Creating a successful business is more than just hard work, it is a mindset, it is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year of focus all mixed in with a lot of fun and family time. It is hard enough to create one successful business and brand let alone two, but that is exactly what Eric Murphy of Skyline Construction Group has done.
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In our last issue, we spotlighted Halifax Heat Pumps & Electrical. If you had the opportunity to read the article and our conversation with its founder and president, Eric Murphy, you are aware of his personal and entrepreneurial journey to scale HPP into a well-respected full-service heat pump and electrical business with a strong reputation for providing customer service and quality of work for both residential and commercial projects. But what you might not have known is that was only the first chapter of Murphy’s entrepreneurial journey. Two years ago, when most were trying to survive the pandemic, Murphy founded a second company called Skyline Construction Group to provide both residential and commercial clients with complete project management solutions from start to finish.
Skyline Construction Group follows the successful blueprint that Murphy created with HPP. It remains locally owned and operated with a progressive focus on more than your heat and electrical needs but being your complete service team for the life of your home or business. Murphy was excited about the opportunity to take his knowledge and in-depth experience to another level for his residential and commercial clients.
Murphy turned his passion of growing, building, and taking care of clients for more than their heating and cooling needs into a reality in June of 2021, when Skyline Construction Group open it doors.
It is by design that Murphy wanted to keep his heating and electrical business separate from his new build and renovation business. While both businesses are in the construction industry, and both offer solutions to residential and commercial customers.
When considering managing one let alone multiple companies, it is hard to imagine there is enough time for the fine details. That is why Murphy has surrounded himself with an excellent team to provide his customers with the support, information and of coarse the skills needed to complete their renovations.
Skyline Construction is not just about one person, it is a complete team of professionals made up of various positions including scheduling managers, project managers, office managers and skilled trades to ensure that jobs are constantly progressing and that all the wants and needs of their customers are not only met but exceeded. This customer-focused team dynamic is what makes Skyline Construction different from its competitors.
In addition to extensive training and industry knowledge, Skyline Construction Group has partnered with Service Titan Software to provide superior Customer Service Management, Sales Pipeline, and Job software to ensure they deliver the best experience possible while being completely transparent and well-documented through the whole process, ensuring they keep to the schedule that their clients are expecting.
Murphy has recently hired a professional photographer to constantly document progress and results for current and future customers. This way customers can see the progress of the projects when and where they like and are in continuous communication with the Skyline Construction Group team.
For over two years now their commitment to their core values has made Skyline Construction Group the ideal building partner for the region’s most forward-thinking organizations, and individuals. They are also the contract renovator for Home Depot, doing their basements and bathroom renovations.
Skyline Construction Group works with its clients through the entire whole process. “We start by educating our clients on their options, making sure that the design, style, and budgets are all a perfect fit. Not only that, but we offer a ‘one on one’ experience that ensures continuity and a warm, comfortable relationship, to make this a fun and welcoming experience from start to finish you know we are there for you,” said Murphy.
Establishing close-knit relationships with each client is part of their business DNA. The customer is always the priority for Skyline Construction Group and their advice is always genuine and based on the needs and wants of the clients. They want to be upfront and honest with the customers. Giving the proper advice and information even if that means the customer ends up using that information to DIY that project on their own or they go elsewhere, the team at Skyline Construction Group can rest assured that their education benefited the customer and their personal needs.
During our conversation with Murphy, he highlighted an ongoing issue that the province is struggling with and one that he personally wants to be part of solving and that is the affordable housing crisis. Halifax is known for being diverse and accepting, however, this crisis is dividing and bringing families into struggles like they would’ve never imagined.
Murphy says families are transforming their family homes into rental properties to accumulate rental income in hopes to get ahead. Older single family homes are being converted to two and three units, sometimes being home to up to 10 people. With Halifax’s big city attracting new residents from all over Canada and/or the world, there is a lack of housing, and the demand is raising prices above reasonable prices.
Murphy touched on the subject of his new multi-unit builds projects as a possible solution for the housing crisis that we are having. Yes, this is an opportunity to extend their business, but also an opportunity to hopefully alleviate the housing crisis that we are in.
These projects will be two eight-unit buildings owned by someone who intends to invest not only into real estate but the rental side of things as well. Although these are early stages, we are confident the job will be executed beautifully through Skyline Constructions compassion and dedication for pride within their work.
We also got a sneak peak into the new growth within the company; “We have a few lots in an upcoming subdivision that we’re looking to break into the whole new building market,” said Murphy. He went on to tell us to stay tuned to their socials and their website for updates and news regarding their future project(s).
Growth and expansion Murphy’s businesses has not been easy as they face the same challenges today as everybody else in the industry is currently facing. That being limited product supply issues and pricing increases caused by demand for products and shortage of supply. Then with growth comes the need for additional technical staff and labour. “We are lucky that we’ve built a great team with both our companies. And that we have built a solid client database,” said Murphy.
Capitalizing on a positive project experience with existing customers and the ability to hire and retain a skilled, passionate and motivated team is an accomplishment within itself in today’s job marketing. “We transform the construction experience, by creating an environment that fosters collaboration, transparency, and accountability, to ensure we deliver exactly what the client dreamed of,” says Murphy.
Whatever your new project is, working with both Skyline Construction and Halifax Heat Pumps, it is guaranteed that they put your best interest first and leave you with the renovation of your dreams. But the proof is in the projects, so if you are in the market for a home or office renovations give the team at Skyline Construction Group a call. Want to see their projects and the beautiful work that they had done, well just visit their website, www.skylinecogroup.ca.
by Karlee Atwater