Economic Development eNews

Economic Development eNews | July 18, 2017

Business Profile

Top feature photo: Corey in front of Lockwood Brothers Construction and the distinctive silo bearing the company name. The silo was moved from Narrow's Lock Road and refurbished.

Kim Lockwood looks over house plans. Below master craftsman Michiel Kluck with a custom order.

Award-winning Lockwood Brothers Construction continues to build on its strong reputation

OXFORD STATION - A recent award has cemented family-owned Lockwood Brothers Construction as a proven leader among Ontario's more than 5,000 registered home builders.

The local firm has earned the inaugural Ernest Assaly Award for being the Ontario builder who best demonstrates a long-standing commitment to quality, innovation, customer service and community involvement. Only 38 Ontario builders met the rigorous criteria. The award was presented at the 2017 Homeowners' Choice Awards ceremony hosted by Tarion Warranty Corporation.

"We have a great team here," says Corey Lockwood, who founded the company in 1995 when he was just out of school in Montreal. In 2000, he and his wife Kim decided to move to this area where they have family. The company start-up team included Corey and Kim, brother John Lockwood and brother-in-law Bruce McNulty.

It didn't take long for people to start noticing their unique homes and the business took off. Today the company has grown to 24 full-time employees. The ever-expanding headquarters, including 10,000-square feet of office and workshop space, is located on scenic Totem Ranch Road in Edwardsburgh Cardinal Township. There is also a heavy equipment shop on site. Another arm of the business is garbage/debris container bin rentals. It means they don't have to wait for bins on their own construction sites and they also rent them to other operations.

Corey commends the entire Lockwood team for the company's achievements and for raising the standard to put it in league with top builders. Office manager Chelsea Baker agrees. "We're a customer service driven business. Everyone knows it is the number one priority."

A long line of happy c ustomers will tell you about exceptional craftsmanship, outstanding design, quality and professionalism from the team at Lockwood Brothers Construction. One client wrote: "They are great builders. They are even better people."

"We will look at anything and figure out a way to build it," says Corey. They construct residential, light commercial and out buildings. About 85% of their work is in new home construction. The team has now built more than 250 homes in Leeds Grenville, South Dundas and Ottawa.

Watch the video of Lockwood Brothers receiving the Ernest Assaly award, including an interview with Corey and Kim Lockwood, on the Tarion Warranty Corporation's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Lockwood Brothers Construction by visiting their website and Facebook page. Send them an email or call 613-258-4225.

Below: The entire Lockwood Brothers Construction team.

Celebrating Business

Anne Barr, owner of Nana B's Bakery, is hoping her butter tarts help inspire an Eastern Ontario trail.

Photo courtesy of Coba Studios & Print Shop.

Area baker earns accolades for tart

MERRICKVILLE - This is not your average butter tart. It's a tasty gem to possibly inspire an Eastern Ontario "butter tart trail" akin to those found in other parts of the province.

Nana B's owner Anne Barr is the creator of the extraordinary "Maple Rhubarb Apple" butter tart that earned first place at Ontario's Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland in June. Her win was in the Pro All-Ontario Ingredient Category. All of Anne's tart ingredients, with the exception of salt, were sourced from within Eastern Ontario.

"I'm just over the moon with what we've accomplished," Anne said of the big festival win. "It was totally unexpected. My goal for that weekend was to come home with the participation award and some good Facebook posts ... not first place. It's thrilling!"

The contest, part of the greater Butter Tart Trail in the Georgian Bay area, attracted 120 home and professional bakers from across the province. More than 175,000 tarts were sold during the festival with thousands of butter tart lovers attending.

"I'd like to bring this type of enthusiasm to Eastern Ontario," said Anne. "It has so much potential and it's great to build excitement."

Congratulations to Anne and her team. Learn more about Nana B's on their website. Call them at 613-454-1380 or send them an email.

Nana B's is located at 318 Main Street in Merrickville. They make artisan breads, rolls, cookies, doughnuts, granola treats and rustico pastries filled with roasted meats and chutney.

Workshops and Seminars

Learn how to market your business on a budget

The North Grenville Chamber of Commerce is presenting a Breakfast Seminar with guest speaker Stephen Beamish, Entrepreneur in Residence at Launch Lab, The Innovation Centre. The topic is "8 Ways to Drive Effective Marketing on a Limited Budget."

WHEN: Friday, July 28, 7:30-9:30 a.m.

WHERE: New Rideau Restaurant, 7780 Merlyn Wilson Way, Kemptville

COST: $25 plus HST

Customer Service Excellence training available for businesses

The Employment and Education Centre (EEC) is offering Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC) Customer Service Excellence training. It is a day-long session. The program provides skills and tools to create memorable service experiences resulting in customer loyalty and successful customer-centric organizations.

WHEN: Friday, July 28, 9 a.m.

WHERE: EEC at 105 Strowger Boulevard, Brockville

COST: $45

Space is limited so registration is required.

Ontario Chamber rep speaking at breakfast event

The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce is hosting "Breakfast with Karl" this week featuring Karl Baldauf, Vice President, Policy and Government Relations for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce

WHEN: Thursday, July 20

WHERE: Brockville Convention Centre, 7829 Kent Boulevard
COST: $25 for members, $30 for non-members

DEADLINE TO REGISTER: Today, July 18th, by 4 p.m.

Karl will be talking about the proposed changes to Ontario's Employment and Labour Laws and Employment Standards, the Labour Relations Act, equal pay for equal provisions and minimum wage increases, to list a few of the topics.

Visit our Workshops and Seminars page to learn more or to register.

Karl Baldauf of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

Learn more about these sessions and how to register on our Workshops and Seminars page.