Building a Reputation Through Precision and Partnership
By Natalie Bruckner
When Chris Pearen moved from Vancouver to Kamloops in 2019, there was no clear outline of what his work life would look like. He’d spent years in sheet metal, building his expertise in commercial and custom projects, and through weekend work alongside colleague Blake Lancaster. Over time, that collaboration became more consistent, with both of them taking on projects that demanded skill, precision, and a shared focus on delivering high-quality work.
“Chris and I had been travelling the province for about two and a half years doing really great jobs. We were basically common law by the end of it,” Lancaster jokes. During that time, the two of them developed a level of trust essential to their line of work.
The decision to pivot and start their own business came during a period of personal change, when Pearen chose to leave the city, first moving to Kamloops and then to Kelowna. “I didn’t want to miss my kids’ childhood by doing out-of-town jobs all the time,” says Pearen. “Moving gave me a reset. That’s when the idea hit us. Why not start our own company?”
From that conversation, what began in the early uncertainty of the pandemic managed to take root and build momentum. Northern Sheet Metal was born.
Today, the company operates with a team of eight, including a bookkeeper and technicians working across HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance. Their work stretches along the Sea to Sky corridor, the Okanagan, and into Alberta, reflecting how quickly the business has evolved from small beginnings into an established operation.
In those early days, the work stayed close to familiar territory. “We just kept doing what we knew, which was small commercial projects,” says Pearen. “We both had experience in multifamily, high rises, wood frame, and a lot of restaurant and grocery store work.” That consistency helped stabilize the company financially, while also shaping the direction of their skill set, particularly as they began to notice how often similar types of projects were coming their way.
As Northern was becoming established, it also happened to coincide with the legalization of cannabis in BC, which created a wave of related work with BC Cannabis Stores and BC Liquor Stores. Those projects took them across the province, from Prince George to Tofino.
Over time, their scope expanded further into retail and national brand work, including projects with Lululemon, Lindt Chocolate, and Sunglass Hut stores. They continued building strong relationships with builders and established themselves as the go-to HVAC company in the Greater Vancouver Area and beyond.
By 2021, they saw a shift in the Sea to Sky and Whistler markets, with more demand for high-end residential work. “We had done some of that in Vancouver, and it just gradually became higher and higher end in places like Squamish and Whistler,” Pearen says. “That’s when we realized this is the market we were looking for.”
Pearen and Lancaster recall an early residential project in WedgeWoods near Whistler that was a catalyst for this shift. The project itself was modest in size, around 3,000 square feet, but the expectations around execution were not. The experience reinforced their belief that careful installation and going above and beyond could create long-term value, even if it wasn’t immediately visible. While it resulted in a financial loss at the time, it ultimately opened doors for them in terms of reputation.
“I will never forget during the walkthrough the mechanical engineer taking particular notice of the installation quality. He was so impressed he invited others to come and check it out,” explains Lancaster. That moment led them to plumbers Ken and Trevor Groeneveld from Ridge Meadows Mechanical, who specialize in high-end residential work. It was the start of one of the many great working relationships that continue to shape much of their current workload.
Perhaps one of the most technically ambitious and forward-thinking projects to date, and an example of their breadth of expertise, was a recent high-value residential build on Bowen Island, valued at around $70 million. “That project has four air handling units, an HRV system, and a pretty advanced ventilation design,” Lancaster explains. “Normally, you would use a standard off-the-shelf vent grill, but on this one we worked with a system that was automated. It was an exhaust system that would activate when you called for ventilation in a room. The vent would actually drop down and increase airflow significantly, going from a small opening to roughly an inch, increasing extraction in that specific space.”
Northern worked with 3D-printed custom grilles on this project that had to be flush-mounted and match the ceiling finish. “That meant we had to design components that could not only move mechanically, but also, support additional weight and integrate cleanly into the finish,” Lancaster explains. “We worked with David Hill, owner of Eneready Products Ltd., who is highly respected for his technical expertise and an expert in PoshTime Control. At the end, we brought him to site so he could see the system installed and working. Seeing his product modified like that was pretty special.”
Over the past seven years, Northern has built a reputation for its innovative thinking, and through its partners has been involved in pilot projects, such as a FortisBC initiative testing the real-world efficiency of low emission, high performance gas heat pumps in BC’s commercial and multi-family building sectors.
Advancing the industry through high end work, raising standards, and building strong partnerships sits at Northern Sheet Metal’s core and has helped the company navigate challenging periods. Like many in the industry, recruitment remains an ongoing issue. As Pearen puts it, “We can teach sheet metal, but we can’t teach attitude. We don’t expect people to be fully trained, especially in high-end residential work as it takes time to understand expectations. Someone who doesn’t know the trade can still last a long time if they’re willing to learn.”
The value of a strong team and relationships extends in all directions, and that includes the role SMACNA-BC plays in that ecosystem. “The networking part of being a member is huge for us,” Lancaster says. “It probably means more than money to have access to such a talented group of individuals. You’ve got people like Phil McDonald, Ron Boone, and Mark McLaren, and being in that environment is really valuable. Also, Jeremy Hallman is a great guy with a wealth of knowledge and is always available to answer questions.”
That support system has meant a lot to Lancaster and Pearen as the company has grown, and its impact is often seen in more indirect ways. “Even when it comes to recruitment, when we don’t pull someone directly from the hall, we can call other SMACNA contractors and ask if they have people available. We actually got through a major project a couple of years ago because another contractor lent us people while they were slower and has never expected anything back in return. That kind of cooperation is real,” says Lancaster. ♣
