A Ucluelet business is parading into 2019 with some well-earned praise.
On the Edge Roofing and Contracting is celebrating three Small Business B.C. Awards nominations: Best Employer, Best Company and Best Community Impact.
“On The Edge Roofing and Contracting has made sure that coastal residents, and the homes that they work so hard for, are protected from the weather that the area famously receives,” states On the Edge’s nominee profile page at www.sbbcawards.ca. “With record breaking rainfall in a temperate rainforest, a high quality roof should be a top priority! On The Edge has provided peace of mind to hundreds of residents in Ucluelet, Tofino, and surrounding First Nation communities along the west coast.”
The company’s owner Shaun Mills told the Westerly he was “honoured, thrilled and excited” to see his business recognized.
“It’s hard work being accomplished,” he said. “It’s one thing to show I’m doing things right. I’m on the right path and the good service that we can provide is paying off. We feel good…I would like to thank the communities and everyone around that has supported us and continues to support us.”
READ MORE: Ucluelet nominated for Small Business BC Award
Mills has been in the roofing business for roughly 20 years, splitting his time between Alberta and B.C. before making the decision to stay in Ucluelet full-time.
“Once I was able to just stay here and not have to go back to Alberta at all, we rebranded the company and decided to hire some staff and grow it and see where we could take it,” he said adding the company’s business has doubled each year since rebranding in 2016.
“It’s really good to keep the money local and keep the work local…We’re getting a lot of work and that feels really good.”
Mills employs four employees year-round and said business from Tofino and the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation has supplemented his Ucluetian operations. He added his crew was busy over December as heavy storms wreaked havoc on West Coast roofs.
“We had four guys buzzing around in two trucks doing nothing but patching roofs just so people didn’t have leaks and we’re going back now and fixing them up and doing proper permanent repairs on them,” he said. “Having a service like this is great for the communities. We don’t have to wait for people to come from out of town to do it. We’re here. The more support we get, the bigger we’ll grow and the more we’ll be able to service.”
READ MORE: Tofino scores at Business Excellence Awards
He added the West Coast’s support circles back into the communities by keeping dollars in town.
“It’s a circle,” he said. “We buy all local product. We hire guys that live here and that support the communities and shop in our grocery stores. People use us, the money stays here, we use it in our community and it just goes around and helps the economy all around.”
Ucluelet mayor Mayco Noel touted Mills as a valuable community member who deserved the SBBC accolades.
“A big congratulations to you Shaun. People don’t know the big battle that it’s taken for you to get to this point, so my hat off to you. It’s wonderful to see that you’re being rewarded for your effort and your commitment to the community as well as to those that are working for you,” Noel said.
He noted that Mills is a local father, volunteer firefighter and active community member who worked hard to create a place for himself in Ucluelet.
“It just really shows the perseverance that he has to making it work because it would have been easier for him to give up a long time ago,” Noel said. “He wanted to live here and he created himself his own work and it’s wonderful to see that he’s being rewarded.”
READ MORE: On the Edge Roofing wins Ucluelet chamber’s holiday decorating contest
Ucluelet chamber of commerce manager Lara Kemps was ecstatic to congratulate both Shaun and his wife Kellie for their success.
“Each of us do our part in maintaining the health and well-being of our community and Shaun and Kellie and their team at On the Edge Roofing are no slouch in what it means to be great community members,” she said. “Being nominated for Best Employer, Best Community Impact and Best Company by Small Business BC is really a no brainer. If you have never met Shaun or Kelli, you should. They are feel-good people with a company that mirrors their values and commitment to our town.”
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter