Drawing on three decades of experience Written by Mary Savage
The Pinnacle Group team at the design studio in Calgary, with their fleet of company vehicles. Photo by Mary Savage.
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aul Klassen grew up swinging a hammer; something he’d learned from his father. In fact, by the age of nine, he landed his first construction job under his father’s tutelage – reroofing his grandfather’s house. Klassen could have pursued another field, but he found his passion in construction and by the time he was 23, he had his journeyman’s ticket in one hand and a newly established custom home company in the other. He was full of ambition and drive, and he knew he could achieve whatever he desired. Fast-forward three decades later, Klassen is still in the business, running the highly successful Pinnacle Group of Companies. However, he has traded in his tools for a tablet and now focuses his time on marketing and business development. Pinnacle’s progress has been a combination of many influences: insight gained from the honest feedback gathered from every client upon project completion by a third-party survey firm; Klassen’s involvement founding the Calgary chapter of RenoMark™ – dedicated to providing Calgary consumers with honest and ethical renovation companies; establishing long-term trade partnerships that share in Pinnacle’s goal of providing an unparalleled cus-
tomer experience; and Klassen’s own personal growth that has most certainly influenced Pinnacle’s vision. It was Klassen’s quintessential ‘aha’ moment on New Year’s Eve 2000 that definitively redefined Pinnacle’s design process and validated Klassen’s own motivation for continuing the business. It was the realization that he could actually change the way a family lives and interacts within their home and ultimately support and encourage healthy family relationships. Enter Pinnacle’s DNA process. The Pinnacle Group has a very distinct approach when it comes to renovating or building a custom home; their philosophy is based on the principle of “creating homes for life.” This ideology is rooted in the concept that each space in a home should be an authentic representation of the client family, designed to complement each family member’s unique present and future lifestyle needs. This methodology begins with an in-depth dialogue to reveal how the client family wants to use their home, what’s important to them and evaluates their present and future needs. The result is the uncovering of the family’s DNA: their Design requirements and their Needs both in Alignment.
Pinnacle Group of Companies | 30th Anniversary | 1
222 -35 Ave N.E. Calgary,Alberta t2e 2k4 222 -35 Ave N.E. Calgary,Alberta t2e 2k4
“When you think about the home being the favourite place for a family, surprisingly for many it’s not. It’s simply not set up that way and in order to change that, you need to understand the family’s ‘DNA,’â€? expresses Paul Klassen, City Pinnacle Group of Companies, founder and CEO. to complete “The DNA means really understanding your customer’s needs,â€? asserts Klassen. “We focus on the family first: what they need and how they interact, both today and in the future. We affect people’s lives and support the family nucleus by building better spaces, and in doing so, we create HONOURS & AWARDS homes that foster a sense of wholeness, safety, relaxation and support.â€? Pinnacle continues to raise the bar and is the only RenoMark™ Renovator to guarantee their clients start date,
completion date and cost, known as the Pinnacle SCC Guarantee™. In 2011, their efforts were recognized when they won the BBB Ethics Award; the only renovator to ever receive this accreditation. Today when Klassen looks at the company that he has spent his entire life building, shaping and growing, a few adjectives come to mind, “Pinnacle Group is passionate, an industry leader, intuitive and original,â€? he notes. Ave N.E. Calgary,Alberta t2e 2k4 After spending a lifetime222in-35 the industry, there is one thing Klassen still enjoys tremendously: turning over the keys upon project completion. “If we can impact one family, in one neighbourhood, in one community, what kind of ripple effect will that have in the long run?â€? he asks with a hint of excitement. •
YEAR-ROUND YEAR-ROUND LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING INC. INC. YEAR-ROUND YEAR-ROUND LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING INC. INC.
YEAR-ROUND YEAR-ROUND LANDSCAPING LANDSCAPING INC. INC.
Congratulations to Pinnacle Group! Wishing you many more decades of success.
Congratulations to Paul and the Pinnacle Group! We wish you continued success. CALGARY,CALGARY, AB T2E 2K4 AB T2E 2K4 CALGARY, AB T2E 2K4
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10510 46 Street SE
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Calgary, AB 403-238-1100
www.pacificstone.ca
Congratulations to the team at Pinnacle!
Congratulations, Pinnacle Group! Proud to be working with you, and we wish you continued success in the years ahead.
403.620.6542 %D\ 6W 6 ( &DOJDU\ $OEHUWD 7 & * Van Go Artisans (Calgary) Inc. congratulates 3KRQH &HOO )D[
Paul and THE PINNACLE GROUP www.prestigerailings.com 2777 Hopewell Place, NE Calgary | sales@prestigerailings.com 403.250.1020 | Toll free: 1.800.382.8502
on many successful years in business, fulfilling the home renovation dreams of many Calgarians. It has been a pleasure working with you making those dreams come true. As always, your high standards and ethical approach to the home renovation industry has set the standard. We wish you continued success.
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It started with a conversation …
A glimpse inside two case studies uncover smart, insightful and highly functional solutions. Case Study: Spec Home Turned Spectacular Overview This client family bought the house because of its location within the estate community of Bearspaw and their desire for an acreage lifestyle. However, they wanted to transform what was originally a builder spec house into a contemporary, tailored home that enriches their family’s lifestyle for years to come.
Criteria • Convert a builder spec house into a custom home with curb appeal appropriate for an estate Visit Gallery 30 at PinnacleRenovations.ca for the entire Before/After Gallery acreage community. a raised ceiling and unique accent ceiling tray and grid, • Increase the square footage to support this famintegrating the previously purchased light fixture. The ily’s present and future needs. second storey is now a dedicated space for their sons’ bed• Move the master bedroom to the main floor to enable a rooms, bathrooms and study-loft, offering both a retreat lifetime of living. and future study space through high school and beyond. • Designate a separate floor and study area for their two An expansive mud room was developed to support acrepreteen sons. age living from the yard and garage entrances and a • Create a ceiling enhancement inspired by the dining room uniquely designed and beautifully furnished front foyer light fixture purchased by the client three years prior. welcomes visiting guests and family alike. As well, the How was The Criteria Met? previously detached single-car garage was torn down and Through the intensive Design Discovery process, The K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K replaced C M Y K C M Y K Cwith M Y K C MaY Kthree-car C M Y K C M Y K C attached M Y K C M Y K C Mgarage. YK CMYK CM Y K C Muniversal YK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK MYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK they were able to determine this client family’s specific design initiative with the location of the master bedroom requirements of their renovation. This two-storey home on the main floor ensures this is a ‘forever home.’ Every was gutted to the studs adding 800 sq. ft. to the main design detail in this stunning makeover perfectly complefloor; this accommodated the main-level master bedroom ments this client family’s lifestyle and truly accomplished as well as a larger open-concept kitchen. The additional their wish to have a home designed to evolve with the square footage also afforded a dining alcove that features family’s changing needs for a lifetime of living! CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK CMYK
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Call us today for all of your heating and air conditioning needs
403.477.3810 www.DistinctHVAC.ca
Congratulations to Paul and the Pinnacle Group! Pinnacle Group of Companies | 30th Anniversary | 3
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Case Study: Second-Generation Home Gets Revitalized Overview This second-generation walkout bungalow held many fond memories for the client family who desired to modernize the home and create an open-concept floor plan that would support the integration of future lifestyle requirements. Aging-in-place was identified as a priority during the Design Discovery process. The result was a total transformation that required a complete “gut to the studs” makeover with every wall relocated. Criteria • Create a design rooted in timeless tradition with a hint of vintage. • Incorporate aging-in-place design initiatives. • Open up site lines. • Reduce the carbon footprint of the home. How Was the Criteria Met? Essential to this universal design was an open-concept main floor plan that would accommodate all future living needs. The sunken foyer was raised to one level and various features were incorporated: widened doorways, curbless showers, wiring for future intercoms and rough-ins for wheelchair lifts. The kitchen was doubled in size providing full sight lines from the dining area into the kitchen. The stairwell to the lower level was
Visit Gallery 24 at PinnacleRenovations.ca for the entire Before/After Gallery
opened up with an open railing system and a doublesided fireplace was added in the master and living room. The carbon footprint of this aged home was reduced by thickening outside walls and replacing windows, attic insulation, and the furnace and hot-water tanks. The end result was an innovative, custom-designed living space that better reflects the client’s current and future lifestyle needs, at the same time preserving the exterior integrity found in homes located in the esteemed neighbourhood of Willow Park.
www.pinnaclerenovations.ca | 403.720.8789
Congratulations to Pinnacle Group!
403-248-0037 | service@4starelectric.com
www.4starelectric.com
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