultants truly enjoy working with the Taylor teams, and the importance of that positive impression isn’t lost on management.

“For us, our employees are the most important thing in our business. Without them, there is no Taylor Way. They’re the ones that execute it so we treat them well, like family,” says Bourgault.

Employees undergo regular training, whether that’s formal training as part of the apprenticeship program, in-house training seminars or on-site learning. Taylor invests in its employees and rewards their loyalty and hard work. Nearly all supervisory positions were filled by promoting from within the company. While expectations are high, management encourages an enjoyable, loose atmosphere at the office, which translates to a positive attitude on site as well.

The entire organization has embraced Taylor’s core values, which at their essence reflect the company’s dedication to building relationships, striving for excellence, doing what they promise to do and being passionate about the job.

“Our values help define who we are, to make sure we only hire employees who share our goals and standards,” says Brown.

By meeting these goals, Taylor Construction continues to evolve and expand. But they aren’t interested in growth for growth’s sake. They hope to see the company triple in size in the next 10 years but with slow growth and only as long as they can still deliver a quality product.

“If you grow too big too quickly then you’re slapping things up and making the same mistakes as everybody else,” says Bourgault.

From the beginning, Taylor Construction refused to do what everyone else was doing and has always demanded better. And for the past decade, they have made the Taylor Way the only way to do building envelope restoration in Calgary.