Losani Homes, one of Ontario’s most respected and innovative builders of new home communities is celebrating its’ 40^thAnniversary this year. Founded by experienced builder John Losani and his son Lino, with younger son Fred joining the team in 1985, Losani has built an enviable reputation for quality, design and craftsmanship in the development of single family, townhomes and semi’s in outstanding new home communities in Hamilton, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Kitchener, Beamsville, Binbrook and Collingwood.

Losani Homes has a unique one-on-one approach to customer sales and marketing, and a strong focus on after-sales service. Instead of impersonal lines outside sales centres, Losani has developed its innovative “Pronto on Demand” program.  This allows prospective purchasers to walk through, touch, feel and experience the actual home they may purchase during construction. Depending on the phase of construction, some purchasers may be able to move into their homes within 30, 60 or 90 days.

We catch up with the Chief Executive Officer of Losani Homes, Fred Losani, and manage to get a breather within his super-hectic schedule of how his family run business and their leadership capabilities spearhead one of Ontario’s most emulated and applauded building organizations.

You’ve been one of Hamilton’s most successful builders with more than 100 Home Builder Awards to your credit. What do you think deserves these accolades?

At Losani we are always challenging ourselves. We constantly want to improve in all aspects of our business. We’re also very much a tightly focussed company investing into the design and building aspects of new homes. Innovative design and ensuring the best workmanship are the foundations for our success. We seek out the most desirable current home locations, as well as keep our focus on upcoming markets for future homebuyers. We bring our game every day, into everything that we do.

Your organization is acknowledged as one of Canada’s best managed companies since 2007. What is your leadership philosophy?

We lead by inclusion, and take a very strong collaborative approach to everything we do. All information is shared with all employees; everyone is involved as everyone is very integral to the process, and is considered important. In short, there is complete transparency. You never know where the next great idea will come from. We have a great deal of trust and faith in our employees, and why wouldn’t we? Because we believe in their strengths, their abilities and their expertise.  It’s very much a team effort at Losani, everything we do is all encompassing, and inclusive.  We appreciate our people.

Your family immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1960. That obviously presented many challenges but also great opportunities, right?

We can relate to new arrivals to Canada, for sure, and the challenges they face in a new homeland with a different way of life. But we are Canadians first and are blessed to live in this country. We have such incredible liberties in Canada, whether you worship in a church, or embrace any other religion, you can maintain and celebrate your original culture. This is a country that respects all faiths and nationalities.

I mean, look at how Canada has come to the aid of Fort McMurray?  There may be close to 100 million dollars donated from every corner of our country by the time it’s all done. That’s just an illustration of what is so great about Canada. People look after each other, give back to each other, and respect each other. Yes, we are fortunate to have come to Canada—we couldn’t have asked for a better place to call home.

You have been involved in some remarkable acts of charity. Tell us about them.

My charitable activities started with a group of guys wanting to do something ‘cool’ and take a trek to the North Pole. We turned this into a fundraising activity to raise funds for in-school children’s nutrition programs in Hamilton, and to help Mac Children’s Hospital. It just organically grew from there with a trip to the South Pole, and Losani then got involved with Free the Children and formed our Losani Family Foundation. We wanted to motivate other people to give, and it has been extremely rewarding.

We are proud to be involved with the ‘Adopt a Village’ program in Western Kenya.  In 2014, with nails, hammers and shovels in hand, we participated in the physical work of helping to build a medical clinic, a school for 600 children, and working to bring clean water to the residents in the village of Rongena, Kenya.

Our family has also made a three-year commitment to build and open a medical clinic in Mondana, Ecuador, which will make a huge impact there.

Do you believe when you give, you receive back a hundredfold?

I do believe in that, but that has never been my reason for any of my charitable involvement or any involvement of the Losani Family Foundation. As our company grew and we became more successful, our charitable giving increased and our company’s success increased. It was very positive for our company. ‘Doing the right thing’ is part of our company’s culture.

You’ve been the recipient of many awards. Do you personally believe ‘awards maketh the man’? Or what is it that really and truly earns respect?

What you do when no one is watching is really what matters. No one in our family is much for grandstanding. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very nice to receive awards and we’re proud to always share these accolades with our employees. When we receive awards, it’s gratifying to be recognized for the hard work, passion and dedication we put into our craft, but I’m a firm believer that the journey is far from over, each day is important and special.  What is important is that we keep the momentum.

You have three children. What is some of the advice you have given them as they are growing up?

I tell them to stay humble, and to stay hungry to be successful. Nothing is freely given to you…you have to earn it. I subscribe to the life theory that you need passion, hard work, ethics and dedication in order to be successful. I also tell them to follow their hearts. They are not expected to naturally work at the family company—they can choose their own destinations.  There is a saying that “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I believe in that and instil it in them, so that they can realize their true potential, and become the best in what they want to do.

You recently visited India. What was it that you saw in India that may have reminded you, or was similar, to growing up in Italy?

I spent three weeks in India in the spring and combined that trip with a visit to the Free the Children camp in Rajasthan to work with a local school and village. What struck me the most was that family is so important to both Italians and Indians. They say that Italians are the Indians of the north and that Indians are the Italians of the south and it is so true. I saw so many similarities about what citizens of both countries value in life. The food, the music, the culture, the faith – but most importantly was how family was at the centre of their lives. Italians and Indians both rely on family for strength. The kitchen and the family dinner table are the centre of the home. The conversation, the animation, the love and even the disagreements, the family unit breeds such passion in both cultures. India was an absolutely wonderful experience and I hope to return there often.

A builder, is a builder, is a builder right? What makes Losani Homes different than other organizations and how is it that you wish to be remembered?

For starters, most builders don’t have their names on the company; they choose a generic name or something to do with building or real estate imagery. Losani Homes is our family name; it is our reputation that is out there, so we only have one chance. We have to therefore give our very best; otherwise our reputation will be at stake.  Our name is a great motivator—it will last a lifetime, and beyond.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that our family gets along, even though we work together, we still see eye to eye. We also see each other outside of the workplace and get together on weekends.

However, within our company, many executives are moving up into the senior ranks who are not family members, so we have a very collaborative approach in sharing success and investing in all of our employees.

But perhaps the aspect of our organization that I am most proud of is our charitable and social responsibility focus: to improve our community, to help others around the world, to let others partake of our success, and make a difference at all times. If by these actions, dedication and passion, Losani Homes has in some small way, encouraged other builders to also involve themselves in important causes, well then, I think that would be a nice way to be remembered.

 

Jude Paul Fernandes / jude@thesouthasiannews.com