- 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 heB次元官网网址檇 actually go into the family business.

B次元官网网址淎s a teenager, almost all my friends had dug a ditch for MAC Renovations,B次元官网网址� says Blaise, who is now co-owner and operations manager. B次元官网网址淏ut when I graduated high school, I wanted to do a business degree.B次元官网网址�

Blaise soon found that wasnB次元官网网址檛 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.

B次元官网网址淚 ended up working on the submarine project for five years, and I worked on a super yacht build in Hong Kong,B次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址� literally.

B次元官网网址淚 snapped my leg and was off work about six months because I couldnB次元官网网址檛 climb down into the engine room,B次元官网网址� Blaise explains. B次元官网网址淚 dislocated my knee, tore all ligaments and was on crutches.B次元官网网址�

His dad, MAC Reno founder Ed McDonald B次元官网网址� better known as B次元官网网址淏ig MacB次元官网网址� to friends B次元官网网址� asked Blaise to come into the office and watch the phones for a week. And it was a game-changer.

B次元官网网址淚 realized it was an interesting business,B次元官网网址� says Blaise. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 only ever worked on the tool end of it so I learned a lot.B次元官网网址�

After returning to the Dockyard, but to an office this time since he still couldnB次元官网网址檛 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.

B次元官网网址淚 fast-tracked the program, right through summer and on breaks, and IB次元官网网址檇 come to the (MAC) office and work on stuff,B次元官网网址� Blaise recalls. B次元官网网址淭hen in 2011, I came back on as operations manager.B次元官网网址�

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Blaise hasnB次元官网网址檛 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.

B次元官网网址淚t was a B次元官网网址楤HAGB次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� a big, hairy, audacious goal,B次元官网网址� laughs Blaise. B次元官网网址淚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.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淲e had two places, a warehouse and an office, and it was really hard to manage both,B次元官网网址� he explains. B次元官网网址淚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 terribleB次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淭here were a few more problems with the building when we opened it up and we had to take it right to the ground,B次元官网网址� says Blaise. B次元官网网址淥nce you get into it, you just donB次元官网网址檛 know. ItB次元官网网址檚 hard to see what someoneB次元官网网址檚 done in the ground.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淵ou need to take the time at the front to go through the design and know what the specifications are,B次元官网网址� Blaise advises. B次元官网网址淎 lot of reno problems come from not planning properly and it also affects pricing. People always say B次元官网网址榞et three prices,B次元官网网址� but unless you have very detailed specifications, someone is just giving you a best guess and youB次元官网网址檙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.B次元官网网址�

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 clientsB次元官网网址� homes and lives. But he says the most challenging part of the job is also the people.

B次元官网网址淥ur business isnB次元官网网址檛 a factory in a field B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 customer service,B次元官网网址� explains Blaise. B次元官网网址淵ou go from building things to managing things to building people and it took a long time to figure that out.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淎 few years ago, IB次元官网网址檇 post an ad on Craigslist for a carpenter and IB次元官网网址檇 get 70 applications,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淣ow weB次元官网网址檒l run ads on several different platforms and maybe get a couple of responses a month.B次元官网网址�

Over the years, Blaise says heB次元官网网址檚 learned a lot B次元官网网址� and he admits heB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淲ith email, when thereB次元官网网址檚 emotion in it, it may not be what the person is trying to say and you might be reading into something that isnB次元官网网址檛 there,B次元官网网址� Blaise explains. B次元官网网址淚f IB次元官网网址檓 having difficulty writing it, thatB次元官网网址檚 usually a sign. There are some things that should just be discussed, not even over the phone, but face-to-face.B次元官网网址�

Blaise says the best advice heB次元官网网址檚 received is to treat every interaction like you can learn something B次元官网网址� from conversations with employees to calls from customers who might not be the right fit.

B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e not approaching every situation with an open mind, youB次元官网网址檙e selling yourself short,B次元官网网址� Blaise says. B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e not giving yourself the chance to learn something or gather information.B次元官网网址�

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As MAC Renovations gets ready to celebrate 40 years in business next year, Blaise says theyB次元官网网址檙e focussed on oiling the machine and finding efficiencies.

And if it hadnB次元官网网址檛 have been for that wakeboarding accident?

B次元官网网址淟ife deals you a hand and it changes the course,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淪ometimes what feels like a bad thing can actually turn into something better B次元官网网址� it just comes down to how you approach it. It opened a door I didnB次元官网网址檛 even consider.B次元官网网址�