Tops to Floors
For David Arsenault, entrepreneurship has always been in the blueprint. From a young age, he was no stranger to hard work - whether it was pumping gas at a local Irving station, as a 12-year-old construction labourer helping his father in his family's construction business, or refurbishing condos with friends during university. By the time he graduated with a business degree from UPEI and worked in finance at Veterans Affairs, David had already developed the hands-on experience and business acumen that would later fuel his success.
Tops to Floors wasn’t his first venture. In fact, it was a strategic move in his broader vision of a vertically integrated business model. Already developing real estate properties, David often found himself outsourcing key elements like flooring and countertops. In 2020, he seized the opportunity to acquire Tops to Floors - an already established business with over two decades of reputation behind it - to gain more end-to-end control over his projects.
What David found was more than just a business. He found a very strong team. “When we acquired Tops to Floors, most of the staff and management team stayed with us,” he says proudly. “We’ve focused on internal growth and staff elevation. Having great and capable people around - that’s how we’ve been able to succeed.”
The road wasn't without challenges, however. Just six weeks after the purchase closed in January 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a complete shutdown. Staff were sent home, and uncertainty loomed. But once the construction industry was officially deemed an essential service, the team adapted. Team members were brought back to work under strict conditions, and unexpectedly, business boomed. With people spending more time at home during lockdowns, demand for home improvement projects skyrocketed.
On any given day, Tops to Floors manages over a dozen different projects, working with a wide range of clients - each project can be as unique as the next. Additionally, with the recent acquisition of an HVAC company and the new Summerside Timbermart, the vertical integration of David and his team continue to grow. Whether it’s a quick install, a full house renovation, or a new 75-unit apartment building, David emphasizes the importance of his team in delivering quality. “Working with good people every day makes a job feel less like a ‘job’,” he says, noting team events like their annual Christmas parties as memorable highlights.
CBDC has played a key role in supporting David’s growth. When the opportunity came to expand into a new facility on Granville Street in Summerside, CBDC stepped in to fund a portion of the build. This funding allowed Tops to Floors to double production capacity and hire more staff - helping to meet increasing demand and build a larger sales pipeline. “CBDC is easy to navigate. The funding is accessible, and the staff involved help to make the process easier for entrepreneurs,” David says.
Looking ahead, David remains focused on sustainable growth. He aims to continue elevating the talent within his team, expand into more projects, and stay ahead of technological trends - including leveraging AI in ways that support both operations and staff development. When asked how CBDC could continue to support Tops to Floors, David’s response was clear: “Keep doing what you’re doing with marketing and increasing client exposure - it’s a great initiative and very helpful.”