Whatever successes I can claim as a renovator, I attribute to good partnerships

Here is my latest editorial from the print version of Canadian Contractor coming to your mailbox very, very soon. 

WHY YOU NEED A BUSINESS PARTNER

Whatever successes I can claim as a renovator, I attribute to good partnerships.

My first business partner was Paul Mackey. We were shipwright apprentices at a firmed called Yacht Artisans in the mid 70s until that company went out of business. We paired up on renovation jobs in Scarborough, Ont. and then just kept on going.

We stuck together for a while. Paul was the site guy and I was the business guy. It worked well. Paul preferred building and was happy to shed the client stuff. I took Paul’s lead on site, as I was not as skilled a builder.

We parted ways when we started framing for Canada Homes. He hated the monotony and the lousy money. I liked the hard physical effort and was willing to live with the lousy money until I got better at it.

I framed alone for a while (another story), until Jose came along. Just landed in Canada from El Salvador, he was the perfect partner. He liked the hard work and I had learned enough to lead a crew. After him was Guillermo, who was by far the best I ever teamed up with. I eventually sold the business to him. He then partnered with another El Salvadorian, Pedro. They did very well.

When I went back to renovations, it was a guy from New Zealand that I relied on to keep the sites going while I sold the jobs. Smart, cheerful and always mindful of the bottom line, he, too, was an excellent partner. When the pressure was on, he reminded me of the bigger picture.

In each case, the partnerships helped me where I fell short and allowed me to do what I did best. I am sure we prospered together more than we would have alone. The partnerships were healthy while they lasted, and amicable when they parted. Partnerships, in my estimation, are the secret to success.