About Us
We are managers, planners, educators, researchers, artisans and craftspeople.
We are a full-service general contractor and builder, with full Tarion Warranty accreditation. We combine leading-edge skills with absolute integrity and impeccable quality. We strive to be among industry leaders in all of our chosen services. With bases of operation in Guelph, Harriston and Orillia we service much of southern-Ontario, Grey-Bruce and Georgian Bay, Simcoe County and Muskoka.
Our esteemed management team includes:
Ben Polley is an award winning business manager and founder of Evolve. With 16+ years estimating experience including 12 in alternative construction, he is also our cost-benefit guru. He participates in the design and estimating phase of new projects in order to locate savings opportunities and deliver the best quality for money on every project. A popular speaker at colleges, universities and industry events, and regular feature in green building media, Ben will often be your first point of contact when discussing your future plans.
Chris Vander Hout shares the responsibility of setting Evolve’s overall business direction, a skill gained in his past life as part owner of a metal fabrication shop. Today he oversees continuous improvement to our construction systems and procedures while developing manners to integrate ever more unique products and systems into Evolve’s repertoire. On site, Chris is our senior project manager as well as being a certified septic installer/designer and a standing timber assessment specialist. He loves to participate directly, especially with all things wood, and handles work of all types in the Grey-Bruce and north Wellington areas.
Melanie Scott is senior designer and project coordinator at Evolve following an earlier career in retail design. An ARIDO Registered Interior Designer, Ontario Qualified and Registered Designer, a LEED AP, together with a personal specialty in passive solar, Melanie is eminently qualified to assist with widely ranging design needs. When working from others’ plans or once construction begins, Melanie changes hats and becomes your main liaison to aid in determining details and material selections not yet made and then ensures the project managers are appropriately armed to complete the needed tasks.
Dwight Burkhardt brings decades of experience in residential and retail construction and applies his eye for detail to all tasks at hand. Floor refinishing with natural oils, window replacements and finish trim installation are among his personal delights and specialties. Dwight divides his time between leading tasks such as these and his important role as Evolve’s primary renovations project manager, in which role he is routinely thanked by clients for his caring and conscientious manner. If your work is in the Guelph-Tri-Cities area, you are fairly certain to see Dwight tending to details at some point in the project.
Mitch Cox is the sage elder among Evolve’s management team. With experience spanning agricultural, commercial and residential work and nearly forty years directly managing a construction crew, Mitch still loves to build. For years a trusted go-to guy for prefabricated home manufacturers and routinely the recommended builder of choice by local suppliers, Mitch now project manages Evolve projects spanning Muskoka cottage country, Georgian Bay, and Simcoe County. Mitch continues to like to get dirty so it is not unusual to see him personally handling foundations, framing, roofing, finishing and more.