Joe Geluch's home-building career started when he was just six years old and spending his summers up in Haida Gwaii.
His first gig was on the job site of the company he now owns, cleaning up the Masset courthouse and helping out his dad.
Geluch purchased Naikoon Contracting – named after the most beautiful provincial park he says he’s ever seen – from his dad in 2010 and relaunched it in North Vancouver.
It’s since expanded to focus on luxury homes throughout the province, but the company hasn’t forgotten its roots.
“We got awarded the contract to rebuild the exterior building of the same courthouse, so that was kind of neat to be the second generation working on the same project 30 years later,” he said.
In a short amount of time, Naikoon has become one of the most experienced and accredited green home builders in the province. This year, the company took home seven Georgie Awards – the Oscars of B.C. homebuilding – and seven Ovation Awards, including the coveted title of custom homebuilder of the year.
For Geluch, success comes down to building a better project, being innovative and “creating art” with homes. And if home building is an art, Naikoon’s masterpiece is without a doubt the internationally renowned Midori Uchi.
Completed in 2014, it’s the only home Geluch knows of in the world to be R-2000 certified by Natural Resources Canada, and to have achieved LEED Platinum and Built Green Platinum ratings. It also produces more energy than it consumes.
“I was spending day and night just dreaming and designing and creating this project,” Geluch said. “What it ended up as was exactly as intended or better. It couldn’t be better.”
Next up for Naikoon and its president is to maintain steady growth and remain on the lookout for “creating ways to do some cool stuff with housing.” On whether there’s another Midori Uchi in the works, Geluch says he’s got a few tricks up his sleeve.
“When you do something like that and it’s successful, you want to try and do it again, or do it better,” he said, laughing.
Join us to celebrate the 2015 Forty under under 40 Awards January 27, 2016 at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. For tickets and event info visit www.biv.com/events/40under40.
