Nuframe completes ambitious 5-year growth strategy with acquisition of JSN Construction

In a landmark announcement, Nuframe has acquired JSN Construction, a move that successfully completes a meticulously planned five-year intensive growth strategy for the leading Western Canadian construction company.

Tuesday’s news, which comes on the heels of Nuframe’s acquisition of AJ Construction earlier this winter, fulfills the company’s vision of creating an integrated and unmatched platform for mid-rise, multi-family, residential wood-frame development, covering the scope “from concrete to roof.” 

The strategic plan has centred on increasing Nuframe’s geographical footprint and capacity across all key operational divisions.

The Vision

The JSN Construction acquisition is an exciting feat in and of itself, but the move isn’t an isolated one. Instead, company leadership describes it as the final stage in a deliberate and intentional three-stage process, marking the successful completion of this phase of Nuframe’s long-term growth strategy. 

This process’s first stage, defined by the acquisition of DCM in fall of 2023, secured an integrated panel division, ensuring panel self-sufficiency for Nuframe’s offsite panel construction. While the company continues to collaborate with other panel suppliers across Canada, this move served as a critical foundational step in managing the company’s supply chain and vertical integration. 

The company’s next acquisition — of AJ Construction, announced last month — bolstered internal forming capacity, while also bringing valuable talent into the framing side of the business. 

Now, JSN Construction’s acquisition strengthens Nuframe’s framing capacity, with a particular focus on townhomes. This addition brings what Founder and CEO Lorne Derksen describes as an “extremely strong operating partner” to the team, cementing the integrated platform across concrete forming, framing, offsite panel construction, and engineered wood.

“These three acquisitions were all individually excellent for Nuframe’s expansion and vision,” Derksen says, “but they also supported a deliberate and strategic effort to bolster and expand every element of our complete platform.” 

“As a result,” he continues, “we’ve created the most efficient platform for constructing mid-rise, multi-family, residential wood-frame projects.”

The Team

JSN Construction Owner Josh Nicholson will join Nuframe as Vice President (VP). His addition is regarded as “critical” for driving greater efficiencies within the company and its projects, and improving overall quality and productivity. 

“Josh is renowned in the industry for turning out some of the best framers,” says Nuframe President Russ Esau. “He has really dialed in a system for teaching; these framers are always at a higher level than the industry average.”

Nicholson’s industry reputation is built on a systematic and sophisticated approach to construction operations. He is renowned for his expertise in team development, with a proven track record for developing top-notch framers and maximizing the potential and coordination of team members on-site. Furthermore, JSN is noted for its advanced planning, and team leadership — methodologies that Nuframe is excited to integrate into its already industry leading platform. 

“We are confident Josh is going to increase company efficiency by a significant amount,” Esau says. “He has done an incredible job understanding how to get the absolute most out of every single person on his site.”

What’s more, Nicholson’s expertise in worksite flow is expected to help bolster Nuframe’s refined processes further reinforcing scheduling goals, safety, and quality standards across the board, complementing and augmenting Nuframe’s existing capabilities even further.

“We love what we do, and we are proud of our accomplishments each and every day,” says Nicholson. “With JSN and Nuframe combined, my vision is to create the best on-site work culture anyone has ever seen or experienced. 

“When you hire us,” he continues, “you will experience a professional, respectful, and efficient team that gets the job done — on time — and have fun while doing it.”

The Future

With the integrated platform successfully established, Nuframe is now poised to execute “Phase 2” of its long-term strategy. This next phase will focus on maintaining the platform’s unique market position while committing to future innovation and expansion. It’s a well-established approach for the company: to anchor into the needs of today while projecting — with impressive accuracy, no less — what’s going to be needed three, five, or 10 years down the road.

As such, Nuframe’s Phase 2 initiatives include embracing and integrating artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Simultaneously, the company plans to expand the integrated platform’s footprint through multi-provincial growth — a move that’s already in play via the recent AJ Construction acquisition.

The acquisition reinforces Nuframe’s position as a singular pioneer and unmatched force in wood-frame multifamily development, capable of delivering superior results through a fully integrated and operationally excellent model. And it lays the foundation for even more industry-leading expansion to come.

“The platform we’ve created is singular and unmatched in the industry,” Derksen says. “We’re thrilled to be able to build upon this sturdy ground as we step into our next phase of growth.”