Reimagining spaces: Ackard Contractors named Renovator of the Year

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Ackard Contractors went wild and opted to turn drab into fab.

For Ackard, no stranger to the awards podium, it made no difference that this was the 11th time they were named as the Edmonton area’s Renovator of the Year, most recently at the 2024 Canadian Home Builders’ Edmonton Region Awards of Excellence in Housing Gala. They savoured the win just as they did when they won the award in previous years.

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It was their Wild Within and Drab to Fab entries that helped to spur them to another Renovator of the Year title.

“Winning renovator of the year for the 11th time you would think we would not be as excited as we were the first time, but every time is so special and exciting for all of us and our team,” said Richard Plamondon, one of Ackard’s partners.

What started decades ago, when Plamondon and his friend Aquilino Naccarato began an informal working arrangement that saw them work various construction jobs together, has turned out into a renovation powerhouse that the two would become partners in and take to new heights — it has won award after award, after award, at the local, provincial and national levels.

In March, at the CHBA Edmonton Region awards, it won two more awards in addition to the Renovator of the Year award, as well as securing at least one finalist spot in four of the six renovation categories.

As the awards entered the renovation segment of that mid-March evening, Ackard was first up to the podium taking the Best Exterior Renovation for its Drab to Fab project, an older Riverbend area home that didn’t have too much street appeal, and one which the owners wanted to spruce up as well as replace the windows in order to boost energy efficiency. This home displaced another Ackard finalist to win the award.

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Ackard also won the Best Renovation $150,000 to $300,000 for Wild Within, a Fort Saskatchewan home whose homeowner is open to eclectic, interesting and colourful design choices.

“She’s very, very creative and loves coming up with design ideas,” said Naccarato. “She’s very talented. She’s always decorating her house for every season, every holiday.”

As with the previous award, Ackard found itself competing against itself. It had two more entries for three of the five finalist spots in that category.

“You’re just hoping that one of them wins,” said Plamondon about what it’s like being at the ceremony with multiple finalists in a single category. “Once we won two (categories), we knew we had a pretty good chance. But sometimes winning two doesn’t mean you’re going to win (Renovator of the Year).”

Renovation Choices

While Ackard’s win provides a bit of insight into renovations being done in greater Edmonton, what else are area residents looking at?

“Lots of interiors, lots of kitchens like it has always been, even second floor additions,” said Travis Plamondon, also a partner in the company. “It’s not limited to any one thing right now.”

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There’s still interest these days in home offices, adds Richard, noting that in the past homes didn’t really take this into account. Adding a home office makes the home now work better for them, he said.

Similarly, Naccarato notes that COVID-19 continues to change the way people look at their homes.

“Ever since COVID, all the lockdowns, it seems people want to age in their home longer,” said Naccarato, pointing to a stronger demand for aging in place.

In one instance, said Naccarato, they had a client who, due to an injury, was unable to use her upstairs, which houses the primary suite — she had to live on the main floor, which didn’t have a bedroom. Also, the husband needed a hip replacement. But renovations allowed Ackard to resolve their problem by creating a main floor primary bedroom and ensuite.

People are still putting more money into their homes these days, the three said, and perhaps not as much toward travel.

The Next Generation

While Naccarato once considered a career in the grocery sector, Plamondon always knew construction would be his chosen field.

Today, though, both are looking to the future and the new blood being injected into the company.

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Travis, along with Remi Plamondon, Paul Swekla and Michael Plamondon are taking on bigger roles at Ackard in order to take the leadership reins and ownership of the business, providing both continuity and energy for the next phase of Ackard’s journey. Meanwhile, both Richard and Naccarato plan to continue on in their current roles for the foreseeable future.

“From design right to administration, we have very talented staff and they all play a very important role,” said Naccarato. “We’ve been in business for 42 years and now we’ve got the people to carry the company forward for the next 42 years.”

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