The supply chain issues caused by highway closures are affecting the transportation of construction material, causing delays in major developments around Kelowna.
Construction may still be happening but the ongoing supply chain issues have both development companies and customers in the dark as to when projects will be finished and how much extra cost will be added.
Tyson Wokoech, the CEO of Luxclusv, a development and construction company in Kelowna, says the uncertainty is one of the biggest challenges companies are facing right now.
“Being able to hit timelines and price points, too, right — everything we are telling clients now is kind of changing because there are a lot of other things that are changing so it’s kind of tough to stand behind a price or stand behind a timeline when we can’t get product.”
One of the biggest development companies in Kelowna, Mission Group, has many projects in the works right now.
Executive vice-president Luke Turri says that while they haven’t experienced significant delays yet, they expect that to change.
“We recognize there is going to be a backlog of shipments that will likely continue to have an effect over the coming weeks and probably months.”
Turri adds that the company is trying to find creative solutions to the problem, but the supply chain issues are being experienced across Kelowna, affecting the construction timeline and boom.
“There is also ways that we can source materials from Edmonton and further east all the way to the U.S. We are trying to be as creative as possible but everybody is pressing forward as best we can.”
Development companies urge people to be patient as delays hopefully get sorted out with the weather improving.
“People need to be a bit more patient with construction companies because we are doing our best and it is just not up to us,” says Wokoech.