Stephen Tomes is in the business of helping people make their dream home a reality – something he knows a little something about!
A holiday to the Rocky Mountains as a 16-year-old sparked Stephen Tomes’s own dream of moving to Canada, a dream he would realize years later, via service in Afghanistan.
Hailing from London, England, Tomes comes from a long line of construction and engineering professionals – his grandfather was a pipefitter and his father a CPA and commercial developer.
“It’s kind of in the blood,” he says with a smile from the offices of his Kingsmere Construction, a licensed general contractor specializing in home renovations and commercial construction throughout the Fraser Valley. Next door is his complementary new venture, New Trendz Flooring and More, featuring flooring, cabinets, countertops and other essentials.
The road to Canada
Tomes returned to Canada in 2003 to complete his engineering degree in Dartmouth, N.S., and was working back in England when he learned of an opportunity to help build the Canadian military base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Those efforts would help him earn his Canadian residency, and he was finally able to move across the pond permanently in 2015.
Securing the contract to build a new SportCheck location in Vancouver, Tomes quickly made a name for himself in local construction, bolstered by a keen involvement at all levels of the industry.
He’s a director with the Better Business Bureau of Canada, serves with the Home Inspection Association of BC, and works with the province on the BC Step Code, which supports energy-efficient building practices. Passionate about green building practices, he’s also completing a Masters degree through Cambridge University on sustainable building practices.
Today, Tomes is expanding his team’s offerings, as the new owner of New Trendz Flooring and More in Langley, joined in the store by sales and store manager Bill Yardley and sales associate Lisa Young. In particular, homeowners appreciate the depth of his experience Tomes brings to the new venture, which really helps complete the construction and renovation service.
“I’m passionate about building a better home for people,” he says, noting that home construction in North America has often relied on wasteful practices, with materials that aren’t designed to stand the test of time. “I’m trying to change that, to help you make your home an investment, and to build into it.”
One of the most exciting innovations he’s keen to share is a new affordable, efficient under-floor heating that works with both laminate and linoleum, materials unsuitable for radiant heating. Tomes is one of the first in Canada to offer the BC Building Code-approved product – more on that to come in our next article! – but in the meantime, you’re invited to visit the New Trendz showroom to learn more!
As a cancer survivor in his teens, Tomes is also passionate about supporting childhood charities, in addition to urgent needs in the community, including the Red Cross campaign for those impacted by the flooding in Abbotsford.
Stop by New Trendz at #101 – 20579 Langley Bypass, call them at 604-546-0911 or visit online at newtrendzflooring.com