The Fire That Changed My Life

If you talked to me when I was in high school back in the early 80s and asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, you would have heard me say that I wanted to be a lawyer! I never would have dreamed even 15 years ago that I would be in construction, nonetheless running the company! I didn’t know one end of the hammer from the other back then.

The Fire That Changed My Career

I began my career at Multi Trade Building Services (MTBS) after a fire destroyed my home. The insurance company told me I had to do much of the work in the house myself since my policy didn't provide enough coverage. Believing the insurance company, I started doing much of the demolition on my own. After suffering lung damage from the exposure, a visit to a lawyer revealed that the insurance company misread the policy and I actually had premium coverage!

At the time of the fire, I was a full time Homeopathic Doctor, something I was extremely passionate about. However, with the loss from the fire and the issues I was experiencing, I just couldn’t devote 120% of myself to my homeopathic practice. My patients deserved better than that. I took a leave of absence to focus on getting the issues with the insurance company sorted out

The Introduction to MTBS

It was during this time that I was introduced to MTBS! They were hired to complete the electrical and plumbing after the fire. Prior to the visit to the lawyer when I thought I didn’t have enough coverage, I was touched at the compassion of the owner of MTBS, Paul Kacaba. He greatly reduced his electrical and plumbing rates to ensure I would have enough coverage to upgrade the plumbing and electrical in the 50 year old house.

MTBS was a very small company at the time. It was essentially Paul, the owner plus one other worker. His work was impeccable! A self proclaimed perfectionist, I could see he was under valuing himself and his services. After seeing the high quality workmanship and experiencing the kindness of the company during a difficult time in my life, I knew I wanted to give back and be part of the company.

With a background in business from university, it was an easy step to take over the project management and start the process of growth! I organize the day-to-day needs of the company and clients, and take pride in creating an amazingly talented team, the team our clients deserve.

Learning the Tools of the Trades

My background is very diverse! With a Masters Degree from McMaster University and a graduate degree in homeopathic medicine, I never imagined myself in the renovation industry! To ensure I had a full grasp of the company, I spent the first two years job shadowing every trade. This taught me much needed skills and gave me an intimate knowledge of renovations!

I truly love my Job!

I never thought I would love working in the renovation field as much as I do but every day is a new challenge and every job brings new experiences. What started as a two person company, now has two people in administration and a six person team in the field. I’ve put my business knowledge and experience to use in growing the business year by year.

My main goal is to help home owners experience stress free renovations by a trustworthy company that truly cares about them and their home. Every employee is hired more on the basis of personality and integrity and is trained by Paul to understand that quality always comes before speed.

What MTBS is all about

I’ve put a motto in place to show our team members what is important to MTBS.

Strive for Perfection … Settle for Excellence

We pride ourselves on providing our customers with an excellent customer experience! Every company can provide great customer service but it is the customer experience that really matters. That comes from treating the customer right and striving to produce excellent workmanship!

Spare Time … what spare time?

Although spare time is at a premium, I do have some hobbies and interest that provide me with much needed relaxation. I have a huge passion for animals. As one of the founders of the Cuddly Cats Rescue, my life is devoted to helping animals in need. We focus on rescuing the sick, injured, abused and senior cats….those that would otherwise be considered unadoptable or be euthanized. We offer them a loving place in our foster homes to spend the rest of their lives if necessary. They are treated like members of the family. The photos below are just some of the cats we have accepted into the rescue and loved over the years. To make a donation to the rescue, please click here

In my spare time, I also love cooking and baking, reading medical murder mysteries, and knitting. In my younger days, I was a national baton twirling champion, winning over 550 trophies!

No looking back now!

As we continue to plan for more growth for MTBS, there’s no looking back now! We are expanding each year building a bigger and better team. Focusing on bathroom and kitchen renovations but loving doing the small jobs just as much, we welcome the opportunity of working with new clients every day.