London Inc. June 2022 - 14

Upfront Development
EDGING FORWARD
Focused on projects at the fringes of London, a husband-and-wife development
firm lead with a community-shaping approach
WITH THEIR MOST recent project,
the couple behind Kevlar Development
Group (www.kevlardg.ca) are continuing
to follow one of the rules of good
storytelling: Show, don't tell.
Laura and Kevin Murphy don't just
tell planners, politicians and the public
about their intentions. They show
them by doing it. And those intentions
are to match their developments with
the vibe of the community in which
they're building.
They focus primarily on edge development
- smaller markets around
London and Southwestern Ontario;
their first commercial development
was in Ilderton, for example.
" In tertiary markets, commercial
developments have a larger impact
than they might in a city like London
where there are many others with
similar services, " says Laura, 37, also a
London Inc. 20 Under 40 Class of 2021
recipient. " When we look for a tenant,
we have a sense of OCD or control to
make sure the business does well.
We're passionate about every project. "
The couple had their company name
before they had a company, combining
their names to create Kevlar
when she was at Western and he
was at Fanshawe College. In the last
decade, they've built a family - their
kids are 10, eight and four - and two
companies.
Duncan Harwood Custom Homes
(www.duncanharwood.com) does
precisely what its name suggests,
currently focused on a project in
Dorchester. It operates with the couple's
friend and business partner, Matt
Spence.
Kevlar grew out of their pre-kid
interest in buying and selling residential
properties. " We found a property in
Ilderton that was zoned commercial, "
Laura recalls. " We both had day jobs,
but we wanted to expand what we were
doing and build a commercial plaza. "
Not long after, they left their jobs and
Kevlar became their full-time business
and obsession.
" We're together all day, driving
around and talking about work. We
take the kids with us, " she says. " They
all have hard hats and steel toes.
It's a learning experience for them,
although we sometimes bribe them
with Skittles. "
They have continued to focus on
smaller communities and split their
projects between residential and commercial.
They hold onto some commercial
projects as landlord but sell others.
Perhaps their most visible and ambitious
project is underway in Lambeth,
Laura's childhood community.
The Lambeth Health and Wellness
Kevin and Laura Murphy of Kevlar Development
Group and Duncan Harwood Custom Homes
14 | londonincmagazine.ca | JUNE 2022
http://www.kevlardg.ca http://www.duncanharwood.com http://www.londonincmagazine.ca
London Inc. June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of London Inc. June 2022
