The latest episode of the Livabl Launch Podcast features an exclusive interview with Jake Cohen, COO of The Daniels Corporation.
Known for its unwavering commitment to creating resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities, Daniels has a unique reputation of being one of Toronto’s most well-loved builders.
This episode, Matt and Jake chat all things branding, diversification and financing in challenging markets that require strategic planning and an emphasis on affordability.
Here are some highlights from the episode:
On Daniels’ business model of diversification:
“We can do everything. Every facet of construction, development, planning, approvals, service and warranty – all pieces of development, we have a handle on it. And because we can control those factors, we can move into different areas of construction and development. We could do a purpose-built rental building, or seniors housing with a provider, or we could do student housing, or affordable housing because we were able to be vertically integrated and have that control.”
“It was really a specific mandate that we have as an organization, which is to be diverse, be able to facilitate all these different types of builds, so that when times are tough there’s still lots of other things that keep the machine running and keep us producing work.”
On the Regent Park revitalization project:
“I think this is what kind of sets us apart about being the type of developer that we are. We are not the type of developer that just comes in and steamrolls the building, moves everyone out and doesn’t think for a second about who’s actually been living there. Who we are as a developer is we want to make sure that there is community building and community growth that takes place because of the development that we are doing. We can replace rental housing, we can add condo housing, but how do we do capacity building for the people that actually live in that neighborhood?”
On refining Daniels’ company values:
“We spent a good part of 2022 and 2023 refining our mission, our purpose and our values. We are 40 years old this year as a company, which is very, very exciting for us. But as now a 40-year-old company, you go through ebbs and flows and transitions do happen. And it was really important to me as I came into the role [of COO] a number of years ago, to really refine what our mission purpose and our values are.”
“Our mission now is to use our business as a positive force, enriching our communities by valuing people, partnerships and the planet. Those three P’s are so key to us – people, partnerships and the planet, and really focusing on core values that relates to who we are and who we stand for.”
On moving forward with sustainability and affordability:
“If we’re going to be doing anything in the company over the next number of years, it’s about being simple in our designs, but being smart with how we’re doing them. When we’re thinking about finishes, we don’t want to compromise finish, absolutely not. But we want to be smart with where we spend the money. Because again, affordability drives everything right now we need to be conscious of that for purchasers.”
To learn more about the podcast or listen to past episodes, check out Livabl Launch on Podbean.
