Custom Home Builders & Renovators
Macanta Design Build Inc. is an award winning Winnipeg renovator specializing in home additions, major renovations, and custom new homes. Utilizing the design-build model, we are a full-service transformation specialist dedicated to ensuring the longevity of value in your construction project.
“Macanta” is a word rooted in the Irish Gaelic language and carries with it the meaning of “honest”, “sincere”, and “taking care of others”. This word summarizes the values on which we’ve built our business and which are core to our proprietary Macanta Process.
Just a few examples of projects we have completed:
- Home additions of all shapes and sizes
- Major renovations, both interior and exterior
- Deep Energy retrofits
- Full home knock down and rebuilds
- Major structural repairs
- New custom homes
- Multi family residential renovations
Our History – The Macanta Origin Story
Macanta Design Build Inc. was incorporated in September of 2014, founded by principals Cory Kloos and Desmond Sweeney, but that isn’t where the story begins. The story first begins nearly fifteen years earlier at the turn of the millennium, early in the year 2000, when Cory started his career in construction. He began work for a builder whom he respected personally, but soon learned that he was the type of contractor you hear about on Holmes on Homes. Cory wanted to work differently and decided to go out on his own, operating as a sole proprietor. He took on small projects and, once the quality of his work and attention to detail became known, began to take on larger and more complex projects.
In 2007 Cory changed his focus. He didn’t want to be self-employed just to have a job renovating; he wanted to start a real business, something larger than himself. And he wanted to do it in a proper, efficient way. Through experience in renovations he had worked on homes that had been updated with a focus exclusively on the cosmetics that ignored air quality issues, structural issues, and longevity issues. He worked in bathrooms where previous work just covered up mold. He saw finished basements with mold and water problems because core issues weren’t properly addressed. Wanting to offer his clients a healthier way to build, Cory re-branded himself as Healthy Homes Construction. He hired his first full-time employee, and continued to focus on larger projects.
As time went on, Cory realized he wasn’t only interested in the construction aspect of kitchen and bathroom renovations, but rather in major whole-home renovations, home additions, and new builds. He wanted to become a winnipeg-based builder, and he felt his experience and ethics would make him a GREAT builder. So, in late-2009 he retired the Healthy Homes Construction brand and began operating under the Red Seal Builders banner. He chose this name both because it has ‘Builders’ in it, and also to differentiate himself from truck-and-ladder companies. He would use only Red Seal trades to complete jobs at a higher level of quality than his competition offered. His customers would know, without doubt, that their builds would be done properly. He incorporated in 2010 on advice from his accountant, and continued to work on great projects — even including some commercial projects such as the new Cabela’s store, Stoney Mountain Penitentiary, and the Manitoba Youth Center.
Though he was working on some amazing projects, Cory was also starting to see the pains of growing too fast. As his jobs got larger and larger, the school of hard knocks quickly let him know what he was good at and what he wasn’t. Cory has a knack for quickly understanding the true needs of his clients and can tailor a plan to deliver maximum value. He can oversee renovations and builds with a high level of technical expertise. But, like so many in this industry, his technical skills didn’t make up for his lack of organization. He always finished what he started, always delivered a high level of quality to his clients, but he was starting to become the construction stereotype that he hated: delays on projects, late delivery without acceptable reasons, stressed out customers.
In early 2013 Cory’s stress levels were at an all-time high. He was experiencing success, but wasn’t enjoying the work. He had grown to a point where one person couldn’t properly handle management of the business, and his customers were paying for it through delays and stress. He was at a turning point; he either either needed to scale his business back, or make a significant business change. Cory didn’t want to scale back and take on less challenging projects, so in September of 2013 he partnered with a childhood friend Desmond Sweeney. Desmond held a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Manitoba, had spent his career working in the software industry, and was at the time working as a Software Project Manager for a major Winnipeg-based international manufacturing company. He brought the missing, critical skill set: organizational skills.
Over the next year Cory and Desmond changed Red Seal Builders. They put systems and processes into place, increased efficiency, and tailored everything to better serve client interests. But what they quickly realized is that they didn’t want to be builders, just building off other people’s plans. Not only was that risky to do, but in many cases the plans were horrendous! When issues would crop up the blame game would often start with whomever had designed the plans. Cory and Desmond stood by and fought for their clients, but they couldn’t fully insulate their clients from stress and additional fees. They very quickly saw where the hole was in their new and needed processes; where they could drastically increase the value that they offered. They needed to become more than just a construction management company who builds; they needed to start working with clients before their idea was on paper. They needed to design what their clients wanted and then build what they designed. They needed to take ownership of the entire process from idea through to warranty.
In September of 2014, while continuing to build projects under the Red Seal Builders brand, Cory and Desmond created a new company: Macanta Design Build Inc. Fast forward to today, Macanta Design Build Inc. is a leader in Winnipeg Renovations, Home Additions, and custom building. Contact us today to learn how we can put our tried, tested, propitiatory design + build process to work for you!