Nor- Built Construction: An Energy Star Certified Company that Promotes Accessibility
Norbert Bolger started working in the construction business since he was 17 years old and in 1988, when he was only 20 years old, he started his own business, Nor-Built Construction. In 1991 Bolger built his first house and ever since then he has been leading the company in developing subdivisions and homes. The company builds a range of homes including attached units, townhouses and single family homes. They have even built an entire townhouse project in which every home was accessible. Bolger started building accessible homes because his daughter, Brittany, has special needs that limit her mobility and because of this, Bolger sees a growing need for accessible housing and is aware that mobility issues are more common than one may think.
Accessibility Makes a Difference
Accessible homes are becoming increasingly important to buyers and Bolger recognizes it as a growing market. Bolger explains that there has been a positive reaction to the accessible homes that Nor-Built is building because even if the individuals living there do not need it, if a friend or family member does it is important for them to be able to visit.
“A lot of our clientele are older and one of the first things they notice is that there are no steps. Even if they don’t need it themselves, they say it will be perfect for their mother or aunt or dad, and more people can visit because they don’t have any steps to get in,” says Bolger.
In addition to building accessible homes, the company also has an accessible in house show room for customers to pick our any interior finishes for their home. Bolger, whose daughter has cerebral palsy, recognizes that many people have or develop mobility problems which is why he began focusing on accessible housing and sees the importance in having an accessible show room as well. The show room is a convenient one stop shop for customers and because it is all on one floor, it is easily accessible for anyone.
“You can come here and pick out everything for your house without leaving and its all on one floor so if you have accessibility issues you can come here for the day and pick everything out for your place. You don’t have to worry about going somewhere that you can’t get in to,” explains Bolger.
Continuous Improvement
So why choose Nor-Built Construction? The company prides itself on being a locally owned company that consistently leaves customers satisfied with the quality of work and the experience with the employees. The company uses the same core group of partners on almost every project, which clearly demonstrates their ability to maintain positive relationships.
Nor-Built also is proud to hold a certification for Energy Star Certified Homes. The company was the first of its kind to be certified energy star in Amherstburg and continues to develop energy efficient homes that pass the certification. Bolger explains, “We were the first one to be certified energy star in Amherstburg and we make sure we take care of any issues. We’ve been around for a long time so we are stable in the community and we do a lot of work in the community.” The company is very involved in the community and sponsors a miracle league team every year, which plays on an accessible baseball field.
Nor-Built Construction has won a number of awards for their quality craftsmanship and service, including a multitude of Golden Hammer awards and GWHBA Best Home awards. Bolger was even president of the Greater Windsor Home Builders twice.
Looking Ahead
Two of Nor-Built’s recent projects are Golf View Townhomes and Meadowview Estates. Golf View Townhomes is coming to the end of its completion and is made up of accessible townhomes available in 1375 and 1400 square feet models. Nor-Built is partnering with Great Lake Properties, a company which Bolger owns half of, to develop Meadowview Estates, which will be a 146 unit subdivision made up of a mix of attached, detached and commercial space.
To save time and become more efficient in the field, Nor-Built has recently began using ipads and has transferred everything to shared files so that any supervisor or project manager can have access to anything they may need while being out of the office. Bolger is looking forward to how much time and space this will save for his employees.
