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Small-town Business Values at Foundation of Six-decade Business Serving Central and Southern Ontario

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 4:02pm

Nith Valley Construction of New Hamburg's foundation was formed almost 60 years ago and has evolved over the decades, but remains committed to core small town-business values.

"We do a lot of work for schools, churches and nursing homes but we've also worked on just about every hospital in the area at one time or another and do a lot of work with the universities,: said Ron Roeder, a partner with Bob Zehr in the business serving central and southern Ontario markets. Founded in 1962 as a primarily residential contractor, the business shifted its focus in 1979, to industrial, commercial and institutional projects.

The company's central location near Kitchener-Waterloo means company employees can be on site and in many areas within an hour - the main reason they remain where they are - but the location also reflects the values they abide by "People say we're different than contractors you might deal with in some of the bigger cities," said Zehr.

"Clients appreciate that we're willing to work with them, not against tem. We take a full team approach and if they have a problem, we'll work with them to solve it. If there is something we can do differently that will save them time or money, we'll do it."

That kind of commitment has resulted in many long-term relationships between Nith Valley and clients. "We do a lot of work with churches and because of the nature of what their facilities are about, they have high expectations," Roeder said. "When we get asked back, as we have with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we know we've done right by them and for us, that's high praise."

That same sense of teamwork and looking out for each other is something Nith Valley also applies to its trades. "We try to pay trades within 30 days and we've been know to pay our smaller guys quicker when we know it would help them to have it faster. We try to be open and fair with everyone we deal with."

Nith Valley has several employees who have been with the company for 20 or more years and some have just retired after spending their entire careers with Nith Valley.

Nith Valley is proud to have been involved with many environmentally friendly projects. Some, like Farm Mutual Reinsurance Plan office and Kingsdale Community Centre for the City of Kitchener, have achieved LEED Fold certification while others are built wisely with environmental considerations in mind without certification requirements.

"We ensure our staff is fully trained and up to date," Zehr said. "our safety record is exemplary and it is our mandate to ensure safety and compliance at all times. Building construction in the future will be highly technical and we want to ensure we are aware, capable and in compliance with these changes and advancements."

Nith valley has been recognized for their excellence in building by being awarded "building excellence awards" from the Grand Valley Construction Association numerous times.