Meet Jason Simons, our trusted and steady hand on site

Jason Simons has been connected to Lagois for nearly 30 years.

It’s a big day when a brand-new renovation begins, but Lagois Site Supervisor Jason Simons is ready.

He has communicated with all the trade partners involved to make sure everyone’s schedules are aligned.

He has participated in the “handover” meeting with all members of the Lagois team, where the construction agreement and scopes of work have been reviewed and approved.

It’s Phase Three of the Lagois Design Process, and it’s an exciting day for everyone, especially the homeowners. After the creative thrill of concept and design development, it’s time to get right to it. Now at last it’s actually happening. Construction begins!

Jason has been connected to Lagois for almost 30 years. In 1996, when he was a co-op student at South Carleton High School in Richmond, he was placed with a kitchen cabinet company. After about two weeks the boredom of running an edgebander saw for hours on end nearly drove him to distraction.

He asked his teacher for a new placement and ended up with Lagois. It was exactly the right place for him. He loved the team, the work ethic and the work from day one.

Lagois kept him busy.

Some of his first jobs were as a helper building decks. With good mentorship and learning to use all the tools, it was the perfect experience for a young craftsman-to-be.

He became a Red Seal Journeyman Carpenter. It required 7,800 hours on site and three eight-week terms at Algonquin College. He did this while he was still a full-time employee at Lagois. The company allowed him to take an absence for the three school sessions.

“I loved learning on the job,” he says. “I learned many different carpentry skills from framing to finishing, doing trim, demolition, and learning about building techniques in older homes.”

School was an integral part of his learning, too, about the proper way to build stairs and rafters, for example. He also learned some drafting ‒ enough to understand how building inspectors want to see plans drawn for their approval.

In 2004 he started his own carpentry company. It was a good venture, and perhaps serendipitous, because his first sub-contracting job was for Lagois. “We were very close trade partners from then on,” he says.

Jason Simons, left, on site with Lagois Production Manager, Darren Vander Meer

Three years ago he returned full-time to Lagois. It was the right time and the right move.

“As a trade partner, it was always enjoyable to work for Lagois,” he says. “I liked their process and attention to detail, their skill at making everything run so efficiently.”

But being back with the team is even better. He likes the collaboration and support, where everything is done in-house from design to construction.

“Everyone is on the same page,” he explains. “So it’s easy to get answers to questions or to solve any problems as they arise because everyone’s working together.”

Now, as Site Supervisor, Jason is a well-experienced leader.

Each morning he meets face to face with Lagois trade partners to make sure they are “set up for success” with everything they need. He checks that all materials have been arranged and ordered so they will be ready in time. He surveys and checks the site for safety, something he does constantly throughout.

Sometimes homeowners stay on site during construction. Sometimes they move out while construction goes on. Either way, Jason is in regular contact with them, meeting them right there on the site each week.

At those meetings they go over the work that has been done and what will be next. He answers any of their questions, updates them on scheduling and any outstanding decisions or selections that need to be made to keep the project running on time.

“Our homeowners really like to be involved,” he says, “so they know what’s happening with their home.”

He adds he understands the angst they sometimes feel when they see their house being torn apart. It can be a long process and inconvenient. “But,” he explains, “we do our best to make them as stress free and comfortable as possible.”

What does he like most about his job?

“It’s getting to know our amazing homeowners,” he says. “It’s the satisfaction of taking them through the construction process, and handing over a beautiful, functional space for many years of enjoyment.”