The first half of 2020 has been interesting so far. Our team has been extremely busy and we would like to share what we’ve been up to. Take a moment to read the message below from our fearless leader, David Porte.
2020 has been an unusual and unique year for our business (and most businesses) thus far.
This year, we have seen the largest and quickest changes in the company’s history. In a matter of days, in mid-March, the entire head office staff moved to work from home. For the rest of the Porte staff, there were immediate changes in the way we worked every day, and in the work we did.
Zoom calls replaced in-person meetings. Online & digital experiences replaced human interactions. Things that were once simple and routine had to be modified so that we could continue to serve and support our customers and move our business forward. Frequent hand washing, new cleaning protocols, and different requirements became the norm. Many of these changes are still in place and disruptions to the way we work and live will be around for a while.
As we navigated through the changing world around us, there were some things at Porte that remained the same. Porte remained guided by the Porte Promises: People Focused, Committed to Excellence, Trustworthy, and Community Builders – the values that mark how we work. We remained focused on our customers: the tenants to whom we provide places to live and work and the people for whom we build homes. We remained focused on our staff, our suppliers, and our partners. And we humbly continued providing financial support and assistance to those in our communities who needed it more than ever. The team at Porte put in long hours, stretched and flexed, to take care of our customers and each other as best as we could.
Now the Province is reopening, and I am confident that the Province and Canada will re-emerge better than before, stronger as a result of this challenging time. We see our tenants reopening their businesses and are pleased we could support and work with them over the past few months. And we see home buyers returning to our sales centres looking to fulfill their dreams of homeownership.
Porte was tested and we have become a stronger company. We have learned new skills, new ways of doing business, and experienced a newfound joy for working with our colleagues.
I am proud that Porte has been in business for 52+ years. The team at Porte has worked hard to keep the company thriving through various economic conditions. It has been a fantastic 52 years and we are stronger than ever and ready for 52 more!
A big thank you to our customers who have supported us over this past half of a century and we look forward to continuing to serve you.
-David Porte