Encore Master Builder was founded in 1984 by Doug Hoffman.“He started the business out of our house,” present day co-owner Kim Gibbons remembers. “He had been working for a different company, but when that company shut its doors, he decided to start his own business. That was the beginning of Encore Homes.”
Hoffman built up the brand at a steady pace, achieved his Master Home Builder certification, and changed the name to Encore Master Builder.
Co-owner, president and Gibbons’ brother-in-law, Kevin Read joined Encore after obtaining his university degree and also obtained his Master Builder certification. Gibbons and Read took ownership of Encore in 2015.
Encore Master Builder is a long-term partner of the City of Edmonton, helping to develop communities such as La Perle, Miller and Brintnell, and being a driving force in the City’s secondary suite garage program. The work with the City led Encore to one of its most ambitious projects to date – Blatchford.
A project designed to revolutionize the sustainable way homes can be built, and to showcase how Edmonton is a leader in the development of long-term housing in efficient, walkable communities, Blatchford’s green building codes demand 70 per cent higher energy performance over industry standards.
“Currently, Blatchford is our primary community in Edmonton,” says Read. “We have morphed out of our focus on infill and large-scale residential renovations.”
Blatchford and Encore are a natural fit.
“Certainly, Blatchford has had its challenges in the public eye,” Read admits, “and the process to be involved as a builder was very rigorous. However, Encore has done many green projects over the years. Even though this is a step above the usual sustainability standards, we are willing and excited to take the lead. We are builders. This is what we do!”
In addition to bringing their expertise in green building to the project, the Encore team was also interested in the learning curve – and it was a very steep one. For example, learning how to incorporate the community’s geothermal system was a challenge.
“We spend the first four years of the project learning alongside planning,” smiles Read. “Now we are seeing the growth phase, and that is truly exciting. The demand has come full circle and we are building more units this year than ever before.”
Gibbons adds, “To go from the company office being the kitchen table to building in Blatchford feels wonderful. When we took over the company from my parents, our vision aligned with their original iteration of the company. However, our vision also differed in some ways because the world itself is changing. The idea of Encore being in a community competing with other showhomes became less appealing. We made the conscious decision to focus on sustainable housing and suites. It’s been about 20 years, and we are seeing proof that we made the right choice.”
The decision to focus firmly on sustainable building, living the values of expertise in customer service, practicing and engaging in KYC (know your customer) principles and remaining a small-volume builder despite having the ability and capacity to be a large volume builder were driving factors in an incredible opportunity for Encore. In addition to focusing on Blatchford, Encore Master Builder was invited to take part in another, very special, project – rebuilding Jasper.
Read previously sat on the board of BILD Alberta Edmonton chapter, and, “As such, we got asked to take part in the Jasper rebuild,” he explains. “Kim and I took some time to think about the request, and we said yes. We are loving being a part of this!”
Gibbons adds, “The residents of Jasper are beyond resilient and are just phenomenal. We find the project very exciting. Things are at the permitting stage and moving forward smoothly. It is a highlight for Encore to be asked to be a part of this inspiring chapter for Jasper, and we couldn’t be prouder of being involved as a Master builder.”
Encore is also a part of Building Futures.
A unique program aimed at supporting the province’s teachers, Building Futures works in tandem with the education system to give students practical, hands-on life and job skills. St. Albert public school invites Grade 10 students to work on building a house alongside tradespeople and the Encore team. This is immensely beneficial for students seeking direction in the trades.
“It is also important for our industry, knowing the trades deficit,” adds Kim. “We are helping to build a quality trades base for the future.”
Encore Master Builder succeeds for many reasons, chief among them is knowing who they are and knowing who their customers are. This is far from accidental. The foundational values set by the Hoffmans were built on by Gibbons and Read. This attracted a like-minded team who are all on board about the laser focus on sustainable, attainable builds that suit each individual family, over being a large-volume builder.
“We are not afraid to take risks,” Kim shares of other things that drive Encore’s success. “Every time we do something, we learn a lot and as a team. We are all hands on in every aspect, from the management to the field. As a small builder, we get to leverage all the strengths of our team. They get to work on multiple aspects of every project, and this keeps them engaged.”
Read agrees, “Things will always ebb and flow in this market. Sometimes there are trade shortages or even a lack of access to land. Other times it’s a very busy year. Staying true to our identity and path while having the ability to remain agile, but most importantly, being a cohesive team that genuinely cares about what we do and whom we do it for, sets us apart. We know who we are; we know how to pivot and move with the times.”
Both agree that for them and for the team, whether it is a green-built home in Blatchford, a restored home in Jasper, a community boosting infill in Edmonton or an income-generating suite in the city, the moment they hand over the keys and see the look on the homeowner’s face is the most moving part of the process.
“That look of joy,” smiles Gibbons, “reminds us of why we do what we do.”
She adds, “If I could tell our clients anything, it would be that building a home is a very emotional and stressful journey for the homeowner, and we know that. Everyone at Encore Master Builder cares. We really do care, and we really do treat you as a person and as a family. In our staff meetings, we know your names. Your project is not just a house. It’s your house. We intentionally do not build a lot of homes each year so we can keep the focus where it belongs, which is on the homeowner.
“The size of our company is very intentional,” says Read. “As a small volume builder, we remain agile. We did build 80 homes in one year, as we have the capacity to do so. However, we found that the personal connection to our clients dipped, so we reduced our build numbers to align with our foundational values.”
In 2022, Encore Master Builder won a BILD® Edmonton Excellence in Housing Small Volume Builder of the Year award.
“That is a tough award to win,” says Gibbons. “It includes those who build as few as four houses per year. The award was driven by client feedback, and we had to get the same feedback as a small volume builder that did 40 homes. The validation of seeing our values recognized and appreciated was deeply felt on every level. It was proof that choosing to remain smaller, agile and focused over profits was the right path.”
Encore is also pleased to have recognition through the Constellation Homebuilder Systems CustomerInsight™ awards as Builder of Choice (winner 2021, 2023) and Best Customer Experience (finalist 2022, 2023).
Gibbons and Read thank Doug and Linda Hoffman for launching both Encore. “They founded the company and they supported us as we took it over. They still support us to this day.”
They also thank the subtrades and the team. “You cannot be a builder without trades and your team. Some of our people have been with us for 40 years. We are blessed to have an awesome team behind us.”
The future of Encore Master Builder is an exciting one as they innovate in Blatchford and help rebuild Jasper.
11344 – 119 Street Edmonton, AB T5G 2X4
780-472-8362
info@encorehomes.ca
