In the home renovation industry, companies don’t often see repeat clientele—but Ottawa’s NorthCo Services is a rare exception.
“We have an upcoming project which will be the third one for a client’s home,” reveals CEO Guillaume Danis Bertrand. Initially a painting company that became the first local firm to offer cabinetry painting, NorthCo Services has evolved into one of Ottawa’s most unique home renovation companies.
Founded by Daniel St-Aubin and David Gowing in 2015, the company offers interior and exterior home renovation services including kitchen updates, renovations, cabinetry painting, and cabinetry refacing, along with siding, soffit, fascia, eavesthrough, and downspout replacements.
But it’s NorthCo’s unique approach that makes it stand out—and ensure its high-quality renovations are much more efficient and affordable than going through a typical contractor.
A unique take on kitchen remodelling: Partial renovations
While most home renovators in Ottawa prescribe a full pre-renovation kitchen demolition, NorthCo Services instead offers partial renovations that preserve what works while seamlessly integrating new elements.
This approach enhances efficiency and cost savings while offering a more sustainable solution, eliminating unnecessary job site waste.
“We offer clients 30 to 40 per cent cost savings by making modifications to an existing template and then adding cabinet painting or refacing, new countertops, backsplash, faucets or floor tiles,” explains St-Aubin. “This is what we call ‘partial renovation’ or a ‘kitchen update’ which appears like a full remodel, minus the cost of a full makeover.”
The entire process can be completed in about four weeks—whereas typical kitchen renovations often take months—completely transforming the kitchen in form and function. The use of high-quality materials, expert craftmanship, and a five-year workmanship warranty ensure longevity.
NorthCo Services also offers full kitchen renovations, depending on customer preference.
In-house expertise, not a parade of subcontractors
NorthCo Services utilizes in-house specialists for each aspect of the home renovations it undertakes, be it expertise in carpentry, demolition, tiling, painting, or cabinetry:
- These specialists coordinate with estimators, designers, and interior and exterior managers through every step of the project.
- The entire production team meets together twice a week to discuss the project, with a project manager overseeing execution.
- The company also uses on-site reporting tools to track progress, and conducts pre-testing of each project in-house to ensure seamless and quick execution at the client’s home.
“Traditionally in the renovation business, general contractors work with a lot of subcontractors. This often results in gaps in communication, increased project cost and duration, and dissatisfied clients,” says Bertrand. “Our strategy is to hire field experts aligned with every aspect of the project, and with each other.”
NorthCo Services is emphatic about client participation throughout the project, and conducting well-managed projects with ample client communication—something many general contractors aren’t necessarily known for.
That, says St-Aubin, is a big reason why the company has worked with more than 2,000 clients over the past decade, and has received five-star reviews from more than 200 Ottawa homeowners.
NorthCo Services has even started using AI and automation software to measure and produce precision renderings of homes in real time based on photos taken by employees.
Values-driven and people-focused
NorthCo Services aims to be one of the best managed home renovation companies in Ottawa, and at the heart of this vision is providing a great experience to both clients and employees.
“Our company stands on four key pillars: Always do the right thing, lead by example, partnerships, and a growth-oriented outlook,” explains St-Aubin, adding that these values are scrupulously followed by each of NorthCo’s nearly 40 employees.
NorthCo’s employee retention rate of nearly 90 per cent shows how strongly it believes in investing in people, St-Aubin says. “We have a quarterly retreat where we train staff in leadership management, while a quarterly performance review helps track employee progress, motivating them to achieve their goals.”
On the customer side, NorthCo Services takes responsibility for every project, never leaving clients in the lurch. “Once there was a client who wasn’t fully satisfied with our project execution,” recounts St-Aubin. “I personally went to meet him, heard him out and assured him that we would fix everything. I also offered him a discount. He was so pleased that he told all his neighbors how they could always rely on us to make things right.”
The company aims to grow its revenue from $7.4 million in 2024 to approximately $9 million by next year. Plans are afoot to open a bathroom renovation division, with franchises in other cities planned after that. The company also aims to open a NorthCo University training centre within the next half-decade, to increase accessibility to the trades for entrepreneurs hoping to build a viable business.
“For us, it’s always been about more than just renovation,” St-Aubin says. “NorthCo University will be our way of giving back to the community.”
