Face of Construction: Duffy Baker

When you work hard and make an impact, people notice. 

The story begins when a contractor Duffy Baker was working for went under. At the time, that contractor was working on a project nearing completion and the client who had noticed Duffy’s work ethic, passion for quality building and knowledge, decided to hire Duffy to finish the project — and that’s when Duffy Baker Construction Corp. was born.

This vote of confidence was enough to nudge Duffy in the eventual direction to become Penticton’s Face of Construction. 

Duffy’s combination of skills, work ethic and innovation began to form while he was a young man finding his way in the construction industry. Accepting a position as a teenager, he’s been in love with building ever since. 

“What I love the most is being apart of building people’s dream homes, especially watching their excitement unfold as their dream home starts to become a reality,” said Duffy. 

This commitment to hard work was noticed by Koa Hughes, Duffy’s future wife and business partner. Duffy made a noticeable impact on Koa while he was framing at a job site and she was working for her family’s vinyl decking company.

When they met, Koa saw Duffy needed help with office tasks, and soon Koa was the COO. 

Since they started working together three years ago, the company has grown in all areas. Building upon Duffy’s work-ethic as a stickler for quality and perfection, Duffy Baker Construction has grown in employees, revenue and the number of jobs they can serve at a time while remaining up to Duffy and Koa’s standards of quality.

When they started, Duffy and Koa solely focused on foundations and framing subcontracts. Now, they’re a Licensed Residential Builder with a contracting department, a foundation and framing subcontracting department and a secondary business that focuses on partnerships with developers to build apartments on First Nations Reservations. 

“As a status Ojibway First Nations man, being a part of building on reservations is a meaningful step in my career,” added Duffy.

What makes Duffy stand out as Penticton’s Face of Construction, is that he’s a young entrepreneur whose part of a spousal team that focuses on quality, affordability and community over profit. 

“My goal is to continue serving our community through excellence in service, quality construction and maintaining affordability for clients,” concluded Duffy. 

“I couldn't do this without our team. They’re like family to me; each and every one of them has made an impact. I’d like to give them a positive workplace that continues to flourish because we are all blessed to work in the Okanagan.”