Longyards grand opening

Oct 02

While it is a long march from humble beginnings to a continent-spanning business operation, if anyone can do it, it’s my friend and coaching client, Chris Long, pictured here with his oldest daughter, Lily, at the grand opening of Longyards at 6571 Bank street in Ottawa Canada on October 1st, 2019.

Chris is a trained carpenter who took over his grandfather’s business (Conrad Construction) a few years ago and used it as a cash engine to build a high-yielding real estate investment portfolio that includes both a residential rental component and now a commercial one too.

Longyards is the first of what we hope will be many storage yards focused on RV, truck, bus, boat and equipment parking as well as mini contractor yards, a place where a contractor or trades-person can have their own storage yard to develop their own businesses.

Cutting the ribbon

It’s modeled after Khyl Powell’s facility in Ithica, Arizona called CS Yards, https://csyards.com/.

Chris is a fine student; he understands property animation (adding new revenue streams) well. He took the decrepit old house that existed on the land when he bough it (9-acres +/- of heavy industrial-zoned land) and turned it into two units–upper and lower 2-bedroom apartments (each with their own ingress/egress) plus he converted the existing garage into a microsuite also with its own entry and w/c (bathroom) and micro-kitchen that he can use as a site office.

Office windows on left hand side, upstairs apartment has front and side entry, lower level has rear entry, all brightly colored and renovated

lower level rear entry, manufactured walkout condition

Chris in his future office with 10-foot ceilings

Looking out the front window of Chris’ office, note the stairs to the main level apartment, which has excellent soundproofing to noise and fire-separate residential and commercial uses

Chris showing the first of many contractor yards, note that front gate and privacy screening not yet installed

Backlit pylon sign, note in northern shelf city like Ottawa, backlighting is very important since it is so dark for six months of the year…

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, working for Chris 24/7/365

Once you have proven your real estate business model, focus on it and nothing else for 10, 12, 15 or more years. That’s the road to great success.

Prof Bruce

FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT AND BUSINESS COACHING THAT’LL HELP YOU PROVIDE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY FOR 3-GENERATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Bruce M Firestone, B Eng (civil), M Eng-Sci, PhD
Real Estate Investment and Business coach
ROYAL LePAGE Performance Realty broker
Ottawa Senators founder
1-613-762-8884
bruce.firestone@century21.ca
twitter.com/ProfBruce
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brucemfirestone.com

• MAKING IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE
• FREEDOM VIA REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT AND PB4L, PERSONAL BUSINESS FOR LIFE
• FEHAJ, FOR EVERY HOME A JOB
• MAKE YOUR HOME WORK FOR YOU, INSTEAD OF YOU WORKING FOR IT
• HIGHER ROI NOT JUST FOR OWNERS AND INVESTORS, BUT FOR TENANTS, GUESTS, VISITORS, NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES, CITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT TOO

Postscript: Lily’s congratulatory message was, “We hope long yards last millions of years, dad!” I agree with one proviso: I also hope it makes millions of dollars and that it doesn’t take millions of years to do that…

Music I listened to while composing this:

It’s a family enterprise, one that I hope will take care of Chris and his spouse and two daughters (and more to come!) for 3-generations.

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About the Author

Bruce is an entrepreneur/real estate broker/developer/coach/urban guru/keynote speaker/Sens founder/novelist/columnist/peerless husband/dad.

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