By Natalie Bruckner
Andre and Judy Pachon’s business story is one that many entrepreneurs can relate to. In many ways, it’s a rags to riches tale and one that proves that, with passion and perseverance, anything is possible.
In 2003, when the Pachons decided to purchase C&G Insulation from Andre’s father and then-owner George Pachon (who started the company in Vancouver back in 1963 with co-founder Cris Zalinko), they sank all their money into their new venture because they knew in their hearts it was the right decision for them.
“The start for us was very difficult,” says Andre Pachon, who lives with his wife and co-owner, Judy, in Kelowna, B.C. “We had no money in the bank and no money in our pockets. We ate a lot of Kraft Dinner and sausages for the first three years of the business, but we knew that success would come.”
As with any new business the Pachons, quickly learned some valuable lessons—the first being the art of bidding. “The very first job I bid on by myself was a new fruit leather packaging facility at Sun-Rype in Kelowna,” Andre says. “The job went well. We cost it out and we made some money… but then the phone rang and the client said, ‛Hey Andre, are you coming back to do the supply air on the roof?’ I didn’t know what he was talking about. He explained it was 150 feet long of 48- by 48-inch duct, that I hadn’t realized was part of the job. I almost had a heart attack!”
Needless to say, the couple lost a lot of money on that first job, but they took that lesson, and the ones to follow, in stride and stocked up on more Kraft Dinner.
Over the past 17 years, C&G Insulation 2003 Ltd., as it is now called, has grown to become among the most well-respected industrial and commercial insulation companies in the Okanagan, with 10 full-time Red Seal journeypersons and indentured apprentices, who Pachon credits for the success of the business and also the reason for the company’s diverse portfolio.
Ask him which C&G projects stand out to him the most, and his answer may surprise you: “Some of the best projects we have done to date have been for free,” he says. “There is nothing that makes me more proud than when I ask our employees to work for free and they are all in. Our employees make this company.”
One of those projects was the Hospice House in Kelowna, which provides a place of solace and support for those in their final stages of life. Another more recent project was JoeAnna’s House, which offers people in need a place to stay when family members undergo life-saving, specialist care at Kelowna General Hospital.
For the Pachons and their staff, supporting their community and the industry is extremely important to them, and Andre proudly says that, “after 17 years of owning C&G, I have nothing to take from this industry. I am only thankful and want to give back.”
This passion is also evident in the couple’s involvement in the development of the Quality Assurance Certificate (QAC) Program, an initiative of the BC Insulation Contractors’ Association (BCICA), which is aimed at ensuring appropriate levels of mechanical insulation are specified and properly installed in B.C. projects. The QAC is also expected to significantly impact energy conservation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “This industry continues to inspire me,” says Pachon. “To feel we are making a difference in the world by reducing our footprint is important to my wife and I.”
Looking back over the company’s history, Pachon reflects: “If my wife and I said it was all roses, that wouldn’t be true as we have been through some troubled times, but for the most part it has worked great.”
So what exactly is the key to their success? “Our philosophy is work hard, play hard, and commit to a high standard, but in the end be sure to spend time with family and stay safe,” he says. ▪
