Greg Hasler recently sat down (virtually) with Mike Holmes to talk about being a contractor today, his passion for building, the team that makes it all happen, and his goals for the future.
Mike: I remember being inspired by watching my Dad fix things as a kid, How did you get into the construction industry?
Greg: As a child, I always loved building things. I enjoyed working with my hands, with different materials; building forts, figuring out ways of building them bigger. Then I became truly passionate when I started working on some interesting homes.
Mike: Before we met, I hard you worked as a foreman for a well know architect at Hollingsworth Homes on some amazing Vancouver homes. How did that experience help you get to where you are today?
Greg: Working for Hollingsworth Homes helped me learn how important it is to work with skilled architects and designers to bring forth the vision. I can bring a home to life with our team, but it is crucial to our success to work with the right professionals to building high quality homes for our clients. There’s a certain level of attention to detail and craftsmanship that we require at Hasler Homes. It truly takes a village.
Mike: How did you transition from that job to building your own company?
Greg: It’s probably not surprising, I began with side jobs while I continued working for Hollingsworth. I built small decks and fences for friends and family. Eventually the side jobs grew into something bigger so I had to make a choice wether to continue doing both or start my own company.
Mike: I can see that Hasler Homes builds quality homes. People who know me know that is important to me. Why is that important to you?
Greg: I really care about making sure people get what they expect. We won’t always be perfect, but we can always be transparent. It’s a huge investment, and it’s my job to deliver. I care about doing things right, and being honest about how we’re going to do that.
Mike: The Holmes family believes in quality work too, that’s why we love working with your company. But tellme, what’s your most cringe-worthy memory of shoddy construction that you’ve come across? Anything that would make it on to my show?
Greg: There has definitely been a few of those. One of our first renovations, we pulled a part a wall and it had more junction boxes than wire itself. Another good one was when we chipped up a bathroom floor to do concrete and they had taped the pipes with duct tape. Remember, we’re talking about bathroom pipes. It was disgusting to say the least, we were also very appreciative of our plumber on that one.
Mike: To me, teamwork is everything. Tell us about Team Hasler, who is that, and why are they important to your company?
Greg: Throughout out my life, I’ve had a few opportunities to be a part of a team, and I’ve always really benefited from it. I’m just a small part of this company. So I want to have a team that looks out for each other, grows together, and learns from each other. It’s a lot of hands on deck to get these homes built, it’s teamwork.
Mike: Congrats to you and your team on winning the Net Zero Home Award and also being nominated for a High-Performance home award last year! Would you say these types of homes are the future of residential homes in Vancouver?
Greg: I would say high performance homes are the way of the future in BC, and the rest of Canada seems to be following along. Our industry is undergoing lots of change, embodied carbon footprint is coming in the next few years. I like being on the leading edge of these changes. Within our particular industry here in B.C., you can’t build a basic standard home anymore.
Mike: After 10 years in the industry, what has been your biggest ‘lesson learned’?
Greg: First and foremost, don’t cut corners. We hear it too often that clients are experiencing builders who can ‘do it cheaper’. We’re building homes, to hopefully be passed on to our children, or withstand years of living and be sold later on in life. This is an investment, and you need to invest in building a quality product. This being said, it’s also very important to take the time to understand what clients needs are from the build. This way we can ensure from the beginning that we are factoring everything into the budget instead of finding ways to save money later on.
Mike: What is your biggest tip for homeowners wanting to build a new home?
Greg: Be prepared to go through the process. We are here to support you, answer questions, connect you with the proper professionals. That being said, take the time to understand what you are paying for.
Mike: Where do you see Hasler Homes 10 years from now?
Greg: I would love to see our team being the leader of high performance homes in the community.. Potentially going into high performance development in the city. I would love to grow with the team we have now, and see everyone grow and develop alongside each other.
