Golden Opportunities: Carrington Celebrates 50 Years Of Success

Life
Homes

From its first house in Mill Woods, Carrington has now built more than 10,000 homes in Alberta.

Published Aug 18, 2023 • 4 minute read

carrington homes The Edge, by Carrington, in Edmonton. Photo by Supplied /Postmedia

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Ken Ferchoff knew how to clean up, but it wasn’t just because of his janitorial skills.

Today, as the founder and chairman of the board of the Carrington Group of Companies, Ferchoff is the guiding hand behind a residential real-estate powerhouse that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year — the company stretches from Edmonton, west into British Columbia and south towards Calgary. You may know them better as Carrington Communities for their condominium projects across the city like Edge at Larch Park in southwest Edmonton or Veritas in the Village at Griesbach in the northwest, or for the single-family homes they build under their Bedrock Homes banner.

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Before Bedrock Homes was created in 1999, Carrington built its single-family homes under the Carrington name — it still does in some instances with its Carrington Homes division building both single-and-multi-family offerings in the Okanagan. Other Carrington operations include Carrington Construction and Carrington Land.

But it all started when Ferchoff bet on himself to build a home in what back then was one of Edmonton’s newest communities: Mill Woods.

“I qualified for a low-income lot,” Ferchoff recalls, adding he then slept on the steps of city hall overnight to made sure he obtained a piece of land.

Working as a janitor when he first started out — he had lots of dreams back then but adds “like any other kid I didn’t know what I wanted to do” — he decided if he got that lot he would build the home by himself.

“I did as much as I could and I hired out what I couldn’t do,” said Ferchoff. “I dug out the basement myself.”

And he realized that if he could sell that same house, his future would be much brighter than just working as a janitor.

The Early Years

After a few years of living in the Mill Woods home he built, Ferchoff sold it, and the people who bought it, he notes, are still living there to this day.

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“Mill Woods was brand new at the time, there were only farm fields,” said Ferchoff, of the southeast neighbourhood. “When I started I was one of many builders in Mill Woods.”

The company at the time was initially called Reliable Homes, however, the name changed to Carrington when Ferchoff joined together with another builder.

Around 1979, Ferchoff built his first multi-family project — also in Mill Woods — a nine-suite apartment building. There was also an expansion into condominiums, and back in those early days those entry-level Mill Woods units sold for $49,900.

“We’d research opportunities and if an opportunity came up we’d try it,” said Ferchoff, who was born and raised in Edmonton.

Orchestra Conductor

While Mill Woods was what one might call the testing grounds for Carrington’s home products and growth, both Ferchoff and Carrington CEO Dan Slaven point out that the company’s success is not just about adapting to the world around it but also because of its employees.

“We started 50 years ago with one employee, now we’re over 800,” said Slaven, noting that when Carrington hires an employee they are looking for someone who will not only help the company in the short term but someone who will be looking at staying and growing with the company over the long term.

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“We have a passion,” said Ferchoff. “We love what we do. We’re like the conductor of an orchestra. It is (about) the people here who are passionate about what they do.”

Looking Back, Looking Forward

While it was Mill Woods that ultimately launched Carrington, today Carrington is in Airdrie, Kelowna and Vernon in British Columbia and multiple communities in Edmonton and the surrounding area.

Going forward as the next 50 years begins, Carrington has plans for multiple new developments. Bedrock Homes for example, will be building in the new Sherwood Park community of Cambrian. Carrington Communities’ Edge at Larch Park is now constructing its second condo building, and a condo development is planned for Lewis Estates.

Residential rentals, meanwhile, are a growing part of Carrington and new rentals are on the drawing board.

“I always felt if you did a good job people would appreciate and buy your project,” said Ferchoff, adding that it’s about an emphasis of building quality and with affordability in mind. “Fifty years is a long time to be doing this and we still love it. I think that’s our key to success.”

Carrington, which has built more than 10,000 homes in Alberta, and has won more than 60 awards in housing, customer service and marketing, has a charitable touch ranging from the Edmonton Food Bank to helping Ukrainian refugees. Also, in 2011, Ferchoff created the Changing Futures Foundation, a not-for-profit organization committed to creating partnerships and opportunities to help underprivileged or marginalized individuals and families work toward building their own sustainable and brighter future.

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