TOOL KIT FOR SUCCESS
Steve Barkhouse of Amsted
With a bucket of nails in one hand and a hammer in the other, a determined four-year-old waddled across his “Grammies” yard in pyjamas and socks. The house next door was under construction and the young boy thought he’d get an early start as morning light stretched across the Nova Scotia sky.
“It’s just always been in my blood,” explains Steve Barkhouse, the now 53-year-old veteran renovator. The story of his younger self has been told time and again by his mother, who watched him from the secondstorey window so many years ago.
He never stopped carrying those tools — at least figuratively. Barkhouse took up odd jobs on the family farm and learned everything from drywall to construction from his father and grandparents before studying architecture and business at Algonquin College and Lakehead University.
It wasn’t until he graduated that the grim reality of a struggling economy halted his carefully crafted plans. He was qualified, passionate and determined, but getting a job straight out of school was like winning the lottery — unlikely.
“It was madness,” he remembers. “There was nothing. I graduated university and couldn’t get a job, so with my tail between my legs I came home at Christmas and my dad said: ‘Well that’s too bad buddy, but you better get a job.’”
It was with his dad’s inspiration that he founded Amsted DesignBuild in 1989. The company has been named Renovator of the Year at the GOHBA Housing Design Awards a record seven times, including this year, and twice has earned Renovator of the Year at the provincial level.
On top of the professional recognition, Barkhouse was also awarded the Order of Ottawa this year for his tireless support of numerous charities and initiatives in Ottawa, including CHEO and Habitat for Humanity.
In his office is a timeline of Amsted’s milestones and achievements from a one-man handyman company to a provincially recognized powerhouse. Barkhouse admits he never envisioned so many awards, but building a successful business didn’t happen by chance. He made his own luck.
“When I started out, did I ever anticipate doing all those things? No, I would be foolish to say that, but did I expect that we would achieve success? Absolutely. Did I expect that we would be the best? Absolutely. Was I willing to do what it takes to be the best? Yes, and I still am,” said Barkhouse.
“If you don’t have that vision then you are never going to achieve it.”
He bought some land shortly after beginning Amsted and built a new house on one half while renovating another just steps away. While he didn’t know it at the time, that renovation became the turning point in his life and career. Barkhouse fell in love with renovating and swore to never build new again.
There is nothing more emotional than a home, he explains.
“It’s more than sticks and bricks. It’s where Christmas trees float on presents. It’s where front porches offer first kisses, driveways where boys and girls are out taking shots (on goal). It’s respite. It’s your oasis. It’s everything.”
He admits it sounds a little mawkish, but he really does change lives.
In his lengthy career, spanning almost 30 years and racking up over 5,000 jobs, it’s difficult for Barkhouse to choose just one that stands out. After thinking on it for a few minutes he recalls a job for a family whose daughter had cerebral palsy.
“That daughter, until we did the renovation, struggled everywhere all the time in her wheelchair,” said Barkhouse. His team installed a lift to transport them to each floor of the home and made small adjustments like widened doorways and lowered countertops. Most people wouldn’t recognize the changes but for the daughter those renovations meant independence.
“Now there’s nothing she can’t participate in,” said Barkhouse. “That gives me chills.”
Amsted is now home to 32 employees, who Barkhouse is quick to credit for the company’s continued success.
“If you get into this industry you’re a people pleaser. It’s not to make your millions, trust me,” said Barkhouse with a laugh. “We get to work with the client, understand how they live and make it better. We change people’s lives.”
It’s that reason that makes it hard for Barkhouse to leave the office some nights.
“There are days I get home and I’m tired and my wife says ‘you’re a seven time renovator of the year, why don’t you take it easy?’ and I say ‘I wish I could but our clients deserve that continual effort and my team demands it.’”
So what does it take to keep winning? Barkhouse credits longevity and continual efforts for improvement. While Amsted uses the latest techniques and technology, what really separates them from the pack is their connection with clients.
“We want clients for life and you win with that attitude.”