How brothers grew skilled trades business

We started Reynolds Brothers Exteriors as a side hustle in 2011. In the early days, it was simple. I, along with my brothers Shawn and Neil, knocked on doors and took on whatever jobs we could get. Things took off from there.

My brothers and I grew up close, more like best friends than anything else, so building something together felt natural. Each of us brought a different skill set, but we shared the same values—do what you say you’ll do and do it right.

After all, when your family name is on the company, there’s no hiding. Our faces are on the side of our trailer, so people know exactly who they are dealing with.

We saw an opportunity for a home exteriors business in our area, but along the way, we had a lot to learn to get started.

At the beginning, I’ll admit that we didn’t completely know what we were doing. We understood the work, but running a business was entirely something else. We weren’t sure who to trust or where to find reliable information. CIBC was where we went for advice because it had been our bank since we were kids.

Our first CIBC advisor was an important mentor to us early on, answering our questions, walking us through the basics and connecting us with other professionals, like an accountant.

When everything still felt new, that support made a big difference. Looking back, working with an advisor gave us the confidence to keep going. It also showed us that you’re not alone in your journey as a business owner. There are people you can go to for guidance instead of trying to figure everything out yourself.

One of our biggest lessons early on was on managing cash flow. You can be busy and still run into trouble if the money isn’t coming in at the right time.

When we first started our business, we didn’t take initial deposits on jobs. Our first CIBC advisor taught us that we needed to take something upfront to cover materials. Now, we take a third of the project total to secure a reservation with our team. That adjustment gave us the working capital necessary to keep projects moving without constantly worrying about covering costs.

After our first advisor retired, we started working with Adrian, who pushed us to do even better.

Growth was the toughest part for all of us. We were on track to get bigger jobs but needed financing for more equipment and staff to take that next step. We needed Adrian's guidance to make it happen.

He took the time to really get to know our company. Adrian has come out to job sites and seen firsthand how we operate. You don’t normally expect your advisor to show up at 6:30 in the morning to meet your crew, but that’s the kind of relationship we have.

For CIBC, it wasn’t just about the numbers. We had someone who knew our story and could help us think through decisions as we grew.

Today, Reynolds Brothers Exteriors has 30 employees. We still approach the business the same way as the beginning, when it was just us — doing the job right, taking care of people, and building something we’re proud to put the family name on.

“I suggested annual reviews so that the Reynolds brothers could identify areas for improvement,” Adrian explained. “I was able to flag key areas, like pricing and staffing, comparing them to industry benchmarks. These conversations guided them on how to strengthen their business.” 

“There were some tough years,” Adrian reflected. “They faced challenges extending their line of credit. Even if I couldn’t always say yes, I tried to find them alternatives and move forward. What stands out is that, year after year, they didn’t give up on the process and neither did I.

“The meetings with the owners encouraged them to look more closely at how they were running the business.”