We like to recognize employee milestones here at Amsted and there’s none bigger than company founders Steve Barkhouse and Kirk Haw, who are marking 30 years at Amsted this month!
It’s been a wild ride for both men, who certainly had vision when they began this journey, but who could have predicted where it would lead and the immense satisfaction and pride that they feel in what they’ve accomplished so far.
But they’re not done yet! We took advantage of this anniversary to encourage them to reflect back on how they got here, as well as to look forward at what’s to come. Here’s what they had to say.
What’s your most memorable moment at Amsted in the past 30 years?
Steve: Honestly, there’s been so many great moments it’s hard to nail down just one. Kirk?
Kirk: The whole thing has been one great moment — and why it’s gone by that fast.
What does this milestone mean to you?
Steve: That we are getting old; it doesn’t feel like 30 years. As Kirk said, it really has flown by. We’ve achieved a lot of things and had a lot of fun doing it.
Kirk: And it means that we better get moving to reach all of our goals for the company. Time is a tickin’ and we have lots we still want to accomplish!
Did you think way back when that you and Amsted would end up where you are now?
Steve: At 24, you can’t imagine what 30 years looks like so I know we couldn’t have imagined where we are today back when we started. However, I know that we imagined working with a great team of people, doing super cool projects for great people, changing lives, making an impact on our community and building a company that we could be proud of.
What are you most proud of about the company?
Steve: Our reputation for integrity and trust.
Kirk: And our partnership.
Steve: Yeah, for sure! We were warned from the beginning that best friends can’t be partners; it won’t work. Not only have we proven that theory wrong, we have taken the strength of our partnership to achieve so many other “can’t be done’s”.
(Steve and Kirk have been friends since childhood.)
What’s next for Amsted?
Steve: We are currently working on expanding our custom home department. We have travelled across North America visiting the best custom home builders and their clients and we have taken the best from the best to create a new home build process that is unique in the industry and ultra client focused. We’re working on a couple of custom homes right now as we refine this process for the Ottawa market, and we’ve achieved great results. We’re looking to roll it out full force in 10632.
Kirk: We’re also working hard to revolutionize the home care industry. With Ottawa’s aging houses, government demands for improved energy efficiency, and an aging population who are looking for proactive solutions to protect and improve their largest investments, we’re excited to be developing a customized home care solution unique to each customer so that they can plan future expenses and maintain their current systems to ensure they last the test of time. This too will be rolled out in 10632 to our existing clients, and then to the larger market.
Steve: We’re super excited about each of these initiatives, and look forward to what they will mean for Ottawa homeowners in the coming years. Both will guarantee that we will continue to be at the forefront of our industry and community.
Kirk: And with the team of ambitious, hard-working people that we have at Amsted, progress will always be in our future. Whether personal, professional or volume growth, our mission demands that we continue to grow as we work hard to exceed the expectations of our customers.