There’s a new face around the Pinnacle Group these days! Recently we had a fantastic new member added to our Construction Team; Jonathan Tyrrell has joined us as Site Supervisor!
Jonathan comes to Pinnacle with a bit of background in residential renovations; he started and managed a small renovation company after graduating from the University of Alberta. He ran this business for a few years before he and his wife relocated to Calgary. Since moving to Calgary, he has been employed by Nu-Way Floor Fashions as their Quality Control Coordinator. During this time he proved himself to be a hard and motivated worker – he so impressed his colleagues that his hire with Pinnacle was a direct referral from a previous Nu-Way co-worker! Since joining our Team, Jonathan has shone as an honest, dependable and extremely personable addition; we are thrilled to have him on board with Pinnacle and look forward to an exciting future together!
Luke Boyer
An additional change within the Team is the furthering education of our current Site Assistant, Luke Boyer. Luke has decided to pursue a Journeyman Carpentry ticket at SAIT, and has recently completed his 1st term with an impressive academic record of nothing below 80%! We are very proud of Luke and the effort he has put into pursuing this career; we look forward to the continuation of it in the near future!
There have been some exciting changes around the Pinnacle office recently! Two of our key Team Members have recently changed positions within our company, bringing their involvement in our process to a whole new level!
Barry Johnson, formerly our Production Manager, has taken on a new set of responsibilities to become our Operations Manager! Barry comes from a background heavily involved in customer relations; he was a partner in a retail chain for 10 years before becoming a Service Technician at Morrison Homes. After 6 years with Morrison he joined the Pinnacle Team and has been an integral part ever since! Since joining Pinnacle in 2006, he has been involved in the conception and implementation of numerous processes; as well as daily involvement with staff, clients and trade partners. His honesty, steady character and natural problem solving skills have made him an ideal candidate for upper management. Barry’s new role will see him stepping into the supervision of all areas of the company, and will give him an even greater ability to implement positive changes moving forward.
Jeff Moss, Renovation Consultant
Jeff Moss is moving from his current position of Site Supervisor to become our newest Renovation Consultant, and will be entering the fast-paced world of sales! Jeff formerly owned a residential painting company, and has extensive industry knowledge as well as outstanding charisma with staff and clients alike. After joining Pinnacle in 2008, Jeff immediately began shining as an incredible over-achiever and go-getter. Always going above & beyond to ensure our clients are thrilled with their completed renovation, Jeff has proved himself to be a natural people-person, and is sure to be a perfect fit in the Sales Team! Jeff’s new position will see him involved in fine-tuning our current processes, as well as collaborating to implement positive changes in the future.
Congratulations, Barry and Jeff on your exciting new positions! We look forward to your success in these new roles in the days ahead!
Pinnacle will be launching another new initiative the beginning of April, designed to provide visiting guests a chance to view a renovation currently underway! We will be opening up a few homes under construction at varying stages in the renovation process, giving you an opportunity to tour the project! Our knowledgeable Renovation Consultants, as well as a number of our skilled Trade Partners will be on hand to answer your questions.
This mid-construction Tour gives you a chance to see all the newest building technologies, energy efficiency initiatives, and the latest construction methods which are all hidden ‘behind the drywall’ in a typical showhome. We’re opening up these homes for you to see all those trade ‘secrets’ before we close up the walls!
Come join us for a tour of one of our current projects; view before pictures and 3D plans of the renovation changes, enjoy complimentary Tim Horton’s coffee and donuts, and ask your various questions to members of our experienced Team!
Our first tour will be held Saturday April 9th, from 10:00am-3:00pm in Lake Bonavista. For address and directions please call our office at: 403-720-8789. We look forward to seeing you there…!
Pinnacle Group is very excited to announce the launch of a new software program within our company! Our new Web Based Software allows shared documentation between our staff, homeowners, and subcontractors for all aspects of a renovation project; keeping the information literally at everyone’s fingertips!
Accessible via personalized internet log-in, this software allows real-time 24/7 access to contracts, scheduling information, changes and notifications, selections, photos, warranty management, and much more. Each of our subcontractors & homeowners are able to stay involved in all aspects of the production process with streamlined internal documentation sharing. Subcontractors are able to view all schedules simultaneously to avoid potential conflicts, and our Production Manager is able to avoid scheduling the same contractor on multiple concurrent projects.
We are thrilled to see the potential for streamlining our procedures, and look forward to utilizing this software to its full capability!
It’s been a few days since Jim & Penny returned home from their week-long Mexican Riviera Cruise, but their excitement hasn’t waned yet! From excursions of snorkelling, desert dune buggies and the Puerto Vallarta Zip Line, to enjoying top class restaurants and taking in the live entertainment onboard, it was definitely a trip to remember.
The couple flew to Los Angeles to be ready to board the cruise March 5th. From there they sailed to Cabo San Lucas, & Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Each location was unique and exciting, and they had a few hours to explore the various attractions before boarding and setting sail to the next destination.
Jim’s favourite memory of the trip is the Puerto Vallarta Zip Line & Canopy Tour. Transportation to the Zip Line included Speed Boat, Swiss Army Jeeps and the backs of Mules, which gave them a chance to experience the beauty of Mexico’s back country! The Canopy Tour had 14 different stations which included experiences such as a breath-taking 200m Zip Line over an open canyon and rappelling down an enormous rock wall beside a beautiful waterfall; all at an elevation of 2000ft in the lush Sierra Madre Mountains!
Jim & Penny would like to thank Paul & Elaine for their incredible generosity in providing them with the opportunity to experience this trip of a lifetime. They are sincerely honoured to be part of the Pinnacle Trade Team & look forward to many more years of partnership!
Pinnacle Group takes great care in constructing the most comfortable, yet eco-friendly homes possible, which is why we partner with Calgary’s premier Trades and Suppliers, such as Accu-Temp Heating & Cooling Ltd.
Accu-Temp, owned & operated by Nate Burlando, is an HVAC and Air Conditioning specialist, installing all furnaces, ductwork and air conditioning for Pinnacle projects. Continually on the search for improved technologies and products, Accu-Temp installs only the best in their industry. From ultra-high efficient furnaces & humidifiers, to a software program designed to perfectly calculate the ducting required for each individual home, every detail is covered.
Accu-Temp supplies and installs the ultra-high efficient York furnace in many Pinnacle projects; these furnaces are rated as 98% efficient, and are equipped with DC volt variable speed blower motors, which reduce electrical consumption by up to 80%! A high-efficiency furnace provides your home with ideal heating comfort while using less energy than other models. Along with each furnace, Accu-Temp installs user-friendly programmable thermostats which allow the temperature of the home to be set to various levels throughout the day, reducing the need for the furnace to run continuously and heat during the warm parts of the afternoon, or when no one is home. Water saving humidifiers are also installed for Pinnacle’s client family’s; the Honeywell by-pass flow-through high efficiency humidifier uses 35-50% less water than the typical drip style humidifier.
One of the most innovative items utilized by Accu-Temp is a software program that perfectly calculates the necessary heating & cooling requirements for each individual project. The architectural blueprints are loaded into the program, along with the R value of insulation in the walls & attic, the type of windows being installed, and the direction house is facing. The program knows the average daily temperature where the house is located; and based on this and all information entered, calculates the entire heating/cooling requirements; both the size of ductwork required & how many vents are needed for each room. In this way, the heat load & loss are perfectly calculated so the furnace, air conditioning & duct work can be properly sized to fit the house.
From a workmanship perspective; one glance at Accu-Temp’s furnace room says it all! Where many times the furnace room details are forgotten….Accu-Temp truly shows their pride of workmanship. From vertical flues and piping that is installed using a builder’s level, to wiring perfectly strung and attached to control modules, to carefully placed and fastened condensate drain lines…we sometimes think that Nate and his staff learned their trade at Kennedy Space Centre! Suffice it say; when Accu-Temp steps away from a newly installed furnace system, your furnace room may just be a room you bring your friends to…. and admire the masterful workmanship!
Additional to supplying and installing top-of the line products, Accu-Temp also helps Pinnacle’s customer’s quality for the Alberta Energy Rebate program; Pinnacle clients may receive as much as $500.00 back from the government for each of their new furnace purchases.
With so many benefits and attention to the smallest detail, Pinnacle is proud to endorse Accu-Temp as one of our premiere Trade partnerships! www.accu-temp.ca
This time of year elicits excitement & a flurry of activity as builders and renovators across the city finalize their entries for the Sales and Marketing (SAM) Awards. The SAM Awards are often viewed as the Oscars of the building community; understandably a lot of preparation goes into selecting the ‘award-worthy’ entries. Each builder/renovator carefully selects their best projects to showcase their company’s expertise; basements, bathrooms, additions, custom homes… there’s a category for them all.
This year Pinnacle has a number of projects we are especially proud of, and we’re in the final stages of compiling our photographs and project details for admission. Although it’s always an honour to showcase a silver goose as a winner of an award, competition is tight and there are typically numerous applicants in each category. Judges often have a difficult time choosing between the various entries, and to help make their job a little easier, last year an additional piece of information was required for each admission. Based on suggestions from the board of directors, as well as numerous Renomark members, client comments now accompany each renovation entry in order to give a truer reflection of the company in question. The better the customer experience, the more likely they will be to refer and positively review their renovator!
Pinnacle has always maintained referrals as our number one marketing tool; we passionately believe that a satisfied client is the best form of advertising available. We choose to endear our clients to us, and trust that they will refer their friends & family; 95% of them do, and they often even return again themselves!
We will be looking forward to attending the SAM Awards gala in April, and sincerely wish all participants in both the building and renovating entries the best of luck!
The Safe Haven Foundation’s annual Street of Dreams Gala is one of the most prestigious philanthropic events of our city. Bringing out the generosity of Calgary’s compassionate business community, it is a fun and lively evening of incredible food & drink, mingling of business owners and celebrity personalities, extraordinary silent & live auction items, and most importantly the continued support of our city’s most vulnerable citizens; our at-risk children & youth.
Each year Paul and Elaine Klassen, along with 6 honoured guests, attend the Gala to support the ongoing passion of Karen & John Sherbut and the Safe Haven Foundation. Attending the event with Paul & Elaine this year were Pinnacle’s Production Manager, Barry Johnson, and his wife, Lisa; Pinnacle’s Interior Designer, Tiffany Gibbons, and her husband, Marc; as well as a past Pinnacle client, Rhonda Bean, and one of her close friends Cindy Verot; both of which had heard of the Gala and were interested in experiencing and supporting it themselves!
This year’s event was held in the first-class venue of the Suncor Energy Centre; complimentary underground valet parking greeted the arriving guests, and upon exiting our vehicles, we were ushered up to the festivities by attentive staff. Stepping through the doors to the gala, we were welcomed with a live orchestral ensemble, champagne, and complimentary photographs were offered as a memorable keepsake of the evening! As a fun & unique spin on this year’s event, instead of a formal sit-down dinner, the “Street of Dreams” was lined with gourmet Chef’s Stations; each of which was paired with a Signature Drink and fabulous ‘Live’ Silent Auction Item. The food was outstanding, and ranged from Lobster Corn Dogs and Sunchoke Soup, to Seared Lamb Lollipops and Sushi Pizza! A Dessert and Gelato bar satisfied the sweet cravings with items such as Mini Charlottes and Dessert Shots.
Paul checking out the autographed jersey
Once again the auction items were incredible, with both a ‘Live’ and Silent Auction; the ‘Live’ items were bid on throughout the evening and ranged from a Viking Ultimate Kitchen (valued at $15,000) to a week for 6 on a West Coast Luxury Yacht – complete with full crew and provisions, to a 4’x8’ original painting by Jason Gogo. Pinnacle Group donated 3 items to the Silent Auction this year; a Waterboss 950 water softener & filtration system complete with recirculation pump contributing to thousands of litres of water savings per year for the fortunate bidder, a beautiful Blanco granite double sink & Kohler faucet, and a complete kitchen backsplash tile package. Each item included full installation, and all were well received by the bidding population! In addition; Paul had the good fortune to tee up with a former Pinnacle client; John Bean, who as VP of finance for the Calgary Flames graciously facilitated a signed Flames Jersey and stick…thank you John! The other auction items were kindly provided by long-time Pinnacle trades; Canyon Plumbing and Floors with Flair…thank you to these fine businesses for their generosity in this philanthropic endeavour!
Additional to the fantastic food and auction items, were various forms of entertainment – both roaming as well as fixed! Numerous stilt walkers mingled throughout the crowd, chatting with guests and periodically dancing to the music! A Caricature Artist offered cartoon renditions of anyone brave enough to sit still for 10 minutes – both Paul & Elaine and Barry & Lisa took the opportunity, with undeniably humorous results! Amongst the evenings other entertainments were the West Jet Balloon Pop, Tarot Card Readers, and live entertainment in the Dreamer’s Lounge by Zoe Theodorou.
Safe Haven and their partner, Brookfield Properties, once again surpassed themselves in the coordination and execution of a fabulous event; every detail was with the usual taste and style this foundation is known for. We will be looking forward to sponsoring and supporting next year’s Street of Dreams Gala! Thank you once again to Karen & John Sherbut, and all the staff, committee members and volunteers of Safe Haven Foundation for a fabulous 2010 Gala Event!
How's the weather up there?!
Barry & Lisa having fun with the Caricature
Marc & Tiffany enjoying the incredible food & drinks
What could be better than a party? How about an exclusive party for you… in your own home?! Completion Celebrations are just one of the recent initiatives Pinnacle Group has started with clients that are inclined to accept our celebration offer; so far they’ve been a raving success. Completion of anything worthwhile is cause for celebration, but completion of a renovation or “re-creation” of your home that you’ve been anticipating for months seems like an even bigger reason to break out the bubbly. With the opportunity to invite some of your closest friends for an intimate evening and official unveiling of your newly completed renovation, this is essentially a house party for your house – and your chance to shine! We supply the food and drinks, take care of prep and clean-up, and you supply the friends! It’s an evening of relaxed conversation, good food, and loads of compliments and admiration over your newly finished home – what could be more enjoyable?
We held one such celebration at a recently completed project in the area of Glenbrook on the evening of October 13th. With 6 guests on the homeowner’s invite list, it was an intimate evening of fun and laughter, the majority of the time being spent in their beautiful new kitchen and living room. This Glenbrook bungalow was given a main floor make-over; a complete modification of the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedrooms and bath, including the removal of interior walls to create an open concept design – perfect for entertaining. This family’s design flair is distinctly modern, with crisp clean lines and a deep luxurious colour palette. A flat screen TV and recessed fireplace make the living room cosy and comfortable.
With ample time to visit and admire the finished product, the evening wrapped up with the guests expressing their appreciation for the warm hospitality, and the homeowners being presented with a custom gift basket full of gourmet goodies for their indulgence. Another successful conclusion to one more of Pinnacle Group’s Completion Celebrations!
There is much truth spoken in the familiar statement – “Home is where the heart is”. It is where many of our childhood memories reside and where fond memories are then created as we raise our own children. When sitting down with our clients, it is important to take a step back from the 30,000 foot level, the pilot’s level, to really understand the needs, dreams and wishes of our clients so we can truly capture their passion in the renovation.
Capturing the essence of our clients’ family and creating unique spaces that support their needs is truly the heart beat of PinnacleGroup Renovations business philosophy and dramatically influences the entire renovation process. Paul Klassen, General Manger and Founder of Pinnacle Group Renovations, has in many ways made it his mission to support the family unit, encouraging healthy, connected, honest family values. This is not something that he takes lightly and having raised 4 wonderful children, he knows all too well the importance of creating a home in which the family resides with pride!
When the Klassen’s decided to renovate their own home, it was imperative that they create an entertainment space where their children would want to hang out with their friends so they could continue to encourage and support the family values that they believed in. It wasn’t long before their home became grand central station which was exactly the intent – their home truly was their family’s favorite place to be! It was a hub of activity where Paul and his wife happily watched their children flourish, maintaining the ever important connection and communication with their adolescent children. As their lifestyle has evolved, the welcoming atmosphere continues to be important as they now make room for their grand children to enjoy their family’s haven!
A successful renovation requires the input of all family members and with this – the result is nothing short of fantastic! To help families come together and discuss their vision for their new family space, Pinnacle developed a Project Idea Book used in the initial stages of a renovation. Clients are encouraged to sit down as a family and provide their individual input into design ideas, decorating tastes, and space requirements so that the renovation truly is a family affair! This has been a highly successful mandate that Pinnacle’s clients have fully embraced!
