Community Support is very important to MCH Homes and we consistently give a portion of our Sales to various charities.
Chatham-Kent’s extreme shortage of housing inventory could soon receive a boost, and a long-term one at that.
Enter MCH Homes, a company incorporated earlier this year.
Robb Nelson and his wife Kim, both of Family Lending, have partnered with Dr. Bruce Warwick, Gilles Michaud and Trevor Mailloux to form MCH Homes.
“We have brought four groups together, including two very skilled contractors (Michaud and Mailloux). And we’re all community-minded people,” he said. “We have the combined ability to manage large-scale builds.”
Nelson, whose Family Lending office is located in Chatham, admitted he only recently refocused on the community in which he lives.
“I’ve been focused outside of Chatham-Kent for years,” he said. “But in the last year and a half, I’ve decided to invest mostly in Chatham-Kent. We see all the opportunity here.”
Nelson also saw a growing need for additional home building in the region, as he said some of the main builders in Chatham-Kent have retired recently.
MCH Homes’ partners look to build 30-40 homes at once, using as much local labour and materials as possible, he said.
As much as the real estate market is “location, location, location,” the philosophy of MCH is “local, local, local.” The company has partnered with local furniture, appliance, plumbing, landscaping, flooring – you name it – shops and suppliers to support Chatham-Kent businesses as much as possible.
“Everything we can buy locally, we do, including the tradespeople,” he said.
The current construction site is on Summerset Place off Keil Trail North in Chatham. MCH is building a mix of duplexes and detached homes.
“Everything we’re building is in the mid to high end,” he said.
Those homes, Nelson said, will be geared towards seniors and empty nesters, with every amenity on one floor.
“We don’t have the inventory and there hasn’t been a lot of large-scale building until recently,” he said of Chatham-Kent. “The inventory we have in C-K is multi-floor and not as suitable to the seniors’ market.”
Nelson credits a great deal of the pressure on the local housing market on big-city folks, including former Chatham-Kent residents, looking for a change of pace.
“There is significant demand for seniors to move back to their hometowns, and that increases the demands in the housing market,” he said.
MCH also has an office at 356 St. Clair St. where people can come in and reserve their homes, as well as customize the interior to suit their desires.
Nelson said he and his MCH partners anticipate $10 million to $12 million in sales annually.
“It’s all local. It’s not someone coming in from London or elsewhere. We are all local,” he said.
MCH also supports local. Each home sold will see $500 donated towards the new animal shelter.
Friends of the New Animal Shelter received the first installment donation by MCH Homes who have committed $500.00 from the sale of each home sold on Summerset Place, in Chatham Kent, to the building of the New Animal Shelter. “This is a great project and one which is of great interest to many Chatham-Kent residents. It is now time to build a New Animal Shelter that we can all be proud of. This is our way at MCH Homes of supporting our community, our local trades and suppliers. Our challenge is for other builders in the area to do the same” the partners said.
MCH Homes has donated another $5,000 to support the new animal shelter currently under construction on Park Avenue East.
Although the Friends of the New Animal Shelter has completed its building campaign, approximately $75,000 is still needed to furnish and equip the 6,300-square-foot facility.
The firm is donating $500 for every home sold on Summerset Place. The firm made a previous donation of $10,000.
Lynn McGeachy, project co-ordinator for the shelter, said the community’s generosity has been amazing.
“We’re almost there,” she said in a media release. “Construction on the building will be complete this spring. We just need the final push to make sure we can provide the kind of care our animals deserve.”
The driving forces behind MCH Homes in Chatham-Kent say they hope to really ramp up home construction in the near future.
It’s all to meet the growing demand in the municipality, as well as to entice others to locate here.
Gilles Michaud, vice-president of MCH, said the company is growing, as is its capacity to build new homes in Chatham-Kent.
“We’re growing in leaps and bounds. We’re building 50 homes a year, and we are ramping up to 75 and then ramping up to 100,” he said. “This will be done with a lot of help from our partners. We have a great team working together.”
Robb Nelson, president of MCH Homes, said the company has access to enough land to build 900 homes in Chatham. Most of the work to date has been in the Prestancia subdivision in the northwest portion of the community, but roadways are already planned out and marked in the southwest section as well, with 376 lots planned there.
“We see a lot of need here. We’ve listened to the community to see what best fits the needs of the community,” he said.
He said they are also looking beyond C-K’s borders to see what is transpiring in other communities, and what can be done to entice people to move here.
Their homes are a hit with out-of-town retirees, as they are designed with low maintenance in mind.
Such homes, often semi-detached, are designed with one-floor living in mind. While they come with basements, most everyday living can take place all on the main floor, including laundry. The basement can be turned into additional living space for when out-of-town family comes to visit, or whatever the owner desires.
Unlike older subdivisions in Chatham, the MCH builds feature smaller property footprints, meaning less property maintenance.
Nelson said that frees up people’s time, something they cherish.
And that’s not just for retirees. He said it is appealing to millennials, especially those who can work from home. That is a growing market and one that will now look more closely at Chatham-Kent as TekSavvy and Bell run their fibre optic lines through neighbourhoods.
“That millennial market will be the target of our new production. We’ve got to give them a lifestyle; they want a smaller footprint as they want to come home to a manageable-sized home,” he said.
That means less time spent cutting the grass or vacuuming unused rooms and more time doing what they want, he said.
The board of the Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce named MCH Homes as the feature industry of the month for May. Chamber staff, board members, and MCH brass met at an MCH build on Daylight Point in west Chatham to celebrate on Friday.
“This place is beautiful,” said Cecily Coppola, chair of the Chamber board. “They have a lot of ventures going on, a lot of development in our community. They are filling a need for low-maintenance homes.”
MCH Homes also believes in supporting local. The company has about 120 contracted workers, all from Chatham-Kent.
Nelson said all building materials, fixtures and appliances come through Chatham-Kent businesses as well.
“I think it’s fair to say that MCH Homes continues to make a significant impact on our local and regional economic development through their multi-million dollar projects,” Jamie Rainbird, manager of Economic Development for the municipality, said in a media release.
Established in January of 2017, MCH Homes is celebrating its third spring construction season.
The key people behind MCH Homes, aside from Nelson and Michaud, are partners Darryl Clarke, Trevor Mailloux, and Kim O’Rourke Nelson.
In an effort to help alleviate the housing logjam in Chatham-Kent, MCH Homes officials showcased their latest project to officials and the media recently.
MCH Homes plans to build 380 homes in The Meadows, a new community in southwest Chatham.
Carson Warrener, vice-president of sales for MCH Homes and a real estate agent with Royal LePage, said the build will bring an estimated $150 million into the local economy.
The houses will be between 1,200 and 1,700 square feet in size, with prices starting in excess of $300,000.
“That’s at prices larger centres can only dream of having,” he said. “We’re open for living.”
The 50/50 draw for Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Foundation came to a conclusion today with a whopping overall pot of $294,360.00, and the holder of the winning ticket will be picking up a cheque for $149,180.00. The CKHA Foundation 50/50 jackpot shattered the old 50/50 draw record of $168,000.00 previously held at the International Plowing Match in September of 2018.
“This is a sure sign of the commitment this community has to its local hospital! Not only does the winner take away an amazing jackpot, but everyone wins as proceeds will support our new Urology program. Truly a win-win!!” Said Mary Lou Crowley, President and CEO of the CKHA Foundation. “Volunteers, sponsors, and staff worked so hard to make this initiative a success. I am so proud of the Chatham Kent community!”.
Robb Nelson, CEO of AgriRoots Capital Management Inc., a presenting sponsor said, “I’m a numbers guy, and wow am I impressed by this number! We are proud and thankful to have been given the opportunity to support such a great cause. We can’t wait to see if we can break another record next year!”
“The challenge was put out there, and Chatham-Kent came through once again. I am proud to be from this area, proud to be doing business here, and when I see the community rally together like this I know the best days of Chatham-Kent are in our future,” said, Carson Warrener, VP Sales and Marketing for Maple City Homes, another presenting sponsor for the draw.
Proceeds from the 50/50 draw will support the purchase of a new Holmium laser, a key piece of equipment for the new Urology Program at CKHA.
For the winning number, rules of play, and jackpot total that the winner will receive, visit ckhaf.ca.
Reach Out Chatham-Kent, The Sandwich Guys and The United Way of Chatham-Kent’s Winter Warmth program are receiving help to accomplish their charitable work. Whatever the need (food, clothing, blankets, tarps, etc.) $18,000 will help with the sustainability of the volunteer work of those reaching out to help meet the needs of some of our community’s homeless during the cold, harsh and dark days of the season – and beyond.
Members of the Chatham-Kent Home Builders Association came together just before Christmas to donate $18,000 to the United Way.
The concept evolved out of an email from MCH Homes inviting both construction sub trades and suppliers to “Help us Help the Homeless.”
Steve Pratt, CEO of the United Way of CK said “On any given night approximately 87 people in Chatham-Kent experience homelessness. It’s the generosity of caring businesses and residents, like the folks gathered here today, that powers United Way’s work in the community. It allows us to tackle together persistent, unignorable issues – like homelessness, hunger, and poverty – that are preventing far too many individuals and families from getting ahead.”
Robb Nelson, President and Partner of MCH Homes, said, “Just like our development, this is a hyper local initiative, supported by local businesses for the residents of Chatham-Kent. We are proud to be supporting local trades and they all really came together to make a difference in the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents.”