NANAIMO – Out of their headquarters in Nanaimo, National Contracting Solutions Ltd. (NCS) has established itself as a full-service team for retail franchises all over North America.
The company was created in 2008 as a response to industry trends. Its founders identified a key need in commercial construction: the need for a professional, skilled general contractor for national clients with multiple locations.
“With a small team of well-rounded, dedicated professionals and tradespeople, as well as a modest fleet, our team began building partnerships with major franchises such as 7-Eleven, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, and others,” says Felicia Mark, Operations Coordinator. “Since then, we have expanded our labour force, fleet, contracts, and offices to meet the growing demands of our repeat customers.”
Today, the company fields a team of over 50 employees, including management, estimating teams, projects teams, and a diverse team of tradespeople.
“NCS has a skilled group of in-house tradespeople including, but not limited to, carpenters, electricians, and HVAC crew members,” says Mark. “Our vast in-house trades allow us to achieve the demanding schedules requested by our clients with ease. Furthermore, it allows NCS to manage safety and quality, which are its highest priorities. As an NCS employee, all crew members share a common dedication to provide high-quality construction that fulfills or exceeds client expectations.”
With its team of skilled tradespeople, NCS is able to complete projects under extreme time constraints and at times, challenging site conditions.
“Our schedules can range anywhere from 24 hour turnarounds to several months,” says Mark.
Referring to a recent project, Managing Director Byron Tarby comments, “We just finished renovating eight 7-Eleven locations in downtown Vancouver. We originally had over 20 days to complete the renovations, but at the last-minute, our schedule was compressed by our customer to 14 days, with additions to the scope of the project. In spite of this, our team was still able to complete the project within the time restrictions with minimal interruptions to business activities in each location as the stores remained open for business.”
7-Eleven has been one of NCS’s largest clients. Since 2008, they have been chosen to work with 7-Eleven in stores throughout Canada and the United States.
A project highlight was, “In July 2016, NCS was awarded a major contract working in partnership with 7-Eleven on the Imperial Oil Acquisition Remodel Project,” says Mark. “NCS took on the role as general contractor for this three-phase project involving 139 Esso stores across Western Canada.
“Phase one, change in control, involved replacement of point of sales equipment at each store. Phase two, design and engineering, involved creating as-builts of each store using sophisticated 3D scanners and collaboration with clients to identify remodeling needs. Phase three, construction execution, involved remodeling interiors of each store to align with modern 7-Eleven branding.”
In addition to 7-Eleven, NCS has worked with other major retail brands, including Starbucks, Costco, BC Liquor Stores, Wendy’s, and Tim Hortons. The company specializes in food service, petroleum, commercial projects, and institutional work. To add, they have also worked closely with the Stz’uminus First Nation to support their maintenance and upgrade needs.
“When working on projects, we try to use as many of our own tradespeople as possible,” says Tarby. “This helps us maintain our high level of safety and quality, and helps us to ensure that we meet and exceed our clients’ expectations. In addition, when working with compressed timeframes, we aren’t restricted by the schedules of outside subtrades.”
Over the last three years, the Nanaimo-based company has been doing more work in the United States. Their combination of experience, efficiency, and competitive pricing makes them a strong candidate for retail renovation projects throughout the continent.
According to Mark, the growing demand is largely thanks to its tight-knit team and strong relationships with repeat customers.
“NCS has a core group of employees who have transformed and grown with us through the ebbs and flows of our organization,” she says. “As a team, and as a family, we share losses and victories with a growth mindset and poise. Our ongoing success is attributed to the dedication, adaptability and hard work of these employees.”
The company has already completed several projects on Vancouver Island, and is looking to take on more local projects in the coming years.
