The Liptak Family
Four Generations of Trust, Innovation, and Community Building — Since 1956
For seventy years, the Liptak Family has played a defining role in shaping Ottawa’s building environment and advancing Canada’s construction, real estate, and technology sectors. What began as a single family trade rooted in European craftsmanship has evolved into a fourth-generation Canadian enterprise operating at the intersection of design-build excellence, real estate investment, land development, and advanced technology.
The Liptak Family’s success is grounded in a simple but enduring principle:
hard work ethic, build with integrity, invest with discipline, and innovate with purpose.
Origins: Craftsmanship as a Foundation
The Liptak story in Canada began in 1954, when John Liptak Sr. immigrated from Germany, bringing with him generations of training in fine furniture making and cabinetry. At a time when post-war Canada was expanding rapidly, his precision, work ethic, and respect for materials quickly set him apart.
In 1956, he founded a cabinetry and home renovation company that emphasized quality over speed and long-term value over short-term gain. That business would later become OakWood Designers & Builders Inc., now one of Canada’s most established and respected design-build firms, with more than 10,700 completed projects across residential, commercial, and multi-family building sectors.
This early commitment to craftsmanship established the cultural DNA that still governs the Liptak Group of companies today.
Second Generation Leadership: Systems, Scale, and Technology
Raised in the business, John Liptak learned construction from the ground up, starting on job sites at age 11. In 1978, he graduated with honours and achieved both Ontario and Inter-Provincial Carpenter certification, becoming one of the youngest licensed carpenters in Canada.
By the 1980s, John recognized that the construction industry’s future depended on systems, data, and technology. Long before digital transformation became a standard phrase, he began integrating computerization into construction management, cost control, and project delivery.
In 1998, he founded UBERbase, an accounting and insolvency software platform that grew to dominate the Canadian market and was later acquired by UK-based Aryza, today used internationally, including by government entities. This success confirmed the family’s ability not only to build companies, but to create, scale, and exit technology platforms.
Today, as President & CEO of the Liptak Group, John oversees strategy across construction, real estate, land development, and technology, ensuring disciplined growth, financial resilience, and long-term stewardship.
The Liptak Group Today: A Vertically Integrated Canadian Platform
The Liptak Group is intentionally structured as an integrated ecosystem, enabling control over design, construction, land, real estate, technology, and investment execution. This model reduces risk, improves predictability, and delivers measurable value to clients, partners, investors, and governments.
Key operating companies include:
- OakWood Designers & Builders Inc. (est. 1956)
A fourth-generation, award-winning design-build firm delivering architectural design, custom homes, renovations & additions, kitchens and custom cabinetry, commercial buildings, and multi-unit income investment properties from two award-winning Ottawa Design Studios. - Navan Realty Inc. (est. 1997)
A real estate holding and development company focused on income-producing assets, development properties, and strategic real estate across the National Capital Region. - Ottawa Land Bank Inc. (est. 2019)
Focused on land acquisition, development pipelines, and long-term rental asset ownership supporting sustainable urban growth. - Home Services Network Inc. (est. 2000)
Specializing in smart-home systems, AI-enabled building controls, IoT integration, and security technologies embedded directly into new builds and renovations. - 123worx (est. 2010)
A fully integrated, AI-enabled construction management platform developed and field-tested by OakWood, now used across North America to manage design, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, and client communication.
Together, these companies create a rare Canadian platform with one foot firmly in construction and the other in technology.
The Next Generation: Governance, Discipline, and Growth
The Liptak Group is now actively led by the next generation, ensuring continuity while modernizing governance, operations, and innovation.
Patricia Liptak-Satov — Chief Operating Officer
With a background in Law and Business, Patricia oversees corporate operations, process discipline, and organizational strategy across the Group. Her leadership focuses on scalable systems, client experience, and operational excellence.
Angela Mallon, CPA, CMA — Vice President, Finance
Angela leads financial strategy, governance, capital management, and risk oversight. Her professional accounting background, combined with lifelong exposure to the family enterprises, ensures fiscal discipline and long-term stability.
The fourth generation is already in training, reinforcing the Group’s commitment to continuity, knowledge transfer, and responsible stewardship.
Looking Forward: Transforming Housing in Canada
The Liptak Family’s most ambitious initiative to date is Nubuild Robotics Inc. A response to Canada’s housing crisis using AI-enabled, Net Zero-ready, volumetric modular manufacturing.
Nubuild’s planned 660,000 sq. ft. Ottawa SuperFactory is designed to produce more than 4,200 homes annually, delivering projects up to 68% faster and 20–25% more affordably than traditional construction, while reducing waste by 96% and construction emissions by over 90%.
This initiative positions the Liptak Group at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, sustainable housing, and national economic resilience, aligning private capital, public priorities, and measurable social impact.
A Legacy Still Being Built
With 70 years of continuous operation, over 10,700 completed projects, strong financial foundations, and a disciplined, technology-enabled operating model, the Liptak Family represents a rare Canadian success story. One defined not by scale alone, but by trust, hard work ethic, innovation, and long-term responsibility.