By Adriana Ermter
Greg Kolodziejczyk is a super-busy guy, oft en operating from his car, as he drives between job sites keeping tabs on various projects. As the founder of Prospect Construction, a luxury stone masonry company based in Mississauga, Ont., he’s an owner who’s always hands-on 24/7. Not only does he manage every job from conception to fulfilment (while overseeing his team’s custom stone installations on the exteriors of newly built homes), he’s also really generous with his time, constantly willing to lend a helping hand to family, friends and colleagues.
Providing a full-service approach to everyone he deals with is part and parcel of Kolodziejczyk’s work ethic. Born and raised in the family’s home-construction business, he’s had a veritable front-row seat to hard work and success his entire life. “My father grew up in Poland and my grandfather passed down his masonry skills to him. Eventually, my dad passed them onto me,” he says proudly. “By the time I was 12 years old, I was spending my summers working alongside my father on job sites learning the masonry business from the ground up.”
While his twenties were spent learning the real estate side of the industry as a mortgage agent, Kolodziejczyk made the bold decision to return to the family trade in his 30’s before launching Prospect Construction a handful of years ago. Now, at 41, business is absolutely booming. A true artisan, Kolodziejczyk has worked on masonry projects for prestigious architects, high-end custom home builders and talented interior designers, and for good reason: Projects using luxury stone are ultra-elegant and visually spectacular. His work is statement-making — it signifies sheer opulence and celebrates the art of what Kolodziejczyk does for a living. “Custom limestone installation s truly like a puzzle made of building blocks,” he explains. “A lot of engineering is involved. Every piece is pre-cut based on the drawings, and then numbered. The stones must be placed in the exact position. It’s all very precision-based and there’s no room for error. It’s not something everyone can do well. In this business, success is absolutely in the details.”
This meticulous attention to detail has made Kolodziejczyk a go-to referral in the business. Scrupulous from start to finish, he even uses traditional tools of the trade — a trusty hammer and chisel — to ensure the fit of each pre-cut rock is flawless. Self-shot reels featured on Instagram (@prospect.construction) often capture him in progress, laying stone after stone atop masonry cement, fastening each one so that it’s secure and lasts a lifetime. These wonderful videos show tidbits of his process, offering prospective clients a look into the immense passion, skill, craftsmanship and devotion to excellence he brings to his work. It also shows the incredible materials he’s mastered the art of using. “Limestone, for example, is one of the oldest building materials,” adds Kolodziejczyk. “It’s made up of fossils, it’s excavated out of the ground, it’s low-maintenance and durable and it lasts forever. It was used to build the Pyramids. Masonry has so much history. Like my grandfather and father before me, I just really love what I do. It’s a calling that’s in my genes. I couldn’t ask for a better profession.”
