Zehr

What Zehr does

Zehr Group is a privately held, family-owned real estate development, construction, and property management firm headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, operating since 1978 across Southern Ontario and now extending into the United States via Zehr USA. The company is controlled by the Zehr family, with Don Zehr as Chair, Zac Zehr as Managing Partner, and Colton Zehr among the leadership team. Over its 45+ year history, Zehr has completed more than 300 construction projects and built a portfolio spanning landmark commercial developments (Google Office at Breithaupt Block, CATALYST137), adaptive reuse (the $100 million Huck Glove factory redevelopment), condominium towers (Charlie West, Glove Box, Garment Street Condos, 100 Victoria), townhome communities (Cassel Crossing, Arbour Park), and affordable housing (Knossos Housing Corporation). The firm operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries Zehr Construction and Zehr Management Inc., delivering an integrated stack of services to landowners, developers, brokers, investors, commercial tenants, and residential renters in the Kitchener-Waterloo region.

The company delivers projects across the full real estate lifecycle: development services from concept to completion, construction of commercial, residential, industrial, and historical renovation projects, property management for residential and commercial assets, and rental/leasing operations through its STRIDE branded rental portfolio (STRIDE on Franklin, STRIDE on Union, STRIDE on Ottawa) supplemented by single-family rentals. The core offering is conventional real estate execution — design, planning, build, and operate — with no proprietary software, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or technology platforms disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led, driven by direct project inquiries through the company website, where prospective clients self-identify as land owners, developers, brokers, trade partners, or investors and select service interest across development, construction, rentals, leasing, or property management.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: development services and construction services (both professional services, project-based contracts), property management (managed services with recurring fees), and rental operations (recurring revenue through STRIDE units and single-family rentals). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is project-specific. The customer base is diverse by industry — technology (Miovision, Vidyard, eSentire, Google), education (University of Waterloo, Laurier, Conestoga), logistics (Mammoet), automotive dealers, financial services (BDC, MNP), manufacturing (AirBoss), and culture/fitness — though project-based work means individual contracts can dominate annual revenue. Key strategic partners include Cook Homes (Arbour Park joint development), Knossos Housing Corporation (affordable housing build), and Otis (elevator systems).

Name

Zehr

Legal name

Zehr Group

Website

https://zehrgroup.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zehr Group is a privately held, family-owned real estate development, construction, and property management firm operating since 1978 across Southern Ontario. It serves landowners, developers, investors, and tenants through integrated development, construction, property management, and STRIDE-branded rental services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Development and Construction

NAICS

New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), Real Estate Property Managers (53131), Residential Property Managers (531311)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Operative Builders (1531), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAB)

Keywords

• Real estate development
• Commercial construction services
• Property management
• Residential rentals
• Building contracting

Headquarters

HQ city

St. John's

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Development Services: Real estate development services including visionary community crafting from concept to completion, intelligent planning, market insight, and purposeful design.
2. Construction Services: Building services with precision, expertise, and accountability to bring ambitious projects to life safely, on schedule, and with enduring quality. Includes commercial, residential, and industrial buildings as well as historical renovations.
3. Property Management: Delivering exceptional resident experiences and asset performance through proactive care, responsive service, and community-first operations.
4. Rental Operations: STRIDE on Franklin and STRIDE on Union are upscale rental properties offering 1- and 2-bedroom suites. Additional rental properties listed include single-family homes across Kitchener-Waterloo region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zehr Group is a full-service real estate firm operating in Southern Ontario since 1978, providing integrated development, construction, and property management services. The company crafts communities from concept to completion, executes commercial, residential, and industrial construction projects, and operates upscale rental communities under the STRIDE brand along with leasing services.

Product overview

Zehr Group is a real estate development, construction, and property management company operating in Southern Ontario. The company offers a unified suite of services spanning development (crafting communities from concept to completion), construction (building projects with precision and accountability), and property management (delivering resident experiences and asset performance). Their portfolio includes multiple residential projects under the STRIDE brand (rental communities like STRIDE on Union and STRIDE on Franklin), condominium developments (Garment Street Condos, Charlie West, GloveBox), townhome communities (Cassel Crossing, Arbour Park), and affordable housing projects (Knossos Housing Corporation). They also provide rental and leasing services through their Live With Us and Lease With Us programs. Notable landmark projects include the Google Office at Breithaupt Block and 100 Victoria Towers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zehr Construction: Construction division of Zehr Group
• STRIDE

Products and services

• Development Services Crafting visionary communities from concept to completion, with intelligent planning, market insight, and purposeful design. Targeted at land owners, developers, and investors seeking real estate development partnerships.
• Construction Services Building commercial, residential, and industrial projects as well as historical renovations with precision, expertise, accountability, and enduring quality. Targeted at developers, land owners, and commercial clients seeking general contracting.
• Property Management Delivering resident experiences and asset performance through proactive care, responsive service, and community-first operations. Targeted at property owners and investors requiring ongoing asset management for residential and commercial properties.
• STRIDE Rental Residences Upscale 1- and 2-bedroom rental suites in Kitchener-Waterloo under the STRIDE brand, featuring high-end kitchens with quartz countertops, modern amenities, and proximity to transit and trails. Targeted at individuals and families seeking quality rental housing.
• Leasing Services Commercial and residential leasing services for tenants and property owners. Targeted at businesses seeking commercial space and individuals seeking residential rental properties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 construction projects completed successfully

Named customers21 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cook HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCook Homes partnered with Zehr Management Inc on the Arbour Park project, a development of 76 stacked townhouse homes in North Waterloo.
• Knossos Housing CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZehr Group is the Construction Manager for the Knossos Housing Complex at 206 Duke Street East in Kitchener, an 8-storey affordable housing development with approximately 100 rental units. The project contributes to affordable housing supply in Waterloo Region.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tridel: One of Canada's largest residential developers, primarily focused on the GTA condominium market — overlap with Zehr's higher-density residential condo strategy at substantially larger scale.
• Pemberton Group: GTA-focused condominium and master-planned community developer — comparable residential high-rise/mid-rise developer with project pipeline in Ontario at greater scale.
• Brookfield Residential: North American residential land developer and homebuilder active in Ontario — comparable end-product single-family and multi-family housing at substantially greater scale than Zehr.
• Mattamy Homes: Canada's largest privately owned homebuilder, operating across Ontario — competes directly in Ontario residential land development, single-family, town, and condo construction at national scale.

Direct peers

• Activa Holdings: Waterloo Region-based developer and builder active in residential, commercial, and land development across Southern Ontario — direct geographic and vertical competitor with comparable services.
• Reid's Heritage Homes: Waterloo Region-based homebuilder and developer of single-family homes, towns, and condos — overlaps significantly with Zehr's residential product mix in the same regional market.
• Horizon Homes: Waterloo-area homebuilder focused on single-family homes, townhomes, and design-build projects — comparable small-to-mid residential builder operating in the same Southern Ontario customer base.
• Melloul Blamey: Construction and development firm operating in Kitchener-Waterloo and broader Ontario across residential, commercial, and institutional projects — directly comparable services and geography to Zehr Group.
• Torgan Group: GTA-based developer and builder of high-rise and mid-rise residential projects — comparable vertically integrated Ontario real estate developer with overlap in product type.
• Fernbrook Homes: Ontario-based residential developer and builder of luxury homes and master-planned communities — comparable mid-sized builder/developer with overlap in residential product offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zehrgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zehr-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zehr