Turning Dreams into Reality
Prycon Custom Building and Renovations was founded in 1994 by Matt and Stephen Pryce. Two brothers with diverse yet complementary talents, who have created an award-winning, sought after company in both residential and commercial building for over 20 years. Whether it be renovating existing space or building new, Prycon turns clients dream homes, cottages, and commercial spaces into gorgeous, and functional, realities.
Prycon’s early days focused their business on high end renovations within Toronto’s prominent neighbourhoods of Forest Hill, Bloor West, and Rosedale. However, after spending numerous hours travelling one of Ontario’s busiest highways to access their work, both Matt and Stephen decided to make a business decision and move away from the Toronto market and carry on their high end renovations and custom homes closer to their own homes in a the rapidly expanding City of Barrie and surrounding area of Simcoe County.
With Barrie being ranked as one of Canada’s fastest growing communities, this provided the perfect market for their business as they renovated old housing stock, built new custom high end homes and became heavily involved in waterfront development projects along Barrie’s Lake Simcoe waterfront.
Prycon started out on a solid foundation for success. With the help of their Dad, Stephen and Matt were able to lay out their mission statement and core values they both inherited from their upbringing. After completing this task, they knew the key to success was to exceed the expectations of their clients on each and every project. From designing and building custom homes, additions and renovations, Prycon continues to approach all their work well-equipped with skill, experience, and unmatched customer care.
“Our professionalism and history in customer service and quality product is by far number one,” says Matt. “We consistently create products for our customers that exceed their expectations, and we continue to service them long after our projects are complete.”
This professionalism has turned their business into a referral based company where they’ve seen their success grow over the years as a result of their distinct, remarkable quality work, and attention to detail. This, along with the customer service that their business provides, makes it understandable why people can’t stop talking about Prycon.
“A lot of our customers are repeat customers,” says Stephen. “They call us back time and time again to do other projects for them or their family members, so it’s a great relationship.” In fact Prycon has worked with one client on thirteen individual projects. These projects range from a 10,000 sq. ft. home renovation, to rebuilding an 80 year old lighthouse, to constructing a 4,000 sq ft play castle for their grandchildren.
â€We do what’s normal to us,†Matt explains. “Prycon prides itself on creating relationships with our customers.”
Social Responsibility
Prycon lives by their motto, “Simply Better Living”, in all aspects of the company. “This corporate motto expresses our commitment to building beautiful living and working environments for our clients. To our team at Prycon, it is also a phrase that embodies our corporate belief in supporting and improving the lives of others here at home and around the world,” says Stephen.
Both boys were taught by their parents at a young age to be thankful for the blessings that they were given. They were also taught that people were equally rich to â€give as well as to receiveâ€. This lesson of giving back to the less fortunate has been incorporated into their company in many ways. In fact, both brothers strongly encourage and support all their staff to get involved in different charities throughout the region.
Some of the local and provincial charities which Prycon has worked with include: Barrie Food Bank, Barrie Women’s Shelter, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Barrie and District, Habitat for Humanity, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Gildas Club Simcoe Muskoka, RVH Cancer Care centre, plus many more. In addition, Matt has taken his philanthropy internationally as he was a participant with the Ontario Home Builders Association (OHBA) annual conference of building six homes in the Dominican Republic. He has since then returned with many other local volunteers to build a 2,800 Sq.Ft. Youth Development Centre for Dove Missions.
“Our philanthropy is very key and important to Prycon,†explains Matt. “We will continue to support local organizations as well as international organizationsâ€
OHBA Recognition
In 2014, The Ontario Home Builders’ Association handed out their annual Awards of Distinction. The prestigious awards recognize the best in design, building quality, sales, and marketing, and the winners are decided on by a panel of industry experts from across the country. At this year’s ceremony, Prycon was honoured in the category of Most Outstanding Home Renovation (Retail value up to $250,000) for their work on a Waterfront Contemporary Addition in Midland, Ontario.
This Waterfront Contemporary Addition was a two-storey, 780 square foot addition with expansive windows for awe-inspiring views of Georgian Bay. The project encompassed the merging of steel and wood construction. The integration of the materials used in the original construction and the materials used in the new construction were quite a challenge to marry together.
“It was an interesting architectural design in shape, size and finish, to marry the new addition into the old construction and make it stand out as being an award winning project†says Matt.
This is the second award won at a provincial level as they also received “Most Outstanding Renovation (Retail value over $500,000) in all of Ontario at the 2013 Awards.
On what the two awards mean to the company, Matt says “Winning any award is a great honour, and it definitely differentiates us from our peers in our local area, let alone within the Province of Ontario. Secondly, it is a clear indication that our creativity in design and attention to detail in construction are being seen as ‘exceptional’ in the construction marketplace.”
Prycon has also won over ten other awards at their local level of the Simcoe County Home Builders’ Association for their exceptional renovations, custom homes including two top honours, “Judges Choice†awards over the past three years.
Continuing Success
Prycon values their team members and invests in them to ensure their success for years to come, offering benefits such as education, mentorship, and apprenticeship programs along with the ability to move up within the company. “We exercise fair and honest practices in customer and employee relations, and employee opportunities for growth within the business are another key to our success.” says Steve.
The final product they create is a result of the quality of the team, their dedication, and the value of teamwork to guarantee the best results on each project. Steve says, “Working together as a team ensures that quality service and pride is met on every job, each and every day.” Throughout the entire team, the goal remains the same, “We have a motivated management team and skilled employees in professional trades that strive to exceed the expectations of our clients.”
Along with the team at Prycon, the firm utilizes their partnerships with sub trades and suppliers to help create their clients’ dreams. By working with companies who share common goals with Prycon, they have been able to establish strong working relationships that create projects of exceptional quality, and craftsmanship. This allows them to consistently deliver high-quality products and service within a competitive price.
The renovation and custom home industry is constantly changing with its new methods, materials and technologies. As such: Prycon makes it a priority to provide weekly training to their staff which flows through to their customers proving that they really are a builder on the leading edge of technology and building science.
An upgrade Prycon is implementing at the moment involves streamlining communication methods with their customers, adding yet another element to their quality relationship with them, as well as convenience. “We’re currently updating our website to include social media and customer portals,” Matt says. “They can keep up to speed on their projects without having to jump in their car and drive up the highway to see what’s going onâ€
Prycon has also invested heavily to ensure that they’re an environmentally friendly business. Being registered as an Energy Star builder, and also a certified Green Renovator, allows them to do their part, and give clients the ability to reduce their carbon footprint as well. By using the appropriate materials and technologies in construction and design to maximize the functionality of their homes, the projects are not only elegant, but energy efficient as well.
With clients these days well-educated on green initiatives, Prycon strongly encourage their customers to incorporate these technologies into their homes. These range from ICF construction, spray foam insulation, ground source heating, wind and solar energy, to solar positioning.
Heading into the future, Prycon Custom Building and Renovations will strive to continue creating award winning projects for their clients and share their secret of “Simply Better Living†with people locally, as well as through their philanthropic endeavours at home and abroad.
