CONDO BOARDS COUNT ON C- ERA FOR GUIDANCE
Most of us have to have to spend a lot of years working, so those who enjoy their jobs tend to be nicer to be around. A lady who certainly falls into that category is Candace Mehls, CEO of C- Era Property Management & Realty, who positively enjoys her career, her clients and her staff, and has been very successful.
After relocating to Calgary from Estevan, Sask., in 1992, she was fortunate when launching her own property management company in 1999 to find vacant space on the former Molson Brewery site that was offered rent free if she looked after the property.
Today, she has a staff of 28 who manage 83 condominium projects.
It means dealing with 83 condo boards, but thanks to her 40 years of experience, and qualifications as a licensed member of the Alberta Real Estate Association and certified property manager, she says she has met and solved every challenge the industry presents.
And it’s a rather complex business, assisting the boards in areas such as money management, safety, communications, planned maintenance and access to preferred trades and consultants that her company has relied on for many years. C- Era manages trust funds for its clients, fully licensed and protected on their behalf.
The main objective is to provide the kind of service that gives peace of mind. The ever- increasing number of condos Mehls has in her company portfolio proves it’s doing just that.
A well- run company usually attract buyers and Mehls says she was discovered by Associa, a worldwide leader in community management based in Dallas, Texas, with over 9,000 employees operating 170 branches in the US., Mexico, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Australia.
Attracted by the company pillars of employee morale, client growth, client retention and profitability, Mehls made the decision to sell to Associa in 2012. Her company has been so good at conforming to those pillars, it was named Small Branch of the Year in 2013 and again in 2014. She very proudly accepted the award for being the best of the 170 branches.
Much of the company’s success has been a result of being able to call upon such an experienced company and the quality of her own experienced team in Calgary.
A key member is Kyle Kalloo, whom Mehls persuaded to leave WestJet, where he served in various executive positions, including running its command centre, to join C- Era in 2013. He now serves as chief operating officer, overseeing its property managers, accounting, human resources, marketing and communications and strategic business operations.
Kalloo is also very involved in new business and most recently added Bridgeland Crossings, the new 11- storey, 155- unit building on the corner of Memorial Drive and 9th Street N. E. It features a movie theatre, modern lounge and state- of- the- art fitness centre.
C- Era focuses on residential condo management, but last month welcomed the Nexus Business Centre of offices and warehouse bays on 5th Avenue N. E. in addition to Avira in EvansRidge, 99 units built by Jayman near Creekside and Beacon Hill shopping centres.
Mehls keeps adding and says she fully expects to reach a plateau of 100 condominium projects under C- Era’s management within the next 18 months.
Rob Ohlson, owner of custom builder Maillot Homes, is also chairman of the board of Calgarybased Operation Eyesight, an international development agency dedicated to eliminating avoidable blindness.
His passion for that organization has had him down at the Talisman Centre early every morning. He’s training for a gruelling experience next week as a crew member alongside Norma Bastidas, who is running the Badwater 135, known as the world’s toughest race at 217 kilometres non- stop across Death Valley, to raise awareness and support for Operation Eyesight.
Now 47 and the mother of two boys, Bastidas began her running career while living in Calgary. She became the fastest woman to run seven ultra marathons on seven continents in seven months. She has since relocated to Delta, B. C.
Kudos to Checker Yellow Cabs in raising awareness of domestic violence by displaying Empower the Movement decals on 850 taxis that present a strong moving billboard throughout the downtown.