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    • CIFH Has New Owners!

      June 30, 2021

      On July 1, 2021, Copper Island Fine Homes officially changes ownership, with founders Greg and Tracy Vistisen completing the transition process and sale of the company to General Manager Marcus Picton and his wife Sylvia (in photo to the right).

      The transition has naturally evolved since January 2020, when the Vistisens recruited Marcus from Calgary as the company’s new GM. Over the following year and a half, Marcus gradually assumed the majority of senior management roles, and this process was accelerated after Greg experienced a heart attack in December of 2020.

      “When Marcus joined our team a year and a half ago, it was with the goal of having him take over my responsibilities and, ultimately, replacing me entirely within a few years,” says Greg. “One of the major reasons for this was to protect our company (and our assets and clients) in the event of an accident or health issue to myself. As it turns out, this was incredibly fortuitous—in hindsight, it would have been very difficult to focus on regaining my health without Marcus at the helm, and we’re grateful to him for his efforts and leadership.”

      After contemplating their lives in the wake of Greg’s health issues, and after working with Marcus and Sylvia and witnessing their commitment to maintain the company’s hard-won reputation for quality and customer satisfaction, the Vistisens made the decision to sell Copper Island Fine Homes to the Pictons, albeit one or two years ahead of time.

      By way of background, Marcus joined Copper Island Fine Homes after a highly-successful 20 year career in construction management—ten years of which was in his native UK, and the last ten years in Calgary. He was hired in January of 2020 after an exhaustive multi-province search using an executive search agency. He came to Copper Island Fine Homes with impeccable credentials and more than 10 years of general manager experience with a Calgary home builder similar in size to Copper Island Fine Homes. Prior to emigrating to Canada, he was the Managing Director of Finwood Custom Log and Timber Frame Buildings in Cambridge, UK, where he oversaw virtually all aspects of the sale, design and construction of custom log homes, holiday cabins, custom wood sporting facilities and commercial retail structures. All of this combined to make him the ideal candidate to a take on the position of Copper Island Fine Homes General Manager, a position that was created in response to the company’s increased management workload brought by 17 years of successful expansion.

      Sylvia, who is originally from Calgary, joined the company last June as the Home Warranty Manager. The couple, along with their daughter and son, have quickly become enthusiastic members of the Shuswap community, and love the area and all its natural beauty and potential.

      “After more than a year of working side-by-side with Marcus and Sylvia, it's with complete confidence that Tracy and I are handing over the reins of the company to them,” says Greg. “We couldn’t be happier with our choice. It's clear that our sub-trades, suppliers and staff will be in good hands moving forward, and, most importantly, that our clients’ needs will continue to be met and exceeded with the same level of professionalism and service we have become known for.”

      “Sylvia and I are ecstatic with the purchase of Copper Island Fine Homes and look forward to the challenges of continuing and growing the company’s legacy of building our area’s finest quality houses,” says Marcus. “Our thanks to Greg and Tracy for almost two decades of hard work to establish our company’s reputation—their commitment, drive and accomplishments have made it very easy for us to proceed with this purchase. We’d also like to thank all of our staff, sub-trades, and clients, who have all done so much to help bring this transition to completion. We’re looking forward to growing with all of you.”

      Marcus adds that continuity for clients is a top priority.

      “We’re pleased to report that Tracy and Greg have been contracted to work with Sylvia and I for the next two years to ensure the ownership transition is a smooth one,” says Marcus. “Their knowledge and expertise will be invaluable, as will the combined trade knowledge of our incredible field and office staff, who have made long-term commitments to remain in their positions. The bottom line is that you will see no change in our level of service or professionalism; you may even see some improvements!”

      For more information about the company transition and sale, please don’t hesitate to contact us.