Crafting a Legacy: How Kevin Hunter is Building Blue Wave Custom Millwork into a Standout Enterprise
In a spacious workshop nestled in Dartmouth’s Burnside Industrial Park, the low hum of saws and the scent of fresh-cut wood form the heartbeat of Blue Wave Custom Millwork—a thriving business that is as much about craftsmanship as it is about reinvention. Founded in August 2024 by Kevin Hunter, Blue Wave has quickly established itself as a sought-after provider of custom millwork in Nova Scotia’s booming commercial and residential markets.
But the journey to launching Blue Wave wasn’t carved from wood—it was born from water. Specifically, the devastating floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey, which in 2017 submerged Kevin's Houston home under three feet of water for over a week. “It was in the renovation process of that house that I figured out that I enjoyed building things and making stuff and, you know, problem solving,” Kevin says. That forced transition became a pivotal turning point.
Originally from Nova Scotia, Kevin had spent 15 years in the U.S. working in the oil and gas sector as a project manager. The disaster and its aftermath sparked a career shift that led him to study solid wood furniture making at a furniture school in Maine. “I studied for three months and then returned as a teaching assistant for another three,” he recalls. That deep dive into craftsmanship laid the foundation for his eventual return to Canada with his wife—and a new vision.
Once back in Nova Scotia, Kevin saw an opportunity. “We found out there was a need for millwork companies that were building interesting things,” he says. It didn’t take long for him to connect with Andrew Winters, a seasoned millwork expert who would become Blue Wave’s production manager. Together, they launched a business focused on high-quality, custom millwork for both commercial and residential clients.
From the outset, Blue Wave hit the ground running. They now serve a variety of clients, from local bars and restaurants to hotels and custom home projects across Halifax, Truro, and Wolfville. The bulk of their work—about 75%—comes from commercial contracts. “We got a lot of traction on the commercial side right off the jump,” Kevin explains, noting the construction boom in the region as a contributing factor.
The rapid success of Blue Wave would not have been possible without early-stage support from CBDC Blue Water in Porters Lake. A Google search led Kevin to the organization after he realized other lenders weren’t a fit for a brand-new business. “CBDC basically provided funding for everything we got,” he says. That included a startup loan to secure shop space and bring Andrew on board, as well as financing for vital equipment when leasing options fell through. “The financing was shockingly quick,” Kevin adds, noting the responsiveness of his CBDC advisor, Annie Gagne.
Today, the Blue Wave team includes five full-time and one part-time staff member. Recruiting skilled millwork carpenters hasn’t been easy. “It’s a challenge; like most trades, the people with skill are aging out and retiring,” Kevin says. To address this, the company is focusing on training younger workers in-house, passing down knowledge from veterans like Andrew.
Despite being in business for less than a year, Blue Wave already boasts a full project pipeline and an expanding reputation. “We’re booked out all the way through the summer,” Kevin says. Building
relationships with commercial contractors has been a key driver of success. “That’s our biggest achievement so far,” he adds.
Kevin's vision for Blue Wave is ambitious yet grounded. He doesn’t necessarily want to scale up the team much more but aims to build “a portfolio of really high-quality, interesting millwork projects.” That includes both commercial work and meaningful residential jobs—like a recent project for a retired couple refitting their home for accessibility. “That process has been really fun,” Kevin says. “As long as it’s something that is interesting, that the customer has a passion about, then I’m happy to be working on it.”
The road hasn’t been without its challenges. The pace of growth has exceeded even Kevin’s expectations. “We’ve vastly exceeded any kind of revenue projection that I had to begin with,” he admits. That’s meant long days and a delicate balancing act between administrative tasks and hands-on work. “Balance is not there yet,” he says with a laugh. “But we’re so busy right now, just trying to meet all of our deadlines.”
Still, Kevin’s satisfaction with the path he’s chosen is evident. From catastrophe to craftsmanship, his story is a testament to the power of resilience, support, and hard-earned skill. And while long-term succession planning is still a ways off, Blue Wave Custom Millwork is clearly built to last.