After decades of the same old, the last ten to twenty years have seen the building industry transformed by innovation. Here at Copper Island Fine Homes, we’ve always embraced new construction techniques, standards and products. And that’s why we’re committed to staying abreast of what’s emerging from the building technology pipeline – and what’s coming down it.
This week, our President and CEO, Marcus Picton, travelled to Vancouver to take in BUILDEX Vancouver 2026. BUILDEX Vancouver is Western Canada’s largest construction business to business forum. Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on February 11th and 12th, it brought together more than 8,500 professionals from across the construction, design, and real estate sectors to network, learn, and discover new products and solutions.
“I went to BUILDEX to ensure our company is up to speed on all the latest and greatest products out there, so we can offer our clients the best options on the market today,” says Marcus. “It’s also good to see new trends and discover what is coming down the pipe in the construction industry. It’s just one more way that we’re committed to staying ahead of the pack and learning how we can facilitate very custom elements in our homes.”
He adds that what makes BUILDEX unique is that it’s entirely industry-specific. “Because it’s a very focused trade show, it’s not filled with distractions that you often find at regular home and garden shows. It provides an amazing opportunity to speak directly with company representatives and obtain detailed product and application knowledge.”
What kinds of things caught his eye? For one, he was impressed to find that the majority of the Schluter tile trim line is now being available custom colours and even manufactured with tile-matched patterns. He was also fascinated by a new line of smart power drills than can be programmed with exact drilling angles, along with hole depths, speeds and torques for specific materials. And he was amazed to see a new line of retractable sunrooms.
“Many of our clients are really keen to incorporate innovative technologies in their Shuswap dream homes,” says Marcus. “So to provide them, we have to be knowledgeable about them. BUILDEX Vancouver is definitely an excellent way for us to stay abreast of new trends, and we look forward to attending every year.”
