Christiaan Barnard’s journey began as a general worker in the siding installation field, but his passion for quality and service led him to open his own business. His dedication and years of experience became the driving force behind the birth of Barnard Custom Build, later Oryx Aluminum, a siding supply and installation company committed to excellence and integrity.
Christiaan’s heartfelt desire to create a company that values its employees and always puts them first inspired his close friend Hannes Louw to join him on this journey. Together, they built a team that embodied their shared value system, vision, and passion for success. Michael le Roux joined the team running the back end of the business, allowing Christiaan and Hannes to focus on Sales and Operations, respectively. It was at this point that Barnard Custom Build was renamed, and Oryx Aluminum was formed.
Their authentic approach to their core competencies, coupled with their deep knowledge of the siding industry and global management experience, soon made them a go-to choice for customers across Canada. They completed small projects in Hamilton, Ontario, before taking on larger projects in many Canadian provinces gaining recognition from industry leaders. Oryx is proud to be called on by the biggest suppliers and contractors in the country to manage siding installations.
As their reputation grew, the team continued to attract skilled and capable workers, forming the backbone of the highly successful team they have today. Oryx Aluminum, a name that pays homage to their South African roots and shared love for the African bush, is home to the iconic Oryx Antelope.
Through their hard work, dedication, and passion, Christiaan, Hannes, and Michael are creating a heartwarming success story that inspires others to follow their dreams and build something great.
Unparalleled in their dedication and commitment to Oryx, our team has completed every one of our projects with our customers satisfied. The complex nature of manufacturing panels from computer software designed to fit an existing building within 1/4″ of accuracy cannot be understated. Thus, it is not uncommon for virtually designed panels to collide with the physical properties of the buildings they are designed for.
When facing this scenario, we pride ourselves on being able to help our clients solve the problem. Most of these cases are resolved on-site with precise manipulation of the siding system after discussing the issue with our customers.
Being able to rely on Oryx Aluminum to get the job done is one of our greatest and proudest attributes.
From humble beginnings, Oryx has grown into a home that we are proud of—a business with sound integrity for both team members and clients. With senior management experience working at large businesses worldwide, I can honestly say this is one of the first companies which put clients and staff’s needs ahead of profit without sacrificing the company’s future. Of course, profit is the driver of most, if not all, decisions in a business. Oryx is not antithetical to this; after all, without profit, our staff cannot be rewarded with growth, and our clients cannot be rewarded with shorter project turnover times completed by highly skilled and motivated staff.
However, integrity has a price. There are many cases when a business reaches a fork in the road where it must choose profit at the cost of its integrity or its integrity at the cost of profit. I am proud that Oryx has chosen the more ethical road every time. Ironically, this value structure has afforded us exponential growth every time it’s been employed.
Even in the case of writing the content of this website, the owners were actively involved to ensure we did not tout ourselves as being ‘the only,’ ‘the best,’ or ‘the most renowned’ installers in Canada. Although it may provide a sense of prominence to the reader, it will almost certainly disregard our competitors. The cost of this cheap marketing trick will be a piece of integrity that could see us sign another client while losing the respect of those we work with and against. This would be too high a price for Oryx to pay in the pursuit of profit. It is because of these systemic values that I encourage candidates to join our team. You will come to learn that at Oryx, you matter. This is also why I encourage prospective clients to test us for a project or two and see what working with Oryx will do for their business.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a dynamic and authentic team. Thank you, Oryx.
– General Manager at Oryx Aluminum
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