
Bill Savage
HBA
Growing up in a rural area gave Bill the opportunity to began his work life at a very early age. There were always neighboring farms which had grass that needed to be mowed, livestock to be cared for, and crops to be harvested and stored for the winter. Most Saturdays Bill could be found driving his riding mower down the road to cut a neighbours lawn, or working with one of the local farmers on whatever the project of the day was. These early experiences created a sense of pride and enjoyment for a hard days work, done well resulting in Bill starting his own small landscape business. When the opportunity presented itself to purchase the family landscape construction business with his brother-in-law Daniel, all this previous experience made it a perfect fit.
Despite the landscape construction business being well established and successful, Bill identified many ways it could be streamlined and improved. A challenge that all seasonal construction companies face is employee retention and turnover. Bill introduced a production based incentive program which boosted production and resulted in significant pay increases for the employees. Adding an employee benefits package as well as RRSP matching has increased employee retention and allowed for the company to grow in size and profitability. Adding interior renovations and developments to the companies skillset completed the vision of creating a workplace that employees would see as a life long career. Many efficiencies were also found within the business and by re-defining roles and creating internal systems, the business operates smoothly and effectively.
Bill takes pride in operating industry leading companies that strive to create a great life for it’s employees, and maintain a family orientated environment. Some of his favorite moments at work are when all the employees can come together for a team BBQ, hockey game or family picnic.
Bill and his family reside in a duplex which was an early project of the company, involving a major renovation/re-construction. The century home was completely gutted, the main floor was fully removed, and the floor joists replaced as the existing joists were in too poor a condition to save. This cost effective lifestyle allows for resources to be re-invested in his growing companies and in family adventures.
When taking a well deserved break from work, Bill and his family enjoy many seasonal outdoor activities. In the winter months they can be found skating on frozen ponds, skiing, and boiling maple syrup in the woods. In the warmer months they enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, bird watching, and water sports at the family cottage. Bill and his wife Corrie have both travelled to many exotic locations around the world together, and are looking forward to having many new adventures as they begin travelling with their son James.