- Words by Sandra Jones Photography by Don Denton

In pursuit of a life path, sometimes we seek out the road. And sometimes the road seeks us. For Eric Johnson, owner of Complete Windows in Parksville, fate seemed fixed on funnelling him towards life as an entrepreneur.

B次元官网网址淓very boss I had told me I was unemployable,B次元官网网址� jokes Eric.

In truth, early career choices as a drug and alcohol counsellor and a customer service manager for a large food service supply firm successfully took Eric from Calgary to Seattle and Edmonton before landing him back in Calgary. B次元官网网址淚 was fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time, but the road kept leading me towards being an entrepreneur.B次元官网网址�

EricB次元官网网址檚 mother and stepfather started Complete Windows in 1992, but by 2012 they were thinking about selling. Eric made the decision to buy the company and move back to ParksvilleB次元官网网址攂ut he entered the environment with some trepidation.

B次元官网网址淲hen I first came here, I was under the impression that the island was a graveyard for business. There were no huge success stories at the time,B次元官网网址� recalls Eric.

Looking for opportunities, he hit the ground running.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 leave the house at 5 am and drive to Victoria. My assistant at the office would Google architects and IB次元官网网址檇 start visiting construction sites to meet up with architects and builders. I began to see that there were big gaps that nobody was filling in the Victoria market.B次元官网网址�

Those gaps included a need for high-end windows and doors for large custom homes and commercial projects.

B次元官网网址淢ost manufacturers are skilled in a particular niche, but not every window is suited for every application. Because of that we now carry seven different manufacturers that all do things well. The advantage is that we can mix and match the right product for the right application; this suits the architectsB次元官网网址� and buildersB次元官网网址� needs plus it means we can meet the homeownersB次元官网网址� needs in terms of budget.B次元官网网址�

The second void Eric tackled was service.

B次元官网网址淢ost window companies supply the product and walk away. We saw that when we supplied the windows and didnB次元官网网址檛 install them, there were big warranty gaps. We decided to take that headache off of the builder and provide installation. Now we have four full-time crews and a lot fewer warranty issues.B次元官网网址�

Eric continued to break the mould by hiring more women into what is typically a male-dominated construction industry.

B次元官网网址淚 saw a huge void with few women in construction and there are massive opportunities with that. I didnB次元官网网址檛 want a rough, construction feel to the customer experience, so we employ a lot of strong, smart women throughout our operation, and itB次元官网网址檚 one of the reasons why our customers like to work with us.B次元官网网址�

One of the women who plays a key role in the business and in his life is his wife Katy.

B次元官网网址淭wo weeks after I came back to the island, I met my wife Katy when she cut my hair,B次元官网网址� says Eric.

The couple immediately connected. They married a year later and started a family.

B次元官网网址淜aty had been looking for a career change and we started to talk about her working in the business,B次元官网网址� says Eric. B次元官网网址淲e wanted to ensure we created the right dynamic between our personal and professional lives.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e were pretty thoughtful in the process of it and what role I would play,B次元官网网址� recalls Katy. B次元官网网址淚 started by taking photos of our completed projectsB次元官网网址攑hotography is a passion of mineB次元官网网址攁nd then moved onto building up our social media presence. Now I manage our overall marketing and branding.B次元官网网址�

The division of duties plays to the coupleB次元官网网址檚 strengths, providing Katy with a creative outlet and Eric with the freedom to identify new opportunities.

B次元官网网址淭here is a trend towards building large contemporary homes with big windows. One night we were watching the TV show Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles and saw a reference to Fleetwood Doors. These are the doors that allow you to create a wall of windows that seamlessly glide back into the wall. I jumped on a plane to L.A. and got the exclusive rights to sell this product on Vancouver Island,B次元官网网址� Eric says, adding, B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 also a big push right now for steel doors and windows with a thin profile, so weB次元官网网址檙e introducing a line of these as well. And weB次元官网网址檒l be one of only two suppliers in western Canada.B次元官网网址�

While some of the products that Complete Windows sells are from nearby US states, EricB次元官网网址檚 goal is to source most of their products from Canada.

B次元官网网址淭wo days after our son was born, we ran into a warranty issue on one of our jobs. I ended up driving down to Phoenix to pick up 10 replacement doors and was back in a few days. If that product had been from Europe, it would have taken 20-30 weeks to solve the issue. We have a lot more control using suppliers that are close to home.B次元官网网址�

Almost 10 years into life as an entrepreneur, EricB次元官网网址檚 vision and hard work have paid off with long-term relationships within the industry and a staff that feels like family.

B次元官网网址淲e have the best team that shares our focus on service, and we have virtually no turnover in staff,B次元官网网址� says Eric. B次元官网网址淲e treat them as well as we possibly can and they get to work on some of the most unique projects on the islandB次元官网网址攚hether thatB次元官网网址檚 the Tofino Visitor Centre or the largest single-family home on the island.B次元官网网址�

The company, which works on projects from Campbell River to Victoria and along the Sunshine Coast, has grown tenfold in nine years, and shows no signs of slowing down.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think you can foresee how much youB次元官网网址檒l put into your own business, but we have put our whole selves into this,B次元官网网址� says Katy.

Now with a thriving company and three children under the age of eight, it seems that the road was always destined to lead here.

B次元官网网址淚f anybody would have told us how hard this would be, I donB次元官网网址檛 know if I would have done it,B次元官网网址� says Eric. B次元官网网址淏ut I never thought it would be this good either.B次元官网网址�

Check out Complete Windows .

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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