Norseman Construction is a leading provider of custom home development, renovations, and home additions in Toronto and the GTA. With every project, they combine innovative design with quality workmanship. And with every client, they aim to provide a personal, committed service that accommodates the customer’s needs, style, and vision.
The company establishes a personal relationship with clients, staff and suppliers because they believe this is key when creating the perfect custom home or renovation project. The end result is more than walls and a roof. It’s a high quality, well-planned, detailed space where the owner feels right at home from the first time he or she opens the door. A multi-faceted company, Norseman has established itself as one of Toronto’s leading custom home design builders and is recognized for its heritage home renovations. It’s this diversity that helps the company showcase its innovation as a builder while delivering quality and value to their clients. Founder and Owner Kris Potts established the company in 2005 after returning from overseas where he served as a private military contractor, and implemented his unique experience with his new company. “My trade was underwater engineering and demolition and, as you can imagine, the training was intense and the job was, by its very nature, stressful. To ensure mission success, I quickly learned the importance of planning and having adequate controls in place to support each operation,” he says.“My brother Kevin and I turned our attention to developing a new deficiency repairs business focussed on large development projects and condos in the Toronto area. From there we took the next big opportunity and decided the time was right to make the move to residential renovations and construction.”
BUILDING TRUST
No matter what project Norseman Construction is working on, Potts says the company is set apart by their focus on the end product. “We pride ourselves on the ability to complete each and every project efficiently and on time, he states. “Client expectations, cost control, and timeline management backed by a strong sense of customer service and passion for what we do is something we always focus on.”
“We pride ourselves on the ability to complete each and every project efficiently and on time.”
– Kevin Potts
By taking this approach, Potts avoids the all-too-common industry challenge of having projects go over-budget, and Norseman clients are offered a full-suite of services in the construction process, affording the clients a streamlined and enjoyable experience for clients. “A continual and open dialogue ensures that clients expectations are exceeded,” he says. “We can guide our clients through each phase of construction, clearly and concisely answering all questions and explaining each step along the way. We realize that building a custom home or doing a major renovation can be stressful, so we take this responsibility very seriously and consider it an honour when our clients trust us with their project.”
They take great pride in building custom homes with the highest quality of craftsmanship, and work with clients to create a home that directly reflects their individual lifestyle. “Our company is set up differently than a traditional renovation company and we use a phased approach. We have 4 different teams, right from the design drawings with our in- house architect and designer through the construction phase, and we all work together to ensure the building process runs efficiently.”
AWARD WINNING COMMITMENT
Norseman Constructions’ dedication to excellence has not gone unnoticed in the industry, and being a well-established company means being recognized for your work. Their commitment and quality has paid off with several industry nominations and award recognitions such as the 2020 Consumers Choice award, the 2019 (COTY) Contractor of the Year Award, a three -time Winner of “Best Of Design” in 2018, 2019, and 2020 on Houzz®, and nominations for the 22nd BILD Annual Renovation and Custom Home Awards for 2019, and 2020 Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures Award. “We value all the awards quite highly because and you don’t emerge victorious unless you’re performing at the top level,” Potts says. “We’ve proven that we are a leader in the field that we operate in. The industry has recognized that through the awards, and that means a lot to us.”
Their promise to the communities they help build doesn’t stop with awards. An extension of their passion for people is their commitment to helping local charities gain traction and promoting their causes. To that end, Norseman Construction has won the HomeStars Giving back award, in 2018 and 2019 for their involvement in several local causes including Habitat for Humanity, The Scotts Mission on Spadina and The Beaches Spring Sprint in Toronto. “Norseman is a company that I have put my heart and soul into,” says Potts. “It’s only fair that my company then return the favour to my city I live in.” This commitment is rooted deep in their heritage and the belief that they can use their scale to be a catalyst for positive change. Norseman recognizes that, like any successful company, their achievements would not have been possible without the support of their community.
AN APPROVED BUILDER
Norseman’s dedication to integrating the right building products with the right technology and systems lead them to partner with Mike Holmes and his Holmes Approved Homes program. The program brings together industry leading home builders and renovators to ensure building practices go beyond residential standards. “We’re honoured to be a part of Mike Holmes’ high standards for building practices,” Potts says. “We stand for getting the project done the right way and not cutting corners, and Mike and his team set a specific criteria and checklist that we need to adhere to, which is at a higher-level standard that city codes. They have asked us to come and assist them in some previous jobs and work with them. It’s a respectful relationship, it’s like having someone who has a well-respected wealth of experience in the industry providing you with guidance on information that you may not be able to find in a code book.” That respect is paid back to Potts and is an integral part of their relationship as Norseman and Holmes collaborate and work towards a common goal. “Norseman Construction & Development Ltd. is not in the business of building homes. They are in the business of changing the way we build homes. They take a personalized approach to new home construction and renovations. They construct some of the most beautiful custom homes you will ever see, using the best building practices, the right products, top materials and the right pros, all backed by quality craftsmanship,” says Holmes.
MOVING FORWARD
Every home buyer deserves the highest degree of professional service throughout the home building process. It is not just the quality of your home that makes the difference – it is the quality of the builder. As part of their constant improvement ethos, Potts will continue to expand and is committed to constantly growing and improving in every area of the company. “We’ll continue to hone our efficiencies within our organization and create a better work environment for our employees, while committing ourselves to a higher level of client expectations,” says Potts.
“I see Norseman continuing down the road we’ve been on which is to provide our clients with great craftmanship and committed customer service.” From construction to customer satisfaction, Norseman Construction aims to reach a new level of excellence within the industry. The constant desire to be even better drives the company to not only build projects customers love, but to create a reputation that will keep clients returning for years to come.