Carmine Caputo moved from Edmonton to Calgary in 1990. After about a year of working at someone else’s flooring business, he realized that he wanted to be in control of what he did and how he did it.
“I opened up Factor and I never looked back,” says Caputo, owner of the Factor Group of Companies. In 1991, he started his first company, Factor Interiors and Exteriors, out of his basement, providing quality flooring and small renovations.
It wasn’t long before Caputo expanded into other areas of the industry and found his permanent home in Altadore. Factor ventured into office and retail renovations, improvements for landlords and tenants, and through word of mouth the company expanded. As the company’s experience and expertise grew, Caputo created additional companies under the Factor Group umbrella to accommodate the diverse work it could do.Today, five companies operate as part of the group:
- Factor Interiors and Exteriors provides a variety of commercial renovations
- Factor Interiors does home renovations
- Factor Construction focuses on commercial buildings and interiors
- Factor Restoration deals with fire and flood insurance claims
- Design Factor Homes builds high-end custom homes mostly in Kensington, Briar Hill, Elbow Park and Mount Royal.
The most notable Factor-built home is also the most expensive MLS sale in Calgary – a stunning Crescent Heights home situated on the ridge overlooking the city. “We have been effective in both residential and commercial markets,” he says. What has also made Factor effective and successful is Caputo’s attention to detail and refusal to accept anything less than perfection. In a business like custom home design, where client expectations are high, this is critical.The Factor staff helps clients make hundreds of decisions over the course of the 12 to 16 month build, ranging from selecting cabinets and appliances to picking electrical plugs and hinges. It takes commitment, time and effort from clients, but the result is well worth it. Factor gives clients their dream home rather than a variation on an existing floor plan as they would get with other builders.
Caputo is a true custom builder and never builds the same home twice. “Our motto is ‘Imagine. Design. Build.’ We have a blank piece of paper and we can do whatever they want,” Caputo says. “Every project is special and unique. Our passion and pride sets us apart from the others.” Factor takes custom seriously. Each detail is considered so that the house perfectly fits the people building it. These details are put together so the house is stunning as well as functional.
Design Factor Homes strives to ensure that the floor plan flows and the space and style meet the client’s needs. Factor also equips its homes with automation and technology throughout for added security and convenience. In a fast-changing industry, Caputo and his team take knowledge and experience from every project, making the company stronger. After all, Caputo stresses the importance of constantly learning, evolving and improving. With every foray into different markets, the Factor staff worked with larger, more experienced companies and learned all they could from them.
They then use that knowledge to enhance their own policies and practices. Even after 25 years, Caputo continues to search for new ways to do things in order to create an even better product for clients. In this way, the Factor Group has maintained a small-company attitude while delivering big-company results. Regardless of the size of the project, Factor always maintains the highest level of standards. “I tell the staff to build the house or do the project like it’s their own project. Explore all options and make good decisions. If you don’t, I don’t think you’re a true custom homebuilder,” he says.
That creates a connection between Factor and its clients. They foster relationships with clients, trades and other professionals, and many of these relationships have lasted decades. Caputo has made a personal touch part of the culture at the Factor Group. Daily conversations with clients and trades are expected but the relationship isn’t over once the project is complete. Caputo follows up with clients to ensure everyone’s happy and that there is nothing he could do to make it better. It’s no surprise that many clients become friends and return to Factor if they are looking to move or renovate.
Caputo designs and builds homes that are timeless, enduring and beautifully unique. For the past 25 years, he has created a Factor brand of quality, creativity and service and in the next years Factor will continue delivering some of Calgary’s best custom homes and quality projects. With the support of his wife, Connie, and his children, Emma and Adam, the positive attitude and passion for the future looks bright.
“I’m excited for the next 25 years. We love building homes, we love working with people and making their dream home a reality. We also look forward to commercial projects and renovations. I think the coming years are going to be fantastic,” he says.