Young builder joins business on his own terms

Lee Piccoli is president of Guelph, Ont.-based Fusion Homes (fusionhomes.com), which builds in Guelph, Kitchener and London. Mr. Piccoli tells the Financial Post what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

Youth

“My father’s a successful home builder. At first, I didn’t seek building as a career. However, after university, I met a man who ran a home-building firm. I joined him in business, and eventually bought him out.”

Reliable

“We build homes ranging from $200,000 to $700,000. If we say a house will be ready on a certain date, it’s ready. Technology such as Microsoft Business Server has helped us co-ordinate our activities in real-time across our offices and building sites. It’s one reason we’ve never missed a closing date.”

Trust

“A home is a huge investment, financially and emotionally. People trust us and we need to reward their trust.”

Reading the signs

“Two years back, I sensed an economic downturn and avoided debt. Now, we have cash and we’re able to build for land developers, but we’re also buying land and building. Recently, we built our first four-storey condo.”

Solid foundation

“I work to keep our customers happy. Reputation is everything, and it’s not something you can buy.”