Our Story
If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past 30 years, it’s that we all want to be a part of a meaningful story.
A mission is only words until it’s put into action. Here are the key ways that we’re living out our mission.
We believe spaces are the backdrops to life. One of the most rewarding parts of our work is seeing a design vision turned into the physical reality of a beautiful space. It’s not lost on us that not everyone gets this kind of tangible reward in their work, and it drives us to build amazing spaces that will be enjoyed for years to come.
The construction industry gets a bad rap, often for good reason. Our mission is to change this perception by creating great construction experiences, where the process is enjoyable instead of being a necessary evil to get to a finished space. We want to change the way you think about construction.
We believe that our work is transforming us as people, and is challenging us to grow and reach our full potential. We are intentional about seeking out great team members and partners who are driven and passionate about what they do. By investing in people and relationships our work becomes more enjoyable and fulfilling, which carries through to each project we do.
Our work has a greater purpose than profit or personal gain. We have a heart to help those around us, in our own communities and around the world. We do this through our El Salvador “Homes + Hope” project where we send teams to build homes for families in need, and by partnering with charities and organizations that our clients, partners, and team members are passionate about.
1991
Novacom is founded by Wes Drewlo. In his past experiences as a framer, painting contractor, and homebuilder, Wes developed a passion for construction and building things. Combined with his knack for building relationships, Wes builds a foundation of strong partnerships with clients, architects, and trades.
2004
After growing up working in the family business, Wes invites his son Brandon to join Novacom as a Project Manager and partner, and a succession plan is set in place. Bringing his passion for technology and systems, Brandon helps transition Novacom to a new accounting and project management platform that will allow for growth and scale in the years to come.
2009
Novacom moves to a new larger headquarters in Surrey, and expands to Alberta by opening a Calgary office.
2015
Wes transitions to the role of CEO with a focus on estimating and business development, and Brandon takes on the role of President and managing operations. A leadership team is formed to craft a vision for the next generation of Novacom.
2016
The leadership team goes through a journey to distill what we’re all about as a company and what makes us different. Through this we decide to change our name to Novacom Building Partners to reflect our focus on partnerships. Our mission is “Transforming Construction”, capturing our passion to be a part of transforming the construction experience and being transformed in the process.
2020
In a year where health and safety became more important than ever before, Novacom became COR Certified company. A voluntary program that recognizes companies who develop and implement health, safety and injury management making all of this part of our daily culture.
Over the years, we’ve been privileged to build some incredible spaces and to work with great clients and partners.
Despite this, we always had a nagging feeling that something was broken in the industry. Too often we found ourselves in adversarial situations, where project teams were working against each other in a zero sum game. We also experienced the top down hierarchy and where we fell in the pecking order. Even the term “subtrade” made it clear that not everyone was on the same level.
A few years ago we began to notice a shift, where more of our clients were looking for a construction management partner instead of just a contractor. As we began to work in this model, we were empowered to use our expertise to provide ideas and solutions instead of just following instructions. It motivated us to do our best work, and to be an extension of our client and look out for their best interest.
We took this newfound approach into our relationships with trades and suppliers, looking for ways that we could value them as partners too.
This shift towards a partnership approach has transformed our business and how we interact with our partners. We believe that if everyone feels valued for what they bring to the table, they’ll do their best work.
In an industry where many construction managers can deliver the same project, we believe the experience and the “why” behind it are more important than ever.
Interested in partnering with us or joining our team? We’d love to hear from you.