- Story by Tess van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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Blaise McDonald grew up with MAC Renovations. He started helping his dad out on job sites around Victoria when he was just 12 years old, but never thought he91裸聊视频檇 actually go into the family business.

91裸聊视频淎s a teenager, almost all my friends had dug a ditch for MAC Renovations,91裸聊视频� says Blaise, who is now co-owner and operations manager. 91裸聊视频淏ut when I graduated high school, I wanted to do a business degree.91裸聊视频�

Blaise soon found that wasn91裸聊视频檛 his calling, either, and he went to work for his uncle who runs an electrical company. He did an apprenticeship and was then hired at the Dockyard, working as an electrician on industrial marine and navy ships.

91裸聊视频淚 ended up working on the submarine project for five years, and I worked on a super yacht build in Hong Kong,91裸聊视频� the 38-year-old says.

It was work he loved, but a serious wakeboarding accident on Shawnigan Lake a decade ago brought it to a crushing end 91裸聊视频� literally.

91裸聊视频淚 snapped my leg and was off work about six months because I couldn91裸聊视频檛 climb down into the engine room,91裸聊视频� Blaise explains. 91裸聊视频淚 dislocated my knee, tore all ligaments and was on crutches.91裸聊视频�

His dad, MAC Reno founder Ed McDonald 91裸聊视频� better known as 91裸聊视频淏ig Mac91裸聊视频� to friends 91裸聊视频� asked Blaise to come into the office and watch the phones for a week. And it was a game-changer.

91裸聊视频淚 realized it was an interesting business,91裸聊视频� says Blaise. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檇 only ever worked on the tool end of it so I learned a lot.91裸聊视频�

After returning to the Dockyard, but to an office this time since he still couldn91裸聊视频檛 climb into the ships, Blaise soon realized he needed to do something else. He tried sales and then decided to do a Bachelor degree in construction management at the B.C. Institute of Technology.

91裸聊视频淚 fast-tracked the program, right through summer and on breaks, and I91裸聊视频檇 come to the (MAC) office and work on stuff,91裸聊视频� Blaise recalls. 91裸聊视频淭hen in 2011, I came back on as operations manager.91裸聊视频�

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Blaise hasn91裸聊视频檛 looked back, helping to drive the company to new levels of success. The size of the business has tripled in just the last eight years, which is no easy feat.

91裸聊视频淚t was a 91裸聊视频楤HAG91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� a big, hairy, audacious goal,91裸聊视频� laughs Blaise. 91裸聊视频淚t seems so lofty but when you sit down every three months and look at it, re-focus and ask yourself what you need to get there, you can do it.91裸聊视频�

He admits it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but by regularly re-focussing and re-evaluating, they were able to achieve their goal about two years ahead of schedule. Blaise says a big part of that was being in the right place at the right time with the right tools.

91裸聊视频淲e had two places, a warehouse and an office, and it was really hard to manage both,91裸聊视频� he explains. 91裸聊视频淚n our office, we had almost 40 people working and being dispatched out of 1,000 square feet. It was crowded and people got grumpy. It was terrible91裸聊视频�

But finding the right space in Greater Victoria, with parking, and close to major roads to easily reach all 13 municipalities, was no easy task. In the end, it took about three years to find the right location and it involved a major renovation.

91裸聊视频淭here were a few more problems with the building when we opened it up and we had to take it right to the ground,91裸聊视频� says Blaise. 91裸聊视频淥nce you get into it, you just don91裸聊视频檛 know. It91裸聊视频檚 hard to see what someone91裸聊视频檚 done in the ground.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 a renovation lesson Blaise knows all too well. You always have to have a contingency and, he says, the biggest mistake people make is not taking the adequate time to plan.

91裸聊视频淵ou need to take the time at the front to go through the design and know what the specifications are,91裸聊视频� Blaise advises. 91裸聊视频淎 lot of reno problems come from not planning properly and it also affects pricing. People always say 91裸聊视频榞et three prices,91裸聊视频� but unless you have very detailed specifications, someone is just giving you a best guess and you91裸聊视频檙e not comparing apples to apples. A better approach is to interview three companies, do your research, and work with who you are most comfortable with.91裸聊视频�

Blaise says the most rewarding part of his work is the people. He gets a lot of personal satisfaction from the impact they make on their clients91裸聊视频� homes and lives. But he says the most challenging part of the job is also the people.

91裸聊视频淥ur business isn91裸聊视频檛 a factory in a field 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 customer service,91裸聊视频� explains Blaise. 91裸聊视频淵ou go from building things to managing things to building people and it took a long time to figure that out.91裸聊视频�

That also includes building the right team and recruiting and retaining the right people. In such a tight labour market, Blaise says the biggest challenge facing the industry is manpower.

91裸聊视频淎 few years ago, I91裸聊视频檇 post an ad on Craigslist for a carpenter and I91裸聊视频檇 get 70 applications,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淣ow we91裸聊视频檒l run ads on several different platforms and maybe get a couple of responses a month.91裸聊视频�

Over the years, Blaise says he91裸聊视频檚 learned a lot 91裸聊视频� and he admits he91裸聊视频檚 made a lot of mistakes. But he says the biggest lesson has been communication, and the need for face-to-face conversations to avoid misunderstandings.

91裸聊视频淲ith email, when there91裸聊视频檚 emotion in it, it may not be what the person is trying to say and you might be reading into something that isn91裸聊视频檛 there,91裸聊视频� Blaise explains. 91裸聊视频淚f I91裸聊视频檓 having difficulty writing it, that91裸聊视频檚 usually a sign. There are some things that should just be discussed, not even over the phone, but face-to-face.91裸聊视频�

Blaise says the best advice he91裸聊视频檚 received is to treat every interaction like you can learn something 91裸聊视频� from conversations with employees to calls from customers who might not be the right fit.

91裸聊视频淚f you91裸聊视频檙e not approaching every situation with an open mind, you91裸聊视频檙e selling yourself short,91裸聊视频� Blaise says. 91裸聊视频淵ou91裸聊视频檙e not giving yourself the chance to learn something or gather information.91裸聊视频�

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As MAC Renovations gets ready to celebrate 40 years in business next year, Blaise says they91裸聊视频檙e focussed on oiling the machine and finding efficiencies.

And if it hadn91裸聊视频檛 have been for that wakeboarding accident?

91裸聊视频淟ife deals you a hand and it changes the course,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淪ometimes what feels like a bad thing can actually turn into something better 91裸聊视频� it just comes down to how you approach it. It opened a door I didn91裸聊视频檛 even consider.91裸聊视频�