Paul Esposito Sr. is the president of the Esposito group in Abbotsford, BC. He has spent decades as a builder and
entrepreneur; however, he is also an active community supporter. In 2018, Paul and his family donated $1.25 million to the University of the Fraser Valley to establish and endow the Esposito Family Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
We had the opportunity to chat with Paul about his company’s involvement with Nexii and how he happened to build the first Starbucks using Nexii’s sustainable panels.
How did you get involved with Nexii?
In 2020 my son, Paul Jr. was working with Starbucks to build their Abbotsford location. We had drawn up plans to build a wood frame or steel building, when our engineer and friend, Dave Krahn (Founder of Krahn Group of companies), highly suggested looking at a new technology, Nexii, before finalizing our build plans. Our team and Starbucks met Nexii to learn more about the product. Initially, I admit that I was doubtful, but after a tour to Squamish with Krahn to see a prototype and learn more about the product and company, I knew that using the Nexii system was the best thing for Starbucks.
Ultimately Starbucks endorsed the product because it was in line with their vision to reduce their carbon footprint and allowed them to open their Abbotsford store sooner than initially planned.
How was your experience building with Nexii?
Our experience building with Nexii was excellent. The coordination between my son Paul Jr., the Nexii team, the Krahn Group team and the Nexii engineers was phenomenal. If we ran into a snag, everyone dealt with solutions – not problems.
I was impressed with how precise Nexii was during installation. Everything fit when we began installing the Nexii panels – we were within 1/16th of an inch of tolerance. That’s amazing! We started the Starbucks build in early October, and it was ready to open in early January. The Nexii portion of the build took only six days. This attention to detail was a huge time saving to the landlord and a real positive for Starbucks because they got to open their doors sooner.
What surprised you the most about your experience using Nexii products?
When someone told me that we would have 1 or 2 bags of garbage at the end of the project, I didn’t believe it. But it proved to be true. Our site was so clean – I felt comfortable enough that I actually wore a pair of casual shoes instead of work boots to visit the site!
Why is it important to work with a company like Nexii?
As a builder, I had to admit that I have not done enough to protect the environment. I was a typical builder of the day – when we built things, we had a ton of construction debris which we just took outside and burned or threw drywall scraps into trenches. That’s just what you did as a builder! It was just so common; you didn’t even think about it. It was far easier to pollute the atmosphere, and not even think about our planet and what it meant for future generations. Now it’s our responsibility to turn over the greenest planet we can for our children and their children.
Working with Nexii, going through their process, and seeing what the product can do to make a difference – we’ve become far more accountable for disposing of debris, being more energy-efficient, while at the same time building a better product in a shorter period. Our tenants win, the developer wins, and Nexii wins in their goal to change the planet. I’m just so happy we found Nexii and have been able to do multiple projects with them so quickly – it’s really changed how we think about building, and I’m proud of the difference we’re making in changing how we build.
Have you seen any interest from other builders and developers?
When we started the Starbucks building, I invited a few developers to see the project, and many of them were skeptical. We then built a few other projects in the same complex using Nexii – Popeyes and the Scotiabank. As these buildings came up, developers started approaching me to ask about the building process and Nexii. The Scotiabank is a gorgeous building that only took 11 days to build. The interest is growing – developers are now calling me, and I regularly do tours of the sites. It’s exciting to be a part of this!
Any final thoughts?
I’m very proud of the buildings I have built with Nexii. To construct a Nexii building with energy efficiency, a reduction in the carbon footprint and the speed and ease that the building goes up is remarkable. I see a great future for Nexii.
