CHBA website: July 2011
Canadian Home Builders’ Association—Alberta (CHBA-Alberta) recently announced the finalists for the 2011 Alberta Awards of Excellence in Housing. From the record-breaking 283 entries, eight finalists from CHBA-Lethbridge Region were announced including Ashcroft Master Builder, Avonlea Master Builder, Bezooyen Contracting, Greer Home Builders, and FOX Renovations.
The Alberta Awards of Excellence in Housing honour the top builders and renovators from across the province and are awarded September 16 at special awards ceremony. In regards to the Awards, CHBA-Alberta CEO Jim Rivait said, “CHBA-Alberta was thrilled to see such an overwhelming number of entries this year. We’ve shattered records which indicate there are many innovative and creative design options available to consumers. The competition has never been so tight. We applaud everyone for their hard work entering this year’s contest and we are excited to recognize this year’s finalists”.
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CHBA Releases Finalists for Alberta Awards of Excellence – Press Release – July 28, 2011
The Canadian Home Builders Association is out with it’s finalists for this year’s Alberta Awards of Excellence. From the record-breaking 283 entries, eight finalists are from the CHBA-Lethbridge region. The awards honour the top builders and renovators from across the province and are awarded in September at a special ceremony in Jasper. Finalists in the “Green Vision” category are Bezooyen Contracting and Greer Homes. Ashcroft Master Builder and Avonlea Master Builder are finalists in two single family categories each, and Bezooyen Contracting is also a finalist in one single family category. FOX Renovations is a finalist for the “Residential Construction Industry’s Safety Leadership Award.”
CJOC
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Bezooyen Contracting Wins Top Honors – Lethbridge Herald—April 2010
“Local home buyers have spoken and their choice for quality service from builders is Bezooyen Contracting Inc. That company was recently announced as the 2009 recipient of the Alberta New Home Warranty Program’s New Home Buyer’s Choice Awards.
The winner was decided by customer satisfaction research and conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.”
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Building the Best – 2009
Innovation and quality go into each award-winning home in the New Home Design category.
“Innovation and Quality in home design are both recognized by the New Home Design awards. Homes entered in the different award categories are judged on curb appeal, foyer/front entryway, kitchen, master bedroom, ensuite/main bath, special features, overall impression and value per square foot. Builders are required to provide photos and short descriptions of their entries, but are not identified to ensure no possible bias.”
Bezooyen Contracting Inc., Building The Best Winner of Estates over $500,000.
“Bezooyen Contracting Inc. has been building unique, quality, custom homes in Lethbridge and area for the past decade. ‘We help customers turn their dreams into a unique home,’ says Gerrit Bezooyen, President. ‘Whatever our clients want, we do to the best of our ability. People come to us with plans or we direct them to a draftsman to develop their plan;’and the company works closely with the client until the client is completely satisfied with their home.
Attention to detail and creating unique custom elements are company strengths and this award-winning home includes numerous examples of that handiwork. The open plan has exposed beams and trusses, and tray ceilings in the master bedroom and dining room, which create visual interest. The stone faced fireplace has a custom built mantle and shelves. The kitchen includes an island with in-kitchen seating, eating bar, skylight, built-in sound system, and a walk-in pantry with custom shelves and an etched glass door. The exterior is craftsman style with pillars and brackets, decorative stone and custom coloured Hardie siding.”
-Katherine Wasiak
Lethbridge Home Trends – Special Awards Issue 2009
Publication of the Canadian Home Builder’s Association Lethbridge Region
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March 26, 2009
Swine before pearls?
A phone call led the Bezooyens to go from hog farming to building dream homes
If Gerrit Bezooyen had been told 20 years ago he’d become a contractor—and love it—he’d have laughed. “Twenty years ago I never would’ve thought this would be something I’d even remotely enjoy,” says the owner of Bezooyen Contracting Inc. “But now it’s something I’m totally enjoying.”
In fact, two decades ago Bezooyen was firmly entrenched in business ownership of another kind- running his own hog farm. After being raised on a hog farm, Bezooyen says entering the business just seemed like the natural thing to do. “I kind of liked farming,” he says. ”I didn’t take over the family business but I got going on my own. It’s what I wanted to do at the time.”
Bezooyen and wife Jane settled on the farm just outside Coaldale, busily running the hog operation and raising five kids. In 1998, the couple decided to build their dream house on their property. Looking back, Bezooyen says he had no idea that decision would change his life. “We built a custom home on the farm and I enjoyed doing that,” he says.
In fact, he enjoyed it enough that he took on several other building projects. Then came the call that changed everything.“After a couple of years, I got asked to build a small office building, then a house,” says Bezooyen. “I enjoyed that and people seemed to like what I was doing.’’ That, coupled with the frustration of economic uncertainty in the hog farming business, was the catalyst for change for the Bezooyens. “It just kind of happened,” Bezooyen says of the contracting business. “Everything moved in that direction.”
The Bezooyens decided to sell the farm and, when an offer came to build a fairly prominent house in Lethbridge, the couple jumped in with both feet. “We took that on and from there, we decided to put all our energy behind it.”
Five years later, Bezooyen is enjoying a slow, steady growth in his business. The company has several new homes in the Coulee Creek subdivision in various stages of completion, all backing onto the new lake. But instead of swinging a hammer, Bezooyen is now managing employees and co-ordinating contractors.
Dealing with people is one of the biggest differences between farming and contracting, he says. “[On the farm] I worked by myself most of the time,” he says. “Now I’m working with tradespeople and being around people all the time.”
Bezooyen’s biggest thrill, however, is making dreams come true for the clients he builds for. “What we really focus on is listening to what people’s dreams are, then coming together with partners to do our utmost to make it happen,” he says. “It’s really rewarding to see it all come together.”
While the business is run out of their north Lethbridge office, the Bezooyens still live in the dream home they built on a small acreage they kept when they sold the farm. And while he’d love to share the business with one of his children one day, right now Bezooyen is content to keep on building. “We’re hoping – as long as we can keep finding work- to keep on going.”
-Lisa Doerksen
The Lethbridge Journal
Volume 2 Issue 12