- Story by Tess van Straaten Photography by Don Denton

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on

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 he害羞草研究所檇 actually go into the family business.

害羞草研究所淎s a teenager, almost all my friends had dug a ditch for MAC Renovations,害羞草研究所� says Blaise, who is now co-owner and operations manager. 害羞草研究所淏ut when I graduated high school, I wanted to do a business degree.害羞草研究所�

Blaise soon found that wasn害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淚 ended up working on the submarine project for five years, and I worked on a super yacht build in Hong Kong,害羞草研究所� 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 害羞草研究所� literally.

害羞草研究所淚 snapped my leg and was off work about six months because I couldn害羞草研究所檛 climb down into the engine room,害羞草研究所� Blaise explains. 害羞草研究所淚 dislocated my knee, tore all ligaments and was on crutches.害羞草研究所�

His dad, MAC Reno founder Ed McDonald 害羞草研究所� better known as 害羞草研究所淏ig Mac害羞草研究所� to friends 害羞草研究所� asked Blaise to come into the office and watch the phones for a week. And it was a game-changer.

害羞草研究所淚 realized it was an interesting business,害羞草研究所� says Blaise. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檇 only ever worked on the tool end of it so I learned a lot.害羞草研究所�

After returning to the Dockyard, but to an office this time since he still couldn害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淚 fast-tracked the program, right through summer and on breaks, and I害羞草研究所檇 come to the (MAC) office and work on stuff,害羞草研究所� Blaise recalls. 害羞草研究所淭hen in 2011, I came back on as operations manager.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所�

Blaise hasn害羞草研究所檛 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.

害羞草研究所淚t was a 害羞草研究所楤HAG害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶖 a big, hairy, audacious goal,害羞草研究所� laughs Blaise. 害羞草研究所淚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.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淲e had two places, a warehouse and an office, and it was really hard to manage both,害羞草研究所� he explains. 害羞草研究所淚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 terrible害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淭here were a few more problems with the building when we opened it up and we had to take it right to the ground,害羞草研究所� says Blaise. 害羞草研究所淥nce you get into it, you just don害羞草研究所檛 know. It害羞草研究所檚 hard to see what someone害羞草研究所檚 done in the ground.害羞草研究所�

It害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淵ou need to take the time at the front to go through the design and know what the specifications are,害羞草研究所� Blaise advises. 害羞草研究所淎 lot of reno problems come from not planning properly and it also affects pricing. People always say 害羞草研究所榞et three prices,害羞草研究所� but unless you have very detailed specifications, someone is just giving you a best guess and you害羞草研究所檙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.害羞草研究所�

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 clients害羞草研究所� homes and lives. But he says the most challenging part of the job is also the people.

害羞草研究所淥ur business isn害羞草研究所檛 a factory in a field 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 customer service,害羞草研究所� explains Blaise. 害羞草研究所淵ou go from building things to managing things to building people and it took a long time to figure that out.害羞草研究所�

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.

害羞草研究所淎 few years ago, I害羞草研究所檇 post an ad on Craigslist for a carpenter and I害羞草研究所檇 get 70 applications,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淣ow we害羞草研究所檒l run ads on several different platforms and maybe get a couple of responses a month.害羞草研究所�

Over the years, Blaise says he害羞草研究所檚 learned a lot 害羞草研究所� and he admits he害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淲ith email, when there害羞草研究所檚 emotion in it, it may not be what the person is trying to say and you might be reading into something that isn害羞草研究所檛 there,害羞草研究所� Blaise explains. 害羞草研究所淚f I害羞草研究所檓 having difficulty writing it, that害羞草研究所檚 usually a sign. There are some things that should just be discussed, not even over the phone, but face-to-face.害羞草研究所�

Blaise says the best advice he害羞草研究所檚 received is to treat every interaction like you can learn something 害羞草研究所� from conversations with employees to calls from customers who might not be the right fit.

害羞草研究所淚f you害羞草研究所檙e not approaching every situation with an open mind, you害羞草研究所檙e selling yourself short,害羞草研究所� Blaise says. 害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檙e not giving yourself the chance to learn something or gather information.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所�

As MAC Renovations gets ready to celebrate 40 years in business next year, Blaise says they害羞草研究所檙e focussed on oiling the machine and finding efficiencies.

And if it hadn害羞草研究所檛 have been for that wakeboarding accident?

害羞草研究所淟ife deals you a hand and it changes the course,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淪ometimes what feels like a bad thing can actually turn into something better 害羞草研究所� it just comes down to how you approach it. It opened a door I didn害羞草研究所檛 even consider.害羞草研究所�