Appraisals in the Settling of an Estate or Managing a Trust

In the last edition of our newsletter, we discussed the correlation between commodity prices and construction costs and that during periods of escalating commodity prices property owners can find themselves underinsured as the cost to replace certain types of assets escalate. In periods such as these many property owners question why they should be ensuring their buildings or equipment for a higher value when they are aware that the market value of their property may not have appreciated to the same degree or in some cases may have even declined.

While this is counter intuitive, property owners need to be cognizant of the difference between market value and replacement or insurable value. Market value, as determined by an accredited appraiser, repre-sents the probable price that would be realized for a specified property at a specific point in time, if offered for sale on the open market Generally speaking, market value is arrived at through an analysis and recon-ciliation of the market environment, the investment characteristics of the property, and its depreciated replacement value of the improvements. Reconstruction costs are the basis for determining replacement or insurable values and include an analysis of the labor, materials, equipment and other costs required to reproduce a property (or piece of equipment) of like kind and quality in the same location.

While there has been little research on the relationship between market and replacement values, the graph below produced by Robert Shiller of Yale University charts U.S. home prices against construction costs, population growth and interest rates since 1880. What is evident from this research is that there is little relationship between building costs and housing prices and there have even been periods where the two are negatively correlated. In fact, despite the steep decline in U.S. housing prices over the past couple of years there continues to be a general escalation in building construction costs across the country.

Senior Software Developer IT-AB-18-02

Senior Software Developer, IT-AB-18-02

Headquartered in Saskatoon, Suncorp Valuations is a dynamic, growth-oriented leader in the global valuation industry. Through offices in Canada and the U.S.A., we offer a full range of valuation, consulting and costing services for land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and for intangible assets such as patents, copyrights and franchises.

Utilizing robust research methodologies, valuation consultants develop reports that provide an opinion of value for assessed property and other assets. Clients utilize reports for a variety of requirements including regulatory compliance, financing, litigation support, mergers and acquisitions, purchase price allocation, insurance placement and claims settlement. Risk Management Services assist clients by identifying and mitigating risks such as the potential for accidents, property damage and theft. For further details please refer to our website at suncorpvaluations.com. Suncorp provides employee benefits, transit allowance, along with incentive and RRSP programs.

The Role

The position can be located in our Edmonton office and will be reporting to the Director of IT Services. The Senior Software Developer is pivotal to our software development team. As a technical leader, the Senior Software Developer will work with a small team of developers in our Saskatoon office, to enhance, maintain, and develop software that is critical to sustaining and streamlining business operations.

In this role you will participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle including determining requirements, design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, and support. The Senior Software Developer will work closely with stakeholders to identify requirements and set priorities and deadlines. Along with software development, the incumbent will be responsible for the maintenance and expansion of our reporting systems including client-facing and internal management reports. Supporting the existing and new software post deployment is also a key part of this role.

The Ideal Candidate

Along with the required credentials and impressive technical skills, you are excited about joining a dedicated, passionate team that creates innovative software solutions. You are an accomplished software developer with a deep understanding of developing software in a multi-tiered environment. Although you are able to work independently, you thrive in a team environment and are able to appropriately leverage the knowledge of coworkers to overcome difficult challenges. You enjoy working in an office environment, while collaborating with stakeholders in other offices. You easily manage multiple projects and are naturally focussed on providing internal stakeholders with high quality service. You are forward thinking and resilient when faced with setbacks. On a personal note, you are interested in developing your career through on-going professional development.

The Requirements

  • Post-secondary Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Five to eight years professional software development experience.
  • One year of experience in a related position demonstrating technical leadership.
  • Project management experience in some aspects of the software development lifecycle.
  • Experience designing and developing multi-tiered software applications.
  • Expertise in .NET programming (VB or C#), and TSQL
  • Expertise with ADO.NET in a stateful mode.
  • Experience with Winforms development in Visual Studio
  • Knowledge of MS SQL Server.
  • Experience with source control tools.
  • Knowledge of Crystal Reports or similar report writer.
  • Strong Database skills with understanding of SQL, relational databases, and SQL optimization.
  • Experience in the creation of stored procedures/functions, triggers and other database objects.
  • Understanding of networking protocols and technologies.
  • Proficiency with Windows operating systems and domain environments.
  • This position is restricted to those legally entitled to work in Canada.

The Competencies 

  • A genuine desire to go above and beyond to provide excellence in client service.
  • Proactive, with a desire to drive results and exceed goals.
  • Strong planning, organizational and time management skills.
  • Ability to balance competing priorities between project and non-project work.
  • Strong problem solving skills with ability to analyze and understand data.
  • Detail oriented and organized with robust analytical skills.
  • Self-motivated with solid oral and written communication skills.
  • A strong team player that demonstrates integrity and ownership.
  • Proven experience working in a cross-functional team environment.
  • Capable of writing clear and complete technical and functional specifications.

The Application Process 

Please send an email to address below providing the following information:

In the Subject Line place the competition number, followed by your first and last name.

Email: HR@suncorpvaluations.com
Subject: IT-AB-18-02 First Name Last Name
Deadline: March 5, 2018 (position may be filled prior to deadline date)

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

 

Apply Now

  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
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Wood Dust & Carcinogens – Risk Mitigation Considerations

Over the past several years there has been an increase in inspection activity and updates of dust collection systems for Industrial Arts (“IA”) facilities located in many high schools and middle schools. Exposure to wood dust has long been associated with a variety of adverse health effects, including dermatitis, allergic respiratory effects, mucosal, and non-allergenic respiratory effects.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (“IRAC”) has classified wood dust as a carcinogenic to humans. A study completed in 1965 observed that a large number of furniture workers and other wood workers exposed to wood dust in England developed a rare form of nasal cancer (Adenocarcinoma).

Wood dust & Carcinogens - Feature

Controlling exposure

All safety programs should have policies and procedures, as well as references to documentation such as local Occupational, Health & Safety Act’s and Regulation’s. Safety programs should include an ongoing risk analysis system, which accumulates information progressively, noting potential risky and hazardous operations with specific plans in place to mitigate potential injury and property loss.

Basic Safety – Reducing exposures to wood dust

  • Standard ventilation (dust-control systems) should be provided.
  • Dust-control systems should be cleaned, inspected, and maintained on a regular basis.
  • Filter masks should be worn.
  • Eye and face protection should always be provided.
  • Type of wood (species) should be investigated before use to ensure it is safe to use in a school environment.

Stay informed. Many changes take place on a regular basis relative to safety equipment, dust mitigation practices and identified health concerns. Talk to risk management professionals – people in your industry and various other organizations. Suncorp Valuations has experienced personnel that can assist with Loss Control inspection and implementation.

About Suncorp Valuations

Suncorp Valuations is a leading provider of independent valuation, appraisal, and advisory services. Suncorp’s valuations and appraisals have been relied upon by leading insurance companies, public and private companies, property owners and managers, tax authorities, accounting bodies, courts, municipalities and financial institutions from all over the world.

Our valuation and appraisal staff consist of professionals that are highly accredited in the fields of engineering, real estate and equipment appraisal, business valuation, risk management and loss control. Our multi-disciplinary, multi-regional and multilingual staff take an interactive team approach and have been involved in some of the most complex valuation assignments across the globe.

For questions or comments, or to be added or removed from this distribution list please Contact Us.

How can we help you?

Appraisal Services

  • Insurance Placement
  • Financial Reporting
  • Financing
  • Mergers/Acquisitions
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Corporate Planning
  • Litigation
  • Post Loss Damage Qualification

Advisory Services

  • Loss Control Surveys
  • Implementation and Administration of Property Record Systems
  • Reserve Fund Studies

IT Support Technician IT-SK-18-01

IT Support Technician

Headquartered in Saskatoon, Suncorp Valuations is a dynamic, growth-oriented leader in the global valuation industry. Through offices in Canada and the U.S.A., we offer a full range of valuation, consulting and costing services for land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and for intangible assets such as patents, copyrights and franchises.

Utilizing robust research methodologies, valuation consultants develop reports that provide an opinion of value for assessed property and other assets. Clients utilize reports for a variety of requirements including regulatory compliance, financing, litigation support, mergers and acquisitions, purchase price allocation, insurance placement and claims settlement. Risk Management Services assist clients by identifying and mitigating risks such as the potential for accidents, property damage and theft. For further details please refer to our website at suncorpvaluations.com. Suncorp provides great employee benefits, a transit allowance, along with incentive and RRSP programs.

The focus of the IT Support Technician role is to monitor and maintain computer systems, networks and infrastructure and provide outstanding levels of support, both remote and on-site, to business partners.  Other responsibilities include diagnosing hardware, software, network, printing and virtualization problems, and fixing or escalating technical issues within a pre-defined tiered support system.

The incumbent will get a chance to participate in IT project work, set up new hardware, including laptops, servers, firewalls and network routers.  This is a highly technical role with an opportunity to interact with all levels of technology and IT deployment including custom software.  A critical aspect of this role is to create and maintain operational, configuration, technical and procedural documentation.

The Ideal Candidate: 

Along with the required credentials you excel at problem solving and analysis.  Although you are able to work independently, you enjoy leveraging the knowledge of coworkers and working in a collaborative environment.  You easily manage a number of projects and are naturally focused on providing high levels of client service.  On a personal note you are interested in developing your career through participation in internal and external professional development and enjoy a role that provides a broad range of technical challenges.  You enjoy inquiry and have the ability to gather and analyze data, make valid conclusions and formulate appropriate recommendations.

Requirements:   

  • Graduation from a recognized post-secondary technical institution with a Computer Systems Technology or similar diploma.
  • Microsoft, Citrix, or VMWare certifications or experience an asset.

Role Competencies:   

  • Provide excellent internal client support.
  • Problem solving and resourceful.
  • Coach users on better understanding the systems and tools.
  • Develop effective tools to support the users.
  • Professionalism when dealing with challenging situations.
  • Plan and manage workload effectively.
  • Friendly, genuine and high level of customer focus.
  • Solid listening, verbal and written communication skills.

Application Process: 

  • This position may be eligible for funding through a Youth initiative program and other criteria will need to be met.
  • Email your resume and cover letter to HR@suncorpvaluations.com.
  • In the Subject Line place the competition number – IT-SK-18-01, then your first and last name.
  • Deadline to apply is midnight on February 5, 2018.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Apply Now

  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
  • File types permitted for upload are: doc, docx, txt, rtf, pdf

Junior Software Developer IT-SK-17-04

Junior Software Developer (Temporary Position)

The Company

Headquartered in Saskatoon, Suncorp Valuations is a dynamic growth-oriented leader in the global valuation industry.  Through offices in Canada and the U.S.A, we offer a full range of valuation, consulting and costing services for land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and for intangible assets such as patents, copyrights and franchises.

Utilizing robust research methodologies, valuation consultants develop reports that provide an opinion of value for assessed property and other assets.  Clients utilize reports for a variety of requirements including regulatory compliance, financing, litigation support, mergers and acquisitions, purchase price allocation, insurance placement and claims settlement.

Risk Management Services assist clients by identifying and mitigating risks such as the potential for accidents, property damage and theft.  For further details please refer to our website at suncorpvaluations.com.  Suncorp provides employee benefits, transit allowance, along with Short Term Incentive and RRSP programs.

The Role

Reporting to the Director of IT Services, the Junior Software Developer (JSD) is pivotal to the expansion of our software development team.  The Junior Software Developer will work with a small team of developers to enhance, maintain, and develop software that is critical to sustaining and streamlining business operations.

The role is interesting and provides the opportunity to participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle including determination of requirements, design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, and support.  The incumbent works closely with stakeholders to identify requirements and with the development team to set priorities and deadlines.  Along with software development the JSD will be responsible for the maintenance and expansion of our reporting systems including both client facing and internal management reports.  Supporting the existing and new software post deployment is also a key part of this role.

The Ideal Candidate

Along with the required credentials and impressive technical skills, you are excited about joining a dedicated, passionate team that creates innovative software solutions.  You bring a solid understanding of developing software in a multi-tiered environment to the role.  Although you are able to work independently, you thrive in a team environment and are able to appropriately leverage the knowledge of coworkers to overcome difficult challenges.  You enjoy working in a small office, while collaborating with stakeholders in other offices.  You easily manage multiple priorities and are naturally focussed on providing internal stakeholders with high quality service.  You are forward thinking and resilient when faced with setbacks.  On a personal note you are interested in developing your career through on-going professional development.

The Requirements

  • Post-secondary Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Experience in software design and development is an asset.
  • Experience with VB.NET, TSQL is preferred.
  • Familiarity with Crystal Reports, SSRS, or similar report writer.
  • Understanding of SQL, relational databases, and database administration.
  • Understanding of networking protocols and technologies.
  • Proficiency with Windows operating systems and domain environments.
  • This position may be eligible for funding through a Youth initiative and there will be other requirements that will need to be met as part of this program. 

The Competencies 

  • A genuine desire to go above and beyond to provide excellence in client service.
  • Proactive, with a desire to drive results and exceed goals.
  • Strong planning, organizational and time management skills.
  • Ability to balance competing priorities between project and non-project work.
  • Strong problem solving skills with ability to analyze and understand data.
  • Detail oriented and organized with strong analytical skills.
  • Self-motivated with strong oral and written communication skills.
  • A strong team player that demonstrates integrity and ownership.
  • Proven experience working in a cross-functional team environment.
  • Capable of writing clear and complete technical and functional specifications.

The Application Process 

Please send an email to address below providing the following information:

In the Subject Line place the competition number, followed by your first and last name.

Email: HR@suncorpvaluations.com
Subject: IT-SK-17-04 First Name Last Name
Deadline: February 5, 2018 (position may be filled prior to deadline date)

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

 

Apply Now

  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
  • File types permitted for upload are: doc, docx, txt, rtf, pdf

Senior Software Developer IT-SK-17-03

Senior Software Developer, IT-SK-17-03

Headquartered in Saskatoon, Suncorp Valuations is a dynamic, growth-oriented leader in the global valuation industry. Through offices in Canada and the U.S.A., we offer a full range of valuation, consulting and costing services for land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and for intangible assets such as patents, copyrights and franchises.

Utilizing robust research methodologies, valuation consultants develop reports that provide an opinion of value for assessed property and other assets. Clients utilize reports for a variety of requirements including regulatory compliance, financing, litigation support, mergers and acquisitions, purchase price allocation, insurance placement and claims settlement. Risk Management Services assist clients by identifying and mitigating risks such as the potential for accidents, property damage and theft. For further details please refer to our website at suncorpvaluations.com. Suncorp provides employee benefits, transit allowance, along with incentive and RRSP programs.

The Role

Reporting to the Director of IT Services, the Senior Software Developer is pivotal to our software development team. As a technical leader, the Senior Software Developer will work with a small team of developers in our Saskatoon office, to enhance, maintain, and develop software that is critical to sustaining and streamlining business operations.

In this role you will participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle including determining requirements, design, development, testing, deployment, maintenance, and support. The Senior Software Developer will work closely with stakeholders to identify requirements and set priorities and deadlines. Along with software development, the incumbent will be responsible for the maintenance and expansion of our reporting systems including client-facing and internal management reports. Supporting the existing and new software post deployment is also a key part of this role.

The Ideal Candidate

Along with the required credentials and impressive technical skills, you are excited about joining a dedicated, passionate team that creates innovative software solutions. You are an accomplished software developer with a deep understanding of developing software in a multi-tiered environment. Although you are able to work independently, you thrive in a team environment and are able to appropriately leverage the knowledge of coworkers to overcome difficult challenges. You enjoy working in an office environment, while collaborating with stakeholders in other offices. You easily manage multiple projects and are naturally focussed on providing internal stakeholders with high quality service. You are forward thinking and resilient when faced with setbacks. On a personal note, you are interested in developing your career through on-going professional development.

The Requirements

  • Post-secondary Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Five to eight years professional software development experience.
  • One year of experience in a related position demonstrating technical leadership.
  • Project management experience in some aspects of the software development lifecycle.
  • Experience designing and developing multi-tiered software applications.
  • Expertise in .NET programming (VB or C#), and TSQL
  • Expertise with ADO.NET in a stateful mode.
  • Experience with Winforms development in Visual Studio
  • Knowledge of MS SQL Server.
  • Experience with source control tools.
  • Knowledge of Crystal Reports or similar report writer.
  • Strong Database skills with understanding of SQL, relational databases, and SQL optimization.
  • Experience in the creation of stored procedures/functions, triggers and other database objects.
  • Understanding of networking protocols and technologies.
  • Proficiency with Windows operating systems and domain environments.
  • This position is restricted to those legally entitled to work in Canada.

The Competencies 

  • A genuine desire to go above and beyond to provide excellence in client service.
  • Proactive, with a desire to drive results and exceed goals.
  • Strong planning, organizational and time management skills.
  • Ability to balance competing priorities between project and non-project work.
  • Strong problem solving skills with ability to analyze and understand data.
  • Detail oriented and organized with robust analytical skills.
  • Self-motivated with solid oral and written communication skills.
  • A strong team player that demonstrates integrity and ownership.
  • Proven experience working in a cross-functional team environment.
  • Capable of writing clear and complete technical and functional specifications.

The Application Process 

Please send an email to address below providing the following information:

In the Subject Line place the competition number, followed by your first and last name.

Email: HR@suncorpvaluations.com
Subject: IT-SK-17-03 First Name Last Name
Deadline: March 5, 2018 (position may be filled prior to deadline date)

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

 

Apply Now

  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
  • Max. file size: 128 MB.
  • File types permitted for upload are: doc, docx, txt, rtf, pdf