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NTR A C & THE TORS L AW PG. 70

TOP CONTRACTORS INNOVATE THEIR WAY TO SUCCESS PG. 23

ASPHALT

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ITâ€™S ABOUT TIME

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PG. 68

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To learn more about how Freightliner Trucks are working hard for Tex-Mix, visit FreightlinerTrucks.com/Tex-Mix.

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2016-04-04 16-06-0711:38 9:35AM AM 3/30/16 6:43 AM

VOLUME 61, NO.3 / JUNE 2016

COVER STORY 23 TOP CONTRACTORS 2015 Our annual survey of Canada’s largest construction firms.

28 INNOVATION CONVERSATION

HEATS UP

Execs from leading construction contractors discuss how their firms are innovating to stay ahead of the competition.

38 TOP CONTRACTORS UNDER

50 EMPLOYEES

GEN-PRO reported annual revenue of $15M in 2015, making them On-Site’s Top Contractor under 50 employees.

DEPARTMENTS 7 Comment

The perfect fit

10 News Industry news

20 Construction Stats The latest news on construction activity and construction employment

COLUMNS 68 Risk

The human captial contraction and investing in R&D.

70 Contractors and the Law Complying with terms of tender

Index of Advertisers

Carleton University and the Ministry of Transportation join forces to test the Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller, a new asphalt compactor that improves the longevity and reliance of pavement.

The construction sector has been a late adopter of technology, but time tracking may be the app that changes all that.

Contractors can generate better construction leads with these three types of website content.

COMPACTOR ON CAMPUS

IT’S ABOUT TIME

WEBSITE TIPS FOR CONTRACTORS

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FREDDY DODGE HAS GRAVEL IN HIS BOOTS AND DELO IN HIS EXCAVATOR. ®

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Chevron Products are available from the following locations:

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CATALYS LUBRICANTS 7483 Progress Way Delta BC V4G 1E7 Toll Free: 1 (855) 946-4226 catalyslubricants.ca

NORTHERN METALIC SALES (GP) 9708-108 St. Grande Prairie AB T8V 4E2 Tel: (780) 539-9555 northernmetalic.com

HUSKY ENERGY CORPORATION 707-8th Ave. S.W. Calgary AB T2P 1H5 Tel: (403) 298-6709 huskyenergy.ca

UFA 4838 Richard Rd. S.W. Suite 700 Calgary AB T3E 6L1 Tel: (403) 570-4306 ufa.com

CHRIS PAGE & ASSOCIATES LTD 14435-124 Ave. Edmonton AB T5L 3B2 Tel: (780) 451-4373 chrispage.ca

RED-L DISTRIBUTORS LTD 9727-47 Ave. Edmonton AB T6E 5M7 Tel: (780) 437-2630 redl.com

49 NORTH LUBRICANTS 1429 Mountain Ave., Unit 2 Winnipeg MB R2X 2Y9 Tel: (204) 694-9100 Fax: (204) 775-0475 49northlubricants.com

CASE ’N DRUM OIL INC 3462 White Oak Road London ON N6E 2Z9 Toll Free: 1 (800) 265-7642 www.cndoil.ca

TRANSIT LUBRICANTS LTD 5 Hill St. Kitchener ON N2G 3X4 Tel: (519) 579-5330 transitpetroleum.com

R. P. OIL LTD 1111 Burns St. East Unit 3 Whitby ON L1N 6A6 Tel: (905) 666-2313 rpoil.com

CREVIER LUBRIFIANTS 2320, Rue de la Métropole Longueuil (QC) J4G 1E6 Tél : (450) 679-8866 crevier.ca

NORTH ATLANTIC REFINING LTD 29 Pippy Place St. John’s NL A1B 3X2 Tel: (709) 570-5624 northatlantic.ca

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COMMENT

The right fit

Get the latest construction news! Follow us on Twitter @OnSiteMag

fter months of poring over survey results and talking to construction leaders, we have uncovered exactly what it takes to be one of Canada’s Top Contractors. The answer, as always, is great people. Innovative business strategies, technologies, materials and partnerships are key, but they mean very little if not managed by passionate, engaged, and happy leaders. Happy might seem like an odd descriptor to throw in the mix, but indeed happy workers=productive workers. Before you run off to Disneyland on a recruiting spree, consider the results of Hays Canada’s “Fit Report”, the comprehensive workforce study reveals that 47 per cent of Canadian professionals are unhappy in their current job. A majority (86 per cent) of employee respondents from multiple regions and industries believe their “fit” with a company and its people is essential to contentment and success; however, when considering a new job, fit invariably takes a back seat to money. Hays experts believe the tendency to disregard the importance of workplace culture has brought about costly retention issues, counter-productive attitudes about work and widespread levels of unhappiness that likely extend into people’s personal lives. So, how does this relate to our Top Contractors? Well, it turns out construction workers were one of the exceptions in this report, with more than half of them reporting that they feel somewhat to very happy. “This correlates with the fact that two-thirds of construction professionals say they are somewhat or very much a fit in their current working environment,” explains Rowan O’Grady, president, Hays Canada. “Construction professionals are more

likely to be a ‘fit’ in their organizations, and they are more likely to be happy in their current roles.” Construction is known for teamwork, comradery and collaboration, as well as a less corporate environment, so construction workers are more likely to have social commonalities and be part of like-minded teams. The construction industry is one of the strongest sectors in Canada, with most cities still seeing high activity and continued growth. “When we talk to construction professionals, they tell us they’re optimistic about their career options thanks to a stable or growing industry, variety of projects, and good earning potential,” adds O’Grady. There’s no doubt that experience and certifications are key when hiring new recruits, but don’t be dazzled by those qualifications and underestimate the importance of fit. If your employees feel like they are part of a team, are confident about the role they have to play in both the short and long-term, they will be happier and more productive. A win-win for everyone.

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CONTRIBUTORS

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE JIM BARNES / Contributing editor, On-Site On Top Contractors: “It’s no secret that Canada’s construction industry has been taking a beating for lagging in innovation. Major global studies have flagged the country as an innovation laggard, and the construction sector has been further singled out as underperforming even those weak national statistics.”

DAVID BOWCOTT / Senior vice-president, national director large/strategic accounts, construction and infrastructure services, Aon On innovation: “When we think of R&D within the construction sector, we think of investment in solutions related to design or project management... Though there will be many dollars spent, and many solutions developed, from vital sectors of the construction economy, we can’t forget that the foundation of this industry is its people.”

NATE HENDLEY / Freelance writer & author On new asphalt compacting technology: “The Ontario Ministry of Transportation is wrapping up a research study that began two years ago to test the performance of a cutting-edge asphalt compactor called the Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller (AMIR). AMIR is the brainchild of a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carleton University.”

www.on-sitemag.com / Fax: 416-510-5140

PUBLISHER | Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 PLeonard@on-sitemag.com EDITOR/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | Corinne Lynds (416) 510-6821 CLynds@on-sitemag.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | James A. Barnes MEDIA DESIGNER | Lisa Zambri lzambri@annexbizmedia.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | David Skene (416) 510-6884 DSkene@on-sitemag.com SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR | Kim Rossiter (416) 510-6794 KRossiter@on-sitemag.com ACCOUNT COORDINATOR | Cheryl Fisher (416) 510-5194 CFisher@annexbizmedia.com CIRCULATION MANAGER | Urszula Grzyb 416-442-5600 x3537 ugrzyb@annexbizmedia.com Vice President | Tim Dimopoulos (416) 510-5100 tdimopoulos@annexbizmedia.com President & CEO Mike Fredericks Established in 1957, On-Site is published by Annex Business Media 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065710 ISSN: 1910-118X Printed in Canada Circulation email: apotal@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 416-442-5600 ext 3258 Fax: 416-510-5170 Mail: 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON M3B 2S9 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada $81.00 per year, Outside Canada US$139.00 per year, Single Copy Canada $13.00. On-Site is published 7 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. Occasionally, On-Site will mail information on behalf of industryrelated groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. Annex Privacy Officer privacy@annexbizmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374

JACOB STOLLER / Principal, StollerStrategies

On time tracking: Hourly wages constitute the largest expense category for most contractors. Yet the amount paid is determined, in most cases, by a source that is scientifically proven to be highly unreliable — human memory.”

On-Site receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. On-Site, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort.

DIRK LAUDAN / Borden Ladner Gerbais LLP On substantial compliance: “A ‘discretion clause’ in terms of tender can give the owner the discretion to overlook technical non-compliance by bids, and allow them to accept bids unless they are materially or substantially non-compliant.

DISCLAIMER This publication is for informational purposes only The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

MEMBER OF

Canadian Construction Association

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Kelly Johnston, FireSmart Canada

INDUSTRY>NEWS Economic impacts of the Fort McMurray wildfires The Conference Board of Canada assessed the impact of the Fort McMurray wildfires on the economies of Alberta and Canada, and estimates the impact to overall GDP in Alberta will be slightly negative for 2016 as a whole, but will hardly be noticeable at the national level. “The true cost of this tragedy is the effect on people’s lives and livelihoods, the loss of homes and personal items,” said Pedro Antunes, deputy chief economist, The Conference Board of Canada. “The lost assets will be rebuilt—generating additional economic activity. However, this does not suggest in any way that Albertans or Canadians are better off. In fact, the funds put towards replacing lost capital will leave the provincial and federal governments with more debt, and the insurance industry with the challenge of absorbing what will most likely prove to be the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history.” The shutdown of activity in Fort McMurray and in the oil sands will have a major impact on the local economy in the short term. However, at the provincial level, much of the economic activity lost in the city of Fort McMurray will likely accrue elsewhere. Families that have temporarily moved to other areas, mostly within Alberta, will

need to spend on food, accommodations, and other services. Oil sands production will be lost for some weeks, but how large an effect will depend on the length of the shutdown. The Conference Board assumes most facilities will be up and running by mid-to-late May and that lost oil production will average about 1.2 million barrels per day for 14 days. This would translate into roughly $985 million in lost real GDP—or 0.33 per cent out of Alberta’s GDP in 2016 and only 0.06 per cent out of Canada’s GDP. However, there are other mitigating effects; the sheer size of the firefighting, emergency and cleanup effort will generate plenty of economic activity. Insurance companies have been quick to mobilize staff and services to assess damage, provide assistance, and issue emergency cheques. Households are also getting emergency funding from the Red Cross, while the Alberta government is disbursing $1,250 per adult and $500 per dependent to evacuated households. These funds, totaling around $160 million, will be spent to meet the immediate needs of evacuated households. These efforts will help bolster real economic activity in the province. Overall, the net effect on the provincial economy is expected to be relatively minor,

taking about one percentage point out of real GDP growth in Alberta in the second quarter. While this is significant, it will be temporary, as real GDP growth would be boosted by a similar amount once oil sands production ramps back up. Rebuilding efforts to add $1.3B Beyond 2016, the rebuilding effort is estimated to add roughly $1.3 billion in real GDP to Alberta’s economy in 2017—adding 0.4 per cent to overall provincial growth. Construction activity in Fort McMurray, will likely return to its peak year levels as residential and other infrastructure is rebuilt. Early estimates suggest in Fort McMurray, 2,400 buildings were damaged or destroyed, including 1,600 private dwellings that were completely destroyed. Most of Fort McMurray’s public buildings were saved from the fire but the city will require additional sums to repair and rebuild roads and other infrastructure. Construction will likely remain elevated in 2018 and perhaps 2019 as rebuilding is completed. Note: It is important to note GDP measures economic activity that generates income through wages, profits, or the use of capital. GDP does not directly measure the losses to wealth or assets, such as homes or vehicles. Nor does it measure the direct hit to infrastructure or private capital.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Ledcor employees manned a mobile fuel station to ensure those evacuating had enough fuel to make the jouney.

Ledcor employees step up in Fort McMurray’s time of need Ledcor employees showed their true spirit last month, donating time, money, labour, and professional skills to those impacted by the Fort McMurray wildfires. “Our hearts are with the families of Fort McMurray. The outpouring of our employee’s concern and offers to help has been

truly amazing,” said Tom Lassu, president, Ledcor Industries Inc. “Our Ledcor family has rallied in an unprecedented way, with acts of care and kindness in support of those affected.” Through an employee donation matching program, Ledcor is contributing financial support towards the relief efforts of the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and Alberta

Bird donates $50,000 in support of wildfires The devastating wildfires that swept through Fort McMurray and the surrounding area touched the Bird family deeply. “While countless homes and businesses have been lost or damaged, including our Parson’s Creek School project and the homes of some of our own workers, all Bird and Nason employees are safe and accounted for,” said the company in a release last month. In order to encourage a coordinated relief response, the Alberta Government and the Government of Canada are matching all donations to the Canadian Red Cross. Accordingly, Bird is making an initial donation of $50,000, and as part of its own matching program for employees, Bird will match all donations exceeding its initial donation. “Fort McMurray has long been a part of our company’s success story. While the devastation to property and neighbourhoods will be severe and the impact on people’s lives incalculable, we remain thankful and amazed that due to the efforts of so many individuals, agencies, governments, organizations and companies, the loss of human life has not been the story of this tragic event,” stated the company.

Food Banks. Over $50,000 was raised within the first 24 hours of the launch of Ledcor’s Fort McMurray Wildfire corporate and employee campaign. In addition to financial aid, Ledcor’s outreach included working with local authorities to arrange convoys (both via road and air) with supplies deployed to areas in need. Two pallets of water bottles, 750 gallons of fuel, and 3,000 power bars were distributed to travelers heading south from the flames. In partnership with Alberta Transportation, Ledcor employees also manned a mobile fuel station at kilometer 186 on Highway 63 to ensure those evacuating had enough fuel to make the journey. Ledcor’s subsidiary, Summit Air, helped fly affected people out of the region while Summit Helicopters assisted with firefighting efforts in the region.

Brandt and John Deere join forces to support recovery efforts The Brandt Group of Companies and the John Deere Foundation joined forces to contribute $150,000 to the Canadian Red Cross disaster relief fund to assist in efforts to meet the immediate needs of the people in northern Alberta affected by last month’s devastating wildfires. “We felt that it was critically important for us to move quickly,” says Brandt president, Shaun Semple. “Brandt and John Deere have always shared a strong long-term commitment to the communities that we serve. This donation is just one of the ways in which we plan to work together to assist victims of the Fort McMurray fire, including many of our own employees, to return to their community and rebuild their lives.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Alberta government shelves public-private construction contracts Canada’s P3 experts are up in arms after Alberta’s Minister of Infrastructure announced the NDP government won’t launch any new public private partnerships pending a decision by executive council on their continued use. Brian Mason, who is also Minister of Transportaion, explained he wasn’t declaring a moratorium on P3s, but he planned to stick to the traditional methods of funding as he launches a five-year $34-billion capital construction plan. “I think there are real questions about the overall benefit that is received by P3s,” Mason said in an interview with local media. “Certainly, the design-build and operate model is not something I want to proceed with at the present time.” Mason directed an internal review of the use of the partnership arrangements last fall. The resulting report is still being considered by the policy co-ordination office of executive council in the premier’s office. “I thought it was a very thorough, valuable review and it explored both positive elements and negative elements of P3s,” he said. “I have decided, as minister of infrastructure and transportation, that we’re not going to be proceeding with P3s, in the

Canada, the model has evolved over the past 20 years to a point where it is viewed as a best-practices standard around the world. “We are encouraged to hear Alberta Premier Notley has not given up entirely on public-private partnerships. In fact, we would agree with her when she says governments ‘have an obligation to review all types of alternative financing arrangements’ to address infrastructure needs. We are concerned, however, that the premier may not have been well briefed on the full benefits of the The Valley Line LRT P3 project in Edmonton P3 approach,” said Mark Romoff, came in $500 million under budget. president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships in a statement responding to Alberta’s meantime, until a final decision has been ban on P3s. made.” “We are disappointed to hear that He said it was unlikely he would release Minister Mason has declared a moratorium the report publicly because it draws heavily on future P3 projects in Alberta. Unfortuupon confidential Treasury Board and cabinately, we are not in a position to comment net discussions. on the specifics of the decision because he Government will continue with several has chosen not to release details of the P3 P3s approved by the previous Progressive review he requested. It is equally difficult Conservative government, including ring for us to say whether the findings are thorroad projects in Calgary and Edmonton. ough or valuable since it’s not clear that the The NDP slashed funding to its straP3 industry was consulted in the course of tegic partnership office, which assess and the internal review. manages P3 projects, by nearly 50 per cent “We do know there have been 20 P3 in the April budget, and allocated no fundprojects to date in Alberta; each one was ing for the office in its ministry plans for approved and then proceeded with the 2017 and 2018. full knowledge that they demonstrated According to Ministry staff, the office value for money and transferred significant was integrated with the corporate strategies financial risks from taxpayers to private and services division for savings next year sector partners. The most recent example amounting to $325,000. is the winning bid for the Valley Line LRT Premier Rachel Notley called it “a reorin Edmonton, which came in $500 million ganization,” and not the end of P3s. under budget.” “Often P3s are a process which reduce The CCPPP performed an independent cost at the front end and increase costs down economic assessment of Canadian P3s the road and are more expensive to taxpayover a 10-year period, and has determined ers,” she told reporters. “But that being said, the projects saved governments nearly $10 we have an obligation to review all types of billion, generated $7.5 billion in taxes and alternative financing arrangements to ensure $32 billion in income for workers. They that we’re getting the best deal, both shorthave created more than half a million jobs term and long-term, for tax payers.” and contributed $48.2 billion to GDP. See Alberta’s ban on P3s has raised the report here: (http://www.pppcouncil.ca/ eyebrows. With more than 230 infraweb/pdf/eco-impact-of-p3-report.pdf) With files from the Calgary Herald structure projects procured to date across

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OnSite_

When the other contractors saw the power of that excavator, their jaws dropped to the floor. Powerful productivity.

That’s our Ex Factor. – Glenn Korner, owner, Midstate Site Development

Midstate Site Development owner Glenn Korner says having Volvo on the job won them a school job by allowing them to propose a slide rail system. It required a machine powerful enough to drive the slide rail system into the ground. It saved the customer $250,000 — and got Midstate in, out, and on to the next job in just two months. Find tips to get the most from your excavator at volvoce.com/ExFactor.

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INDUSTRY NEWS Maternity Assistance strategy necessary to support women in construction OTTAWA – Canada’s Building Trades Unions & Build Together, Women of the Building Trades support Bill C-243, an Act respecting the development of a national maternity assistance program strategy and amending the Employment Insurance Act (maternity benefits) by MP Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands). We see increasing the agility of maternity benefits for women in the skilled trades as a key piece in a strategy that creates a skilled workforce that reflects the whole of Canada. Lindsay Amundsen, director of programming and operations for Build Together, noted, “any workforce that seeks to include women as part of the employable population has to determine how best to manage maternity leave and the needs of families.” She went on to say, “as a society that values diversity and parity, programs

that make maternity leave more accessible are one tactic to ensure women and men have equal opportunities available to them.” Arlene Dunn, deputy director at Canada’s Building Trades Unions, pointed out that, “pregnant women in the skilled trades require the option and flexibility on when to begin their maternity benefits in circumstances where the health of the mother or child would be threatened by the work environment.” This bill will allow women to consult with their doctor and identify when it is in the best interest of the mother and unborn child to begin maternity benefits, and will mitigate the financial hardship women are faced with as a result of pre and postpartum care. The next step is to address the issue of maternity leave for women who are in workplace training. Women should have the opportunity to complete in-school training

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the same year as giving birth without being unduly penalized financially. The National Maternity Assistance program, as outlined in this Bill, eliminates barriers for women considering a career in the skilled trades. A national strategy would serve to address the many issues of pregnancy and maternity benefits related to these occupations.

Construction is complete on Mississauga Gateway Centre TORONTO – Construction is complete on Mississauga Gateway Centre in the greater Toronto area. The new Class A office complex, which is seeking LEED Gold Certification, offers retail and corporate leasing opportunities in a contemporary design. The project is located at One Prologis Boulevard and Hurontario Street in Mississauga, Ont. Ware Malcomb provided architectural design services for the project, as well as graphic design services and signage throughout the building. The Mississauga Gateway Centre design features a five-storey, nearly 150,000 sq.-ft. office building and a separate singlestorey, 45,000 sq.-ft. office building. The larger building takes advantage of the urban context by sitting close to the main boulevard and allowing opportunity for ground floor retail tenants accessed from both the parking side and street side of the building. A subtle curve in the facade

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WHERE SAFETY WORKS At Mark’s Commercial, safety is our business. You’ll get the right construction workwear and safety gear sent to the right place at the right time.

In construction, safety is paramount. Though you can’t always prevent accidents, you can minimize work-related injuries with industry-compliant hi-vis and flame resistant (FR) PPE. Mark’s Commercial provides head-to-toe industrial safety wear and gear to protect workers while maximizing their safety and performance. Talk to us about setting up an uninterrupted supply of critical workwear, footwear and safety equipment for your crew. Corporate wholesale supply programs, online ordering, direct delivery and a dedicated Client Services Team make Mark’s Commercial the only wholesale workwear supplier you’ll need when safety matters most.

Make safety work for you. Visit markscommercial.ca

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Photos are from Rob Ellis’s stop in Toronto last month.

design provides a dynamic face to the boulevard. The facade is composed of composite metal panel and translucent glass with precast clad concrete columns. The interior lobby design, also by Ware Malcomb, continues the contemporary feel of the exterior through the use of a similar material palette. “The dynamic, contemporary design of these buildings brings a striking new visual appeal to the boulevard,” said Frank Di Roma, regional director of Ware Malcomb’s Toronto office. “At the same time, the Mississauga Gateway Centre provides an exciting new option for Class A corporate office space and ground floor retail space to the surrounding area.” The general contractor for the project is BelRock Design Build and the developer is HOOPP Realty Inc., a subsidiary of Canadian-based pension fund Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP).

EllisDon and MySafeWork Bring Jersey of Courage Tour to the Wedgewood Aquatic Centre Project in St. John’s On Wednesday, May 18th 2016, EllisDon’s Wedgewood Aquatic Centre jobsite hosted the fourth stop of the Next Level Safety plan with the signing of a renowned symbol of workplace safety, The Jersey of Courage. Industry leaders in workplace safety, along with EllisDon and MySafeWork, gathered to further demonstrate their continuous efforts to make safety paramount, amongst everything else in the workplace. This is the fourth stop on the nationwide tour, with Ottawa, Toronto and Halifax being the first three

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stops respectively. Created by Rob Ellis, who lost his son to a tragic workplace accident, The Jersey of Courage is a mobile safety charter, used to engage employees and students in important issues surrounding workplace safety. With over 500,000 signatures collected, each signature represents a commitment to making Canada the world’s safest country to work. “This is an important event that will raise the standard of safety performance across Canada and ultimately save lives,” said Rob Ellis. “It takes courage for employees to say no to unsafe work — and it takes courage for companies to step up and lead in this area.” Rob also states, “But it begins with tremendous companies like EllisDon; great leaders inspire other leaders to be courageous and impact the future of our nation.” With safety paramount to EllisDon, and Rob Ellis’ lifelong commitment to the cause, the collaboration was a natural fit. EllisDon has earned a safety record that consistently exceeds the industry average. “We can and must commit ourselves to a new, higher standard of safety – not only EllisDon employees, but every single person on our jobsites,” said Geoff Smith, EllisDon president and CEO. “Safety is more important than making money, more important than making schedule, more important than client service, it is more important than absolutely anything.” Geoff goes on to state, “I salute the constant, daily efforts of everyone who makes this the top priority at EllisDon and I am excited for EllisDon to partner with Rob Ellis and MySafeWork to continue to elevate our efforts.”

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BMO FIELD - DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION FACT SHEET Project Name: BMO Field Expansion Project Location: 170 Princes’ Boulevard, Toronto, ON M6K 3C3, Canada Completion: Phase 1: May 10, 2015 Phase 2: May 7, 2016 Cost: $150 million BMO FIELD EXPANSION PROJECT PARTNERS Owner: The City of Toronto Operator: Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Owner’s Representative: ICON Venue Group Design Team: Gensler Construction Manager: PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto) Structural Steel: Canam-Heavy

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CONSTRUCTION STATS A selection of data reflecting trends in the Canadian construction industry

CONSTRUCTION INTENTIONS UP IN NON-RESIDENTIAL SECTOR Construction intentions for commercial structures were up 56.6 per cent to $2 billion in February, their highest value since May 2007. Higher construction intentions for recreational facilities, retail complexes and office buildings contributed the most to the advance at the national level. Gains were posted in seven provinces, led by billions of dollars Alberta, with Ontario a distant second.

INVESTMENT IN NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DOWN Investment in non-residential building construction declined for the fifth consecutive quarter, down 1.6 per cent from the previous quarter to $12.5 billion in the first three months of 2016. billions of dollars the decrease was a result of lower spending in all three Nationally, 14.0 components, with commercial buildings accounting for most of the decline.

5.0 4.5

billions of dollars

4.0

13.5

5.0 4.5

3.5

4.0

billions of dollars

13..0

14.0

3.0

3.5

13.5

2.5

3.0

13..0

2.0

12.5 12.0

1.5 0.5

0.5

11.5 11.0

0.5

1.5

12.0

11.0

2.0

0.5

12.5

11.5

2.5

Feb.

2011

2012

Residential, seasonally adjusted

2011

III

IIIII III IV IV 2011

2011

IIIII IVIII I 2012

IVII

2012

IIII IV 2013

I IIIII IIIIV IV II 20132014

II II III IIIIV 2015 2014

IV I 2016

2012

2015

Residential, trend-cycle

2013

Feb. 2016

2014

2015

Feb. 2016

Non-residential, seasonally adjusted Non-residential, trend-cycle I IVResidential, seasonally adjusted Residential, trend-cycle Note(s): The higher variabiliy associated with the trend-cycle estimates is indicated with a dotted 2016 line on the chart for the current reference month and the three previous months. See note to readers

II III 2015

Non-residential, seasonally adjusted Source(s): CANSIM table 026-0010.

Note(s): Data are seasonally adjusted.

Note(s): Data are seasonally adjusted. Source(s): CANSIM table 026-0016.

2014

2013

Non-residential, trend-cycle

Note(s): The higher variabiliy associated with the trend-cycle estimates is indicated with a dotted line on the chart for the current reference month and the three previous months. See note to readers

Source(s): CANSIM table 026-0016.

Source(s): CANSIM table 026-0010.

Production,

Cement products

shipment and stock activities

2015

November

December

January

2016 February

March

Production

Total, cement products

1,111,121

846,830r 494,096r 539,791r 794,188

Portland cement

1,078,605

811,211r 473,774r 520,046r 747,911 35,619 20,322 19,745 46,277

Masonry and other cement

32,516

Clinker

1,043,429 953,560r 769,859r 760,660r 831,141

Total, cement products

1,082,055

764,522r 470,717r 475,830r 694,306

Shipments 3

Portland cement

1,052,904

737,826r 451,669r 453,713r 676,051

Masonry and other cement

29,151

26,696r 19,048 22,117r 18,255

Total, cement products

498,791

506,968r 577,689 595,873 645,453

Stocks at beginning of month

Portland cement

431,692

442,809r 509,119 529,140 590,558

Masonry and other cement

67,099

64,159

Total, cement products

506,968

577,689r 595,873r 645,453r 708,126

Stocks at end of month

Portland cement

442,809

509,119r 529,140r 590,558r 652,289

Masonry and other cement

64,159

68,570r 66,733 54,895r 55,837

68,570

66,733

54,895

MANUFACTURERS PRODUCED 0.79 MILLION TONNES OF CEMENT PRODUCTS IN MARCH Cement manufacturers produced 0.79 million tonnes of cement products in March, an increase of 47.1 per cent compared with February, and a gain of 3.5 per cent from March 2015. Shipments of domestic cement rose 45.9 per cent from the previous month to 0.69 million tonnes in March. Compared with the same month a year earlier, shipments of domestic cement grew 2.2 per cent.

Symbol legend: r Revised Footnotes: 1. For data on reference years prior to 2004, please see CANSIM table 303-0001. 2. Totals may not add due to rounding. 3. Shipments of goods of own manufacture. Source: Statistics Canada. Table 303-0060 - Production, shipments and stocks of cement, monthly (metric tonnes), CANSIM (database). (accessed: )

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TOP CONTRACTORS INNOVATE THEIR WAY TO SUCCESS

THE TOP 40

PG 27

INNOVATION CONVERSATION HEATS UP

PG 28

RENOVATING RELATIONSHIPS

PG 38

on-sitemag.com / 23

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TOP CONTRACTORS

WELCOME LETTER

n behalf of On-Site and Aon, I’d like to welcome you to the 2016 Top Contractors issue. We are proud to be the first official partner in the Top Contractor issue and excited to support such an impactful publication. Furthermore, we are gratified that many of the top contractors listed in this issue are clients of Aon. Our Construction Services Group (CSG) represents one of our largest industry specialties and we are fully committed to serving our 2,500 valued Aon construction clients. Canada represents one of the most diverse construction economies across the globe. The variety of delivery models, asset types, risks, and both domestic and global competition solidifies Canada as the global bell weather of construction diversity. Some might say such diversity will make us stronger in the end, but I can very much appreciate the amount of stress and strain our Canadian construction contractors face each day. The journey to becoming a, “stronger,” contractor can be difficult, especially in an economy where you face unfamiliar contracts, risks and partners. Our team at Aon is constantly amazed by the creativity and innovative spirit that our clients exhibit when facing unforeseen and unexpected risks. Their ability to successfully navigate these challenges is truly exceptional. From our perspective, the clients that most successfully navigate these challenges exhibit the following traits: • Effectively quantifying risk prior to taking it on. • The operational discipline to manage risk in every phase of the projects life. • Access to risk transfer solutions that can be tailored to manage risks to a certain outcome. • A top of class knowledge of construction technologies, including different types of delivery models, construction materials, construction software and asset sciences technology. Simply put, contractors that exhibit these traits tend to be our most productive and profitable clients. Undoubtedly, a productive and profitable client is a client that understands potential exposures and utilizes the tools available to most effectively manage risk. At Aon, we continue to jump at the opportunity to assist our clients in achieving these goals. Congratulations to all of On-Site’s top contractors and we wish everyone within the Canadian construction industry a profitable and productive 2016! Best regards, Christine Lithgow President & CEO, Aon Risk Solutions Canada

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SHARING YOUR. VISION BUILDING SUCCESS. Deloitte Tower, Montreal QC

We are more than builders. We are construction partners passionate about what we do and about our partnersâ€™ needs. We push ourselves to consistently deliver beyond the expected, and we provide an outstanding experience for our clients and the communities in which we live and work.

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4 11:20 AM

TOP CONTRACTORS

TOP CANADIAN CONTRACTORS At long last, here it is: On-Site’s Top Contractors list of Canada’s leading construction firms, ranked by annual revenue. Every year, it requires a monumental effort to track down and compile the information necessary for this annual report. Thank you to everyone that took the time to fill out our survey. This annual ranking of companies is an invaluable industry tool, based on direct analysis of the companies involved. It helps us to understand what segments of the construction industry are growing, and allows us to identify trends in both good years, and bad. Thank you once again for participating in our annual report. Your contributions to On-Site are key to the quality, diversity and relevance of our magazine. Without further ado, here are your 2015 Top Contractors.

Rank:

Company:

2015 (last year)

PCL Constructors Inc.

$8,500,000,000

2 EllisDon

$3,430,000,000

Aecon Group Inc.

$2,918,000,000

Ledcor Group of Companies

$2,800,000,000

Kiewit Canada Corp.

$2,301,544,000

Graham Group Ltd.

$2,146,723,000

POMERLEAU

$1,609,000,000

Bird Construction

$1,444,806,000

Stuart Olson

$1,151,400,000

10 Carillion

$1,047,000,000

Clark Builders

$769,219,959

EBC Inc.

$745,000,000

Bondfield Construction Company Ltd.

$729,750,000

Flynn Group of Companies

$668,000,000

Maple Reinders Group Ltd.

$438,700,000

ITC Construction Group

$410,000,000

Chandos Construction

$337,000,000

ConDrain Group

$327,000,000

Dawson Wallace Construction Ltd.

$320,000,000

Taggart Group of Companies

$310,000,000

Axiom Builders Inc.

$285,000,000

North American Construction Group

$281,282,000

Govan Brown

$235,000,000

Eastern Construction Company Ltd.

$220,000,000

Scott Builders Inc.

$220,000,000

NorLand Ltd.

$180,000,000

Manshield Construction

$175,000,000

Walsh Canada

$155,000,000

Avondale Construction Ltd.

$148,700,000

Delnor Construction

$141,874,085

GEN-PRO/1320376 Ontario Ltd. Burlington, ON $15,000,000

Giffels Westpro

$139,337,000

Alberici Constructors, Ltd.

$133,000,000

O.N. Site Construction Inc. Oakville, ON. $14,700,000

Buttcon Ltd.

$132,525,000

Marco Group of Companies

$122,000,000

Beedie Construction Ltd. (Beedie Development Group)

$115,600,000

Grascan Construction Ltd.

$110,349,430

Jacob Bros. Construction Inc.

$96,000,000

Kelly Panteluk Construction Ltd.

$95,000,000

Wales McLelland Construction

$95,000,000

Kinetic Construction Ltd.

$93,000,000

Corinne Lynds, Editor

TOP 5 COMPANIES WITH 50 OR UNDER EMPLOYEES

1 2 3 4 5

TOP 40

Nikiforuk Construction Ltd. Edmonton $9,000,000 Dural Flooring Toronto ON $4,800,000 Plainsman Builders Inc. Kamloops, B.C. $2,000,000

Based on written responses to research conducted by On-Site. Some contractors declined to participate in this research.

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TOP CONTRACTORS

INNOVATION CONVE

HEAT

t’s no secret that Canada’s construction industry has been taking a beating for lagging in innovation. Major global studies have flagged the country as an innovation laggard, and the construction sector has been further singled out as underperforming even those weak national statistics. In 2011, the Jenkins Report, presented to the Minister of State (Science and Technology), cited alarming weaknesses in Canadian R&D efforts and suggested ways to focus industry, institutional and government attention on innovation while simplifying access to resources for innovators.

INNOVATION DEFICIT? “That really started the conversation, a few years ago,” says Paul Verhesen, president and CEO, Clark Builders, Edmonton. “It’s a conversation that needs to be had.” “When you look at the stats in terms of technology adoption in Canada, we rank 27th worldwide. That’s overall. The construction industry would probably rank lower against other countries,” says Pierre Boucher, president, Canadian Construction Innovations (CCI), Ottawa. “The intensity of R&D in this industry is very, very low. It’s 0.06 per cent [of R&D done in Canada],” he notes. Some of the executives we interviewed

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TOP CONTRACTORS

VERSATION

ATS UP Canada’s construction industry has a poor reputation for innovation. Here’s how its top contractors are stepping up BY JIM BARNES

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2:33 PM 1 1:45 PM

TOP CONTRACTORS

for this article challenged the harsh criticism of the industry for lack of innovation, but all agreed that more could be done. “We are not very good about talking about the innovations we have in this industry… We have not worked hard to capture or quantify innovation,” says David LeMay, president and CEO, Stuart Olson Inc., Calgary, Alta. “There has been a lot of innovation in incremental ways, whether it’s around safety, procedures, modularization or other things.” Some contractors dismiss the need for more innovation. For some, it is skepticism about ROI and a lack of time, or even the notion that only the owners benefit from it. However, powerful forces are pushing the industry toward innovation. “A number of things are converging: the owners’ drive to find more certainty, the asset-management trend, the globalization of construction and the harnessing of the Internet by all industries to innovate quicker,” says David Bowcott, senior vice-president and national director of Large/Strategic Accounts at AON Reed Stenhouse Inc., Toronto.

Verhesen challenges “the idea that innovation, research and development mean you have to spend millions of dollars to create something earthshaking. That’s not the case at all. It can be as simple as working on the things you do every day, from procurement

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TOP CONTRACTORS

Innovation can be simple. PCL received the 2015 CCA Excellence in Innovation Award for replacing conventional heating and hoarding with ice-fishing tents and propane heaters when installing cast-in-place bored piles at the Heartland Substation project in Gibbons, Alta. The cost savings was $415 per pile, or $166,180, mainly due to savings on heating.

“We are not developing technologies that are 10 or 20 years away from being put on the jobsite. We’re looking at 10 or 20 days.” — Cameron McCartney, research officer at the National Research Council Canada

to logistics to materials… It can be a better nail.”

COLLABORATION CONUNDRUM Perhaps the need for cooperation is one of the biggest hurdles to boosting construction innovation nationally. “If we are really going to be successful, if we really want to tap the R&D backing available from all levels of government, we as an industry are going to have to demonstrate that we’re willing to be collaborative. We have to make initiatives in the best interest of the industry,” says LeMay. The days of trade secrecy seem to be winding down and few innovations stay secret for long, notes John Bockstael, president and CEO of Bockstael Construction Ltd., Winnipeg, and chair of CCI. He asks “Why would you fight that – especially if it was for safety?... More and more is being asked of us as an industry and there is a tightening of

the labour markets.” The new infrastructure funding proposed by the federal government means “they want to make sure that they are spending it wisely,” says Steve Cruickshank, CEO, Cruickshank Construction Ltd., Kingston, Ont. “They have a real incentive to see us do more innovative solutions, to extend the value of the taxpayer’s dollar.” There is also an emerging global perspective. “The figures show that we are dramatically less productive than the US industry and other international industries,” says LeMay. “Investment is now global, not national… Whether someone decides to build a building here or in London, England, they are looking at the economics of those projects in their understanding of where to invest.” “Canada is the fifth largest construction market in the world, and it is time we started to spend dollars appropriate to that,” says Bockstael. “If we can get better at what we are doing, the spending will probably increase in our country rather than in another country.”

EMERGING ENABLER It is not so much that Canadian contractors are failing to innovate. Rather, says Boucher, it is that “in most cases, it’s not systemic, it is not industry-wide.… Before CCI was established [in 2014], there was no real ecosystem to support R&D in construction.” As a result, most innovations were not put to market, not implemented and not embraced by industry. “Often, industry was not even aware of it,” says Boucher. “People need to know what the other guy is doing… The idea is to share concepts that will benefit construction as a whole – innovations in safety, productivity, winter work,” he says. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, CCI was founded in 2014 with the support of the Canadian Construction Association. “We are engaging industry to come together and propose projects,” Boucher says, whether proprietary or not. “We are made up

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Onsite_N

AT INTERNATIONAL ® TRUCK , we’ve always believed that the very best ideas come from working hard and working together. That’s why we stand united with our component suppliers; hard-working innovators and engineers who also happen to represent some of the most trusted brands in the Canadian truck industry. Because like those who built this country, we begin each day with the idea that when you start with what customers need, you’re always driving towards something better.

ca.InternationalTrucks.com

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DOCKET #: 12670

FILE NAME: 12670_INTNT-P-014-2016-E

PROOF #: 01 ARTIST: JC

DATE: May 24, 2016 11:46 AM

16-06-07 9:36 2016-05-31 2:29AM PM

TOP CONTRACTORS NRC: commitment to contractors Long the leading light in construction research in Canada, the National Research Council (NRC) has a strong commitment to support contractor innovation. “The NRC has worked with contractors on research for many years. We have worked with organizations as small as two people and as large as 2,000 people,” says Cameron McCartney, research officer at the National Research Council Canada, Ottawa. “We have national experts in some specialized fields, and in some cases world experts. We have a deep knowledge of how construction works and how innovative construction products can be used on job sites,” he adds. NRC also maintains sophisticated research facilities, such as the Canadian Centre for Housing Technologies, a partnership between NRC, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Enercan, according to Dr. Trevor Nightingale, director, Intelligent Building Operations at NRC. NRC is well known for its work on the building code. “That’s an important part of what we do – but it’s only one part,” says McCartney. “We can help contractors evaluate an innovative construction product... They may not be sure if it will meet their needs. We bring it into our building science labs and put it through its paces, making sure it meets building code requirements, technical requirements, and doesn’t have any strange behaviour when used as intended,” says McCartney. “Here on the construction team, we really want to make sure that [the research] is of use. “We are not developing technologies that are 10 or 20 years away from being put on the jobsite. We’re looking at 10 or 20 days,” says McCartney. “We have had a few meetings with CCInnovations, and we are eager to figure out how we might collaborate. They have a good direction of what that industry needs, and we have some of the largest building science labs in the country,” says McCartney.

of industry, we represent all stakeholders involved with construction – owners, engineers and contractors, along with manufacturers and suppliers.” “We are quite sensitive to the government’s agenda on innovation in areas where the government knows that we need to do better, and where the construction industry can be a key stakeholder,” he adds. Success will breed success, says Bowcott. “When the government actually sees the link between increased productivity and the innovations that have been developed, they will put more and more money in. That is what happened with the forestry sector.”

REAL-WORLD INNOVATION There is little doubt that Canada’s construction industry needs to invest more in R&D, but, it also needs to do a better job of sharing its successes too. Here are a few examples of how top construction firms are innovating already. Bockstael: Bockstael notes that the conventional methods of technical innovation for construction contractors tend to be inefficient. “They say, ‘That looks like a good idea!’ and then they try it out in real time.”

“Canada is the fifth largest construction market in the world, and it is time we started to spend dollars appropriate to that.” — John Bockstael, president and CEO of Bockstael Construction Ltd.

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TOP CONTRACTORS

“Young people are attracted to companies prepared to embrace new ideas. To bring new workers into our industry, we absolutely have to be out there, trying our hand at new things. And they want to come, as long as we make it attractive to them by being receptive.” — Steve Cruickshank, CEO, Cruickshank Construction Lt.

About 20 years ago Bockstael experimented with the use of embedding hoses carrying hot glycol in concrete to keep it warm in winter. “We did it by guess and by golly. We blundered ahead and tried it in real time on a project,” says Bockstael. They almost ruined a slab. Today, that process has been commercialized by a heating company. “Even today, they can’t tell you what temperature to set the dial at for all the various configurations of concrete work,” says Bockstael. It would be much simpler to do the tests in a lab and develop data that can be provided to contractors. Clark Builders: It’s easy to pay lip service to innovation. “As a contractor, we write cheques to universities to promote innovation, research and development,” says Verhesen. “Writing the cheque is the easiest part of this conversation. The dedication of your people, their commitment to follow through and having permission to make mistakes is the biggest challenge. That’s a cultural conversation.” Verhesen says that lean construction is a major focal point for his company’s innovation efforts. “The continuous improvement in lean construction practices is actually an innovative process,” he says, and it touches every part of the company’s operations. This focus on efficiency planning and quality “comes from our history. We have built across the North in every community,” says Verhesen. “That culture of planning really drives innovation, really drives lean. In the far north, if you need a saw blade, there’s no place to buy one,” says Verhesen. Growth in innovation will be generational, says Verhesen. “The next generation is starting to see that innovation and research is a good thing. It can be a competitive advantage, it can be pretty exciting to develop new systems and processes.” PCL: PCL is constantly innovating in productivity, says Dave

Filipchuk, deputy CEO, PCL family of companies, Edmonton. “That’s an area where Canada sometimes gets a black eye.” The firm has a dedicated operations support group. “One of their key responsibilities is to marshal and lead innovation activities,” says Filipchuk. In some cases, they have directed activities, with an individual in charge. “Sometimes, it is just working with data from the jobsite, trying to determine the best way to disseminate it throughout the organization.” One example of a specific outcome was delivering tools and materials much more deliberately to the work face. “We would set up containers off-site, containing everything that was specific to a job, and bring it to the work face when needed,” he says. As a result, travel time is reduced and people don’t waste time on the jobsite looking for tools. “Modularization and containering are proving how you can take labour hours off site and keep them in the yard,” says Filipchuk. Stuart Olson: “To build a building that anticipates and facilitates the future requirements of its occupants is critical,” says LeMay. That’s the reasoning behind the company’s Centre for Building Performance.” The centre is fully staffed and equipped to show and demonstrate to the building owner the value of various approaches, collaborative construction, preconstruction, innovative methods to reduce environmental impact – every way that we can enhance its performance,” says LeMay. The firm is also innovating in HR. “Necessity is driving us to do some things around HR that are much different than they were in the 1970s and 1980s,” says LeMay. “The Stuart Olson Alumni Program sees retired workers brought back part-time to fill staffing gaps and help to advise the current generation of staff,” to the benefit of all parties. Cruikshank: Innovation generally comes from young people, says Cruikshank. “Young people are attracted to companies prepared to embrace new ideas. To bring new workers into our industry, we absolutely have to be out there, trying our hand at new things. And they want to come, as long as we make it attractive to them by being receptive.” “I’m always looking for things that will improve our costs. There are innovative ways of reducing your energy consumption,” he notes as an example. “There are new government initiatives out there and they want to see energy reduction, reducing our footprint in the carbon tax… That is something we will be going after.” A new spirit of cooperation is emerging in a very traditional industry. The next generation will be the innovation generation, more cooperative. The good news is that starting from a low baseline, the potential for early gains must be immense.

Jim Barnes is a contributing editor to On-Site. Send comments to editor @on-sitemag.com

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Onsite F

overbuilt

to be overworked. Find your attachments at www.geith.com 2905 Shawnee Industrial Way, Suwanee, GA 30024 T. 866-563-5890 F. 866-472-4950 E. ussales@geith.com Geith and the Geith logo are trademarks of Geith International Limited.

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TOP CONTRACTORS

Renovating

RELATIONSHIPS GEN-PRO proves it’s not about the quantity of the people you have, but the quality BY CORINNE LYNDS

ith less than 50 full-time employees, GEN-PRO reported $15M in revenue for 2015, garnering it the title of “Top Contractor with Fewer than 50 Employees.” Specializing in non-residential GENeral contracting and PROject management, (that’s where the company name comes from) GEN-PRO incorporated in 1998. The contractor attributes its success to foregoing relationships with dedicated groups of subcontractors and an experienced team

Right: GEN-PRO’s Momentum Credit Union project. Below: O.N. Site’s owners Donogh Hanley and German Neglia.

of qualified and capable individuals that manage and supervise projects up to $5 million at any time. The general contractor has completed projects of various size and complexity across Southern Ontario, including work for: Humber College, Sheridan College, Momentum Credit Union, McMaster University and the City of Burlington. GEN-PRO has a diverse group of clients, many of which have accepted the firm as a pre-qualified, preferred contractor. “Our clients call on us to carry out office renovations, tenant improvements, new construction, and emergency service work,” reports the company website. “We work closely with our clients, keeping them up to date on construction progress, important milestones, scheduling, and provide clarification on any concern the client may have, to provide the client with 100 per cent satisfaction during the construction process.” GEN-PRO has been recognized for its safety performance by being awarded the OGCA Safety Achievement Award for maintaining zero lost time injuries for 2009. Since then, the company has also been a member of a safety group sponsored by the HamiltonHalton Construction Association, and both the Toronto and Gran Valley Construction Associations. The contractor is currently working toward achieving the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) Certificate of Recognition (COR). “From the company’s founding we have always strived to keep our clients happy while providing safe sites, quality work while always seeking new opportunities whatever the size or scope of work,” says Scott Tye, project manager at GEN-PRO.”

A VERY CLOSE SECOND… Oakville, Ont.’s O.N. Site Construction Inc. (no relation) is ranked No. 2 on this year’s Top

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TOP CONTRACTORS

THE TOP 5 UNDER 50 1.

Company: GEN-PRO/1320376 Ontario Ltd. Location: Burlington, Ont. Annual Revenue: $15,000,000 Sectors: Building construction (nonresidential), construction management Works In: Commercial buildings, contract management, designbuild, general contracting, concrete/formwork/ rebar, structural steel/ fabricating www.genpro.ca

Company: O.N. Site Construction Inc. Location: Oakville, Ont. Annual Revenue: $14,700,000 Sectors: Building construction (nonresidential), construction management Works In: Commercial buildings, contract management, designbuild, general contracting www.onsiteconstruction.ca

Company: Nikiforuk Construction Ltd. Location: Edmonton Annual Revenue: $9,000,000 Sectors: Commercial buildings, industrial buildings, institutional buildings, residential construction (houses), residential construction (multi-unit) Works In: Oil and gasrelated construction, other transportation construction, sewage engineering construction, waterworks engineering construction, contract management, general contracting

Company: Dural Flooring Location: Toronto Annual Revenue: $4,800,000 Sectors: Building construction (residential), building construction (non-residential) Works In: commercial buildings, residential construction (multi-unit), general contracting, concrete/formwork/rebar www.duralflooring.com

Company: Plainsman Builders Inc. Location: Kamloops, B.C. Annual Revenue: $2,000,000 Sectors: Building construction (residential), building construction (non-residential), construction management Works In: Commercial buildings, residential construction (houses), residential construction (multi-unit), contract management, demolition, design/build, general contracting www.plainsman.ca

Contractor under 50 employees list. And this is their second year in a row to be ranked Top-5 in this annual report. Founded by German Neglia and Frank Occhipinti in 2005, the two original partners had developed an excellent nine-year working relationship in a project management/site superintendent role before deciding to venture out on their own. The company experienced great success and steady growth early on, focusing primarily on financial sector and restaurant industry clients. Since last year, there has been a change of ownership. Occhipinti retired in February. The ownership now consists of Neglia and a new owner, Donogh Hanley. To date O.N. Site has worked on new branches and branch renovations for Bank of Montreal, CIBC and TD Canada Trust. The contractor has also done sizable renovations for Canada Post, Yum! Restaurants, Cara Foods, Region of Peel, Aver Media and Astral Media. “Over the past few years we have expanded our operations to encompass Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta,” says Neglia. “We have gained a foothold in these markets by ensuring the same quality of product and service levels are maintained, as if the project was completed in Oakville. Having the ability to provide national service to our clients has enabled the steady growth of the company and should ensure that this growth pattern is maintained.”

Aon Risk Solutions

With over 2500 construction clients across Canada – we see it all At Aon, every client is backed by our dedicated team of construction experts, data driven benchmarking, analytics and Aon’s global network. aon.ca

Risk. Reinsurance. Human Resources.

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www.cmicglobal.com

FINANCIALS Improve accountability, increase efficiency and lower risk.

xPROJECTS Eliminate data conflicts, and improve communication and collaboration.

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Experience the Power of ONE. ONE Source of Truth.

ENTERPRISE CONTENT MANAGEMENT Make database content accessible and searchable through email, hard-drives and CMiC software.

ENTERPRISE PLANNING Find and manage resources for any project efficiently.

MOBILE Business intelligence, access to data when you need it, and offline data entry.

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TOP CONTRACTORS LISTINGS

ACTIVITIES

This yearâ€™s Top Contractors report has a special focus on innovation. A few comments from our industry leaders follow in the listings. ACCIONA Suite 2000, 595 Burrard St., Three Bentall Centre Vancouver BC V7X 1J1 T: 604-622-6500 www.acciona.ca B, F, H, J, K, M, Q, R, S, T, W, X, Z

AECON GROUP INC. 20 Carlson Crt. Toronto ON M9W 7K6 T: 416-297-2600 www.aecon.com $2,918,000,000 A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, Q, R, S, T, W, X, Y, Z

ALBERICI CONSTRUCTORS LTD. 1005 Skyview Dr., Suite 300 Burlington ON L7P 5B1 T: 905-315-2929 F: 905-315-3001 www.alberici.com $133,000,000 F, H, K, M, N, Q, R, S, Y, Z

AVONDALE CONSTRUCTION LTD. 49 Hobsons Lake Dr. Halifax NS B3S 0E4 T: 902-876-1818 F: 902-876-1822 www.avondaleconstruction.com $148,700,000 C, F, H, M, N, U

AXIOM BUILDERS INC. 1100 - 838 W Hastings St. Vancouver BC V6C 0A6 T: 604-412-0459 www.axiombuilders.ca $285,000,000 C, E, M, V

BEACON UTILITY CONTRACTORS LTD. 270 Rodinea Rd. Vaughan ON L6A 4P5 T: 905-417-6808 F: 905-417-4623

The following letter codes are used to indicate areas of activity for the contractors in the listings on these pages. www.beaconutility.com D, H, J, T, W

BEEDIE CONSTRUCTION LTD. (BEEDIE DEVELOPMENT GROUP) 3030 Gilmore Diversion Burnaby BC V5G 3B4 T: 778-686-0254 www.beediegroup.ca $115,600,000 E, H, M, N, V

BIRD CONSTRUCTION 5700 Explorer Dr. Mississauga ON L4W 0C6 T: 905-602-4122 F: 905-602-1516 www.bird.ca $1,444,806,000 C, E, F, H, J, M, N, O, R, S, T, V, X, Z

BOCKSTAEL CONSTRUCTION LTD. 1505 Dugald Rd. Winnipeg MB R2J 0H3 T: 204-233-7135 www.bockstael.com $88,525,000 C, E, F, H, J, M, N, O, V,

BONDFIELD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LTD. 407 Basaltic Rd. Concord ON L4K 4W8 T: 416-667-8422 F: 416-667-8462 www.bondfield.com $825,000,000 C, E, F, H, M, N, O, U, V

BUTTCON LTD. 8000 Jane St., Tower B, Suite 401 Concord ON L4K 5B8 T: 905-907-4242 F: 905-907-8096 www.buttcon.com $132,525,000 C, F, G, H, M, N, O, T, U, V

A Aggregates B Bridges C Commercial Buildings D Communication Engineering E Concrete F Contract Management G Demolition H Design/Build J Electric Power/Utilities K Environmental Remediation M General Contracting N Industrial Buildings O Institutional Buildings Q Marine-Related R Mining-Related S Oil and Gas-Related T Other Transportation Construction U Residential Houses V Residential: Multi-Unit W Roadbuilding X Sewer Y Structural Steel Z Waterworks

CAIRNS ROOFING LTD. 17025 Regional Rd. 50 Caledon ON L7E 0K5 T: 905-880-4771 F: 905-880-7887 $900,000 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

CAP EXCAVATION INC. 1920, Voie de Desserte (autoroute 40) Saint-Maurice QC G0X 2X0 T: 819-376-4681 F: 819-376-5772 $7,000,000 A, C, K, M, N, O, S, U, V, W, Z

CARILLION 7077 Keele Street Concord ON L4K 0B6

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TOP CONTRACTORS LISTINGS T: 905-532-5200 www.carillion.ca $1,151,400,000 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

CCMET 6991 Curragh Ave. Burnaby BC V5J 4V6 T: 604-436-9111 www.ccmet.ca $33,000,000 A, B, C, E, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Z

CDC CONSTRUCTION LTD. 16 West 4th Ave. Vancouver BC V5Y 1G3 T: 604-873-6656 www.cdc-construction.com $32,000,000 C, F, H, M, N, O

CENTER CITY ROOFING LTD.

T: 709-579-2554 F: 709-579-1064 www.centercityroofing.ca M, S, U

CENTRE DESIGN REALITE 1856 boul. des Laurentides Laval QC H7M 2P8 T: 514-990-0548 F: 450-629-5105 www.centredesignrealite.com F, H, U

CHANDOS CONSTRUCTION 9604 20th Ave. NW Edmonton AB T6N 1G1 T: 780-436-8617 F: 780-436-1797 www.chandos.com $337,000,000 C, F, M, N, O, V, Z

CLARK BUILDERS 4703 52 Ave. NW Edmonton AB T6B 3R6 T: 780-395-3311 F: 780-395-3533 www.clarkbuilders.com

33 Winslow St. St. John’s NL A1E 6C5

$769,219,959 C, E, F, G, H, M, N, O, R, S, U, V, Y

CONDRAIN GROUP 30 Floral Parkway Vaughan ON L4K 4R1 T: 905-669-5400 F: 905-669-5040 www.condrain.com $327,000,000 A, B, C, K, M, N, O, T, U, V, W, X, Z

CORNER GAS HEATING & COOLING INC. 3392 Wonderland Rd. S, Suite 6 Building 9 London ON N6L 1A8 T: 519-649-0166 F: 519-652-1662 www.cornergasheatingandcooling.com $450,000 C, M, N, U, V

D & D EXCAVATING & DRAINAGE LTD. 10046 Walker Rd. Amherstburg ON N0R 1J0 T: 519-726-5030 $165,000

“We write cheques to universities to promote innovation, research and development. Writing the cheque is the easiest part of this conversation. The dedication of your people, their commitment to follow through and having permission to make mistakes is the biggest challenge.” — Paul Verhesen, president and CEO, Clark Builders.

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TOP CONTRACTORS LISTINGS D. VANDENHEEDE ENTERPRISES LTD. 33 Riverside Rd. Simcoe ON N3Y 2N7 T: 905-407-5329 www.sodablast.ca $600,000 B, C, E, N, O, T, U, V, W

DARRAN GREEN SANDBLASTING 51 Billy Brews Rd. Deseronto ON K0K 1X0 T: 613-396-6639 F: 613-396-5626 www.darrangreen.com A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

DAWSON WALLACE CONSTRUCTION LTD. 4611 Eleniak Rd. Edmonton AB T6B 2N1 T: 780-466-8700 F: 780-466-9613 www.dawsonwallace.com $320,000,000 C, F, H, M, N, O

DELNOR CONSTRUCTION 3609-74 Ave. Edmonton AB T6B 2T7 T: 780-469-1304 F: 780-466-0798 www.delnor.ca $141,874,085 C, F, H, M, O, V

DURAL FLOORING LTD. 244 Brockport Dr., Unit 17 Toronto ON M9W 6X9 T: 416-759-2255 F: 416-288-8885 www.duralflooring.com $4,800,000 C, E, M, V

www.ebcinc.com $745,000,000 A, C, F, N, O, V, W, Z

ECODYNAMIC SOLUTIONS (EDS) INC. Unit 214 - 2459 Cousins Ave. Courtenay BC V9N 3N6 T: 250-334-3039 www.ecodynamicsolutions.com A, B, E, F, H, J, K, M, N, Q, R, S, W

#100, 3639 27th St. NE Calgary AB T1Y 5E4 T: 403-291-1165 F: 403-291-5396 www.elanconstruction.com $79,000,000 C, N, O

42 Wentworth Court, Unit 1 Brampton ON L6T 5K6 T: 905-789-0111 F: 905-670-9589 www.sitedevelopment.ca E, H, K, M, O, W, X, Z

GEN-PRO/1320376 ONTARIO LTD. 2211 Plains Rd. East Burlington ON L7R 3R3 T: 905-333-5217 F: 905-333-5746 www.genpro.ca $15,000,000 C, E, F, H, M, Y

ELLISDON 1004 Middlegate Rd. Mississauga ON L4Y1 M4 T: 905-896-8900 www.ellisdon.com $3,430,000,000 B, C, E, F, H, J, M, N, O, S, T, V, W, Y

GIFFELS WESTPRO 2 International Blvd. Toronto ON M1M 2N8 T: 416-798-5570 F: 416-798-5501 www.giffelwestpro.com $139,337,000 A, B, C, E, F, H, J, M, N, O, Q, T, V, W, X, Z

EVOLVE BUILDERS GROUP INC. 60 Manitoba St. Guelph ON N1E 3B9 T: 519-265-6546 www.evolvebuilders.ca $2,250,000 F, H, M, O, U

GOVAN BROWN 108 Vine Ave. Toronto ON M6P 1V7 T: 416-703-5100 F: 416-703-5200 www.govanbrown.com $235,000,000 C, F, G, H, M, N, O

F.GRECO AND SONS LTD. 15 McCulloch Ave. Etobicoke ON M9W 4M5 T: 416-249-7272 F: 416-249-6293 www.greco-con.ca E, F, G, H, M, N, O

FERRARO CONSTRUCTION GROUP 7684 Maltby Rd. East Puslinch ON N0B 2J0 T: 519-822-2324 F: 519-822-9057 www.ferraroconstructiongroup.com $3,000,000 A, C, E, F, G, H, K, M, N, O, U, V

EBC INC. 1095, Rue Valet, P.O. Box 158 Lâ€™ancienne-Lorette QC G2E 3M3 T: 418-872-0600 F: 418-872-8177

FOUR SEASONS SITE DEVELOPMENT LTD.

ELAN CONSTRUCTION LTD.

EASTERN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LTD. 505 Consumers Rd., Suite 1100 Toronto ON M2J 5G2 T: 416-497-7110 F: 416-497-7241 www.easternconstruction.com $220,000,000 C, H, M, N, O

T: 905-671-3971 F: 905-673-3971 www.flynncompanies.com $668,000,000 C, N

FLYNN GROUP OF COMPANIES

GRAHAM GROUP LTD. 10840 27th St. SE Calgary AB T2Z 3R6 T: 403-570-5241 www.graham.ca $2,146,723,000 B, C, D, F, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Z

GRASCAN CONSTRUCTION LTD. 61 Steinway Blvd. Toronto ON M9W 6H6 T: 416-644-8858 F: 416-644-8864 www.grascan.com $110,349,430

6435 Northwest Dr. Mississauga ON L4V 1K2

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Never Settle.

True Power At Liebherr, we custom-engineer every machine to perform as efficiently as possible. The Tier 4F emissions system in our PR 736 is practically maintenance free, designed from the ground up. The electronic drive system automatically adjusts to keep operators in the “sweet spot” – even when saving fuel in ECO mode. And like all our machines it is built to last with exclusive Liebherr components. For more information, contact us at 1-800-363-7950. “We haven’t compromised on anything; why should you?” Liebherr-Canada Ltd. 1015 Sutton Drive, Burlington, Ontario L7L 5Z8, Canada Phone: +1 905 319 9222 E-mail: info.lca@liebherr.com www.facebook.com/LiebherrConstruction www.liebherr.ca

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TOP CONTRACTORS LISTINGS A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

$683,000 B, C, E, J, M, N, O, U, V, W, X, Z

GRAYVELD BUILDERS CORP.

KELBERT CONSTRUCTION INC.

42 Campbell Ave. Oro-Medonte ON L0L 1T0 T: 705-487-1659 www.grayveld.com $900,000 C, E, H, M, N, Y

128 Pineside Place NE Calgary AB T1Y 1V8 T: 403-293-7195 F: 403-474-1535 www.kelbertconstruction.ca $200,000 M, N, U, V

LSC PRE-CAST SYSTEMS LTD.

HERCULES SLR INC.

KELLY PANTELUK CONSTRUCTION LTD.

MANSHIELD CONSTRUCTION

3921 81 Ave. Leduc AB T9E 8S6 T: 780-980-5200 F: 780-980-5206 www.herculesslr.com $500,000 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z

98 Panteluk St. Estevan SK S4A 2A3 T: 306-634-2166 F: 306-634-7822 www.kpcldirtmovers.com $95,000,000 A, B, F, G, H, J, M, R, S, T, W, X, Z

698 Corydon Ave. Winnipeg MB R3C 2P0 T: 204-453-9177 www.manshield.com $175,000,000 C, E, F, G, H, M, N, O, U, V

KIEWIT CANADA CORP.

MAPLE REINDERS GROUP LTD.

11211 - 215 St. Edmonton AB T5S 2B2 T: 780-447-3509 F: 780-447-3202 www.kiewit.ca $2,301,544,000 J, N, Q, R, S, T, W

2660 Argentia Rd. Mississauga ON L5N 5V4 T: 905-821-4844 F: 905-821-4822 www.maple.ca $438,700,000 C, E, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, V, X, Y, Z

KINETIC CONSTRUCTION LTD.

MARCO GROUP OF COMPANIES

201-862 Cloverdale Ave. Victoria BC V8X 2S8 T: 250-381-6331 F: 250-386-2286 www.kineticconstruction.com $93,000,000 C, F, M, O, V

78 O’Leary Ave. St. John’s NL A1B 4B8 T: 709-754-3737 F: 709-754-3715 www.marcogroup.ca $122,000,000 C, F, H, M, N, O, V

101 - 19162 22nd Ave. Surrey BC V3S 3S6 T: 604-541-0303 F: 604-541-0343 www.jacobbros.ca $96,000,000 B, C, E, F, G, H, J, M, N, O, T, U, V, W, X, Z

LEDCOR GROUP OF COMPANIES

METRO-CAN CONSTRUCTION LTD.

1200 - 1067 West Cordova St. Vancouver BC V6C 1C7 T: 604-681-7500 F: 604-681-9700 www.ledcor.com $2,800,000,000

520 - 10470 152nd St. Surrey BC V3R 0Y3 T: 604-583-1174 F: 604-583-3321 www.metrocanconstruction.com C, E, H, M, V, Y

JAZ BUILDING GROUP INC.

LIGNUM INTERIORS INC.

MODERN NIAGARA TORONTO INC.

3 Whitehorse Rd. #9 Toronto ON M3J 3G8 T: 416-820-3086 F: 416-638-7995 $3,000,000 H, M, U

202, 1608 - 17th Ave. SW Calgary AB T2T 0E3 T: 403-229-3144 F: 403-244-0056 www.lignuminteriors.com $88,500,000 C, F, M

695 Flint Rd. Toronto ON M3J 2T7 T: 416-749-6031 F: 416-749-4673 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

HIPPERSON CONSTRUCTION 200 – 2161 Scarth St. Regina SK S4P 2H8 T: 306-359-0303 F: 306-359-0383 A, B, C, E, F, H, J, M, N, R, Y

www.lowecanada.com $16,400,000 B, C, D, J, N, O

8285A Lickman Rd. Chilliwack BC V2R 3Z9 T: 604-792-4244 F: 604-792-4241 www.lscprecast.com B, C, D, E, H, K, N, O, Q, R, T, U, V

ITC CONSTRUCTION GROUP Suite 800 - 564 Beatty St. Vancouver BC V6B 2L3 T: 604-685-0111 F: 604-685-0112 www.itc-group.com $410,000,000 C, F, H, M, V

JACOB BROS. CONSTRUCTION INC.

JJL REBAR INC. 372 Salisbury Dr. Oakville ON L6L 3W4 T: 416-526-6811 www.jjlrebar.com

LOWE MECHANICAL SERVICES LTD. 72 Park Lane Ave. Winnipeg MB R2R 0K2 T: 204-233-3292 F: 204-237-0411

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OnSite_C StageVA

Single Module

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TOP CONTRACTORS LISTINGS NEWWAY CONCRETE FORMING LTD. 3750 First Ave. Burnaby BC V5C 3V9 T: 604-299-3709 F: 604-299-6209 www.newwayforming.com $75,000,000 C, E, O, V

NIKIFORUK CONSTRUCTION LTD. 23150 - 18 St. NW Edmonton AB T5Y 6B5 T: 780-473-5565 F: 780-473-5501 $9,000,000 C, F, M, N, O, S, T, U, V, X, Z

PCL CONSTRUCTORS INC.

“PCL is constantly innovating in productivity. That’s an area where Canada sometimes gets a black eye.” – Dave Filipchuk, deputy CEO, PCL family of companies

9915 56 Ave. Edmonton AB T6E 5L7 T: 780-733-5000 www.PCL.com $8,500,000,000 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z

PEDDIE ROOFING & WATERPROOFING LTD. 3352 - 46 Ave. SE Calgary AB T2B 3J2 T: 403-273-7000 F: 403-273-7701 www.peddieroofing.ca C, F, N, O, U, V

NORLAND LTD. 3183 Norland Ave. Burnaby BC V5B 3A9 T: 604-291-1255 F: 604-291-2813 www.NorLandLimited.com $180,000,000 A, F, G, H, M, N, Q, R, T, V, W, Y

NORTH AMERICAN CONSTRUCTION GROUP Suite 300, 18817 Stony Plain Rd. Edmonton AB T5S 0C2 T: 780-960-7171 F: 780-969-5599 www.nacg.ca $281,282,000

NORTH CONSTRUCTION 378 Esplanade E North Vancouver BC V7L 1A4 T: 604-904-2300 www.north-construction.com B, G, J, K, M, N, Q, T, U, V, W, X, Z

NORTHERN CAPITAL WOOD PRODUCTS LTD. 148 MacAloney Rd. Prince George BC V2K 4L2 T: 250-564-6171 F: 250-564-6191 www.ncwp.ca $3,500,000 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

NORTHLAND PAVING LTD. 70 Minuk Acres Toronto ON M1E 4Y6 T: 416-286-4292 F: 416-286-7956 www.northlandpaving.com A, E, T, W, X, Z

PLAINSMAN BUILDERS INC. O.B. SERVICES LTD. #15-308 Jackson Rd. Edmonton AB T6L 6W1 T: 780-499-0981 F: 780-390-1503 $150,000 C, E, F, G, H, M, N, O, T, U, V

O.N. SITE CONSTRUCTION INC. 2861 Sherwood Heights Dr., Unit #40 Oakville ON L6J 7K1 T: 905-829-8895 F: 905-829-8708 www.onsiteconstruction.ca $14,700,000 C, F, H, M, N, O

OHL CANADA 20 Edge Hill Dr. Hamilton ON L9B 0A8 T: 519-774-1277 $650,000 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

ORLEY RAFUSE TRUCKING & BACKHOE LTD. 247 Mill Rd. New Ross NS BOJ 2MO T: 902-689-2003 A, C, F, M, N, U, W, X

210 - 989 McGill Place Kamloops BC V2C 6N9 T: 250-372-1544 F: 250-372-8445 www.plainsman.ca $2,000,000 C, F, G, H, M, V

POMERLEAU 521, 6e Ave. Saint-Georges QC G5Y 0H1 T: 418-228-6688 F: 418-228-3524 www.pomerleau.ca $1,609,000,000 B, C, F, H, J, M, N, O

PRIESTLY DEMOLITION INC. 3200 Lloydtown-Aurora Rd. King ON L7B 0G3 T: 905-841-3735 F: 905-841-6282 www.priestly.ca $68,000,000 B, C, G, K, N, O

QUENNELL CONTRACTING 7381 192 St. Surrey BC V4N 5Y4 T: 604-617-7515 F: 604-576-9691 www.quennell-contracting.ca $430,000 C, G, H, J, K, N, U, X, Z

P. MARSH CONSTRUCTION (1989) LTÉE 118 Ch. Chiasson Shippagan NB E8S 3H3 T: 506-344-7093 F: 506-336-8363 www.pmarsh.com $500,000 C, M, N, O, U, V

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Conexpo

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IMAGINE WHAT’S NEXT. Get the ultimate view of where construction is going. Go hands-on with the new technologies spread out over 2,400,000 square feet of exhibition space. Learn next-gen techniques, tools and ideas from over 100 education sessions. From earthshaking big iron to groundbreaking innovations, CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017 is where over 130,000 construction industry professionals from around the world go to stay ahead of their competition.

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TOP CONTRACTORS LISTINGS RENOVATION ET RESTAURATION APRÃˆS SINISTE, RENOVCO INC. 11355 Cote-de-Liesse Dorval QC H9P 1B2 T: 514-856-9993 F: 514-745-5223 www.renovco.com $5,700,000 C, G, H, M, U, V

SCOTT BUILDERS INC. 8105 49 Ave. Close Red Deer AB T4P 2V5 T: 403-343-7270 F: 403-346-4310 www.scottbuilders.com $220,000,000 A, C, E, F, H, M, N, O, S, T, Y

SCOTT HOWARD CONTRACTING LTD. Box 5002 Morden MB R6M 1Y9 T: 204-332-3030 www.shcontracting.ca A, C, E, G, H, M, U

SKYLINE CONCRETE SERVICES LTD. #26, 5610 - 46 St. SE Calgary AB T2C 4P9 T: 403-692-3202 F: 403-692-3201 www.skylineconcrete.ca C, E, J, N, O, S, X, Z

STRUANS BUILDING GROUP INC. 323 Bunting Rd. St. Catharines ON L2M 3Y5 T: 905-685-4247 F: 905-685-1765 $956,000 C, M, U

STRUCTURECRAFT BUILDERS INC. 8279 River Way Delta BC V4G 1G9 T: 604-940-8889 F: 604-940-8857 www.structurecraft.com A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

STUART OLSON INC. 600, 4820 Richard Rd. SW Calgary AB T3E 6L1 T: 403-685-7777 F: 403-685-7771 www.stuartolson.com $1,151,400,000 A, C, E, H, J, M, N, O, R, S, V

SUTHERLAND-SCHULTZ LTD. 140 Turnbull Court Cambridge ON N1T 1J2 T: 519 653-4123 F: 519 653-3232 www.sutherland-schultz.com

TAGGART GROUP OF COMPANIES 3187 Albion Rd. Ottawa ON K1V 8Y3 T: 613-521-3000 $310,000,000 C, M, U, V, W, X

TAURUS PROJECTS GROUP INC. 11401 - 85th Ave. Fort Saskatchewan AB T8L 4P9 T: 780-998-5001 F: 780-998-0210 www.taurusprojects.ca $58,000,000 A, F, M, N, S, U

THERMO COUSTICS LTD. 2750 Highway 11 N North Bay ON P1B 8G3 T: 705-474-1180 F: 705-474-1185 www.thermocoustics.com C, F, G, K, M, N, O, U

TIMKO HOME IMPROVEMENTS LTD. 938 19 St. SW Medicine Hat AB T1B 4M5 T: 403-527-1211 F: 403-504-9334 www.timkohome.com $350,000 C, E, G, H, M, U

TIMMIND CONTRACTING LTD. 109 Roblin St. Timmins ON P4R 1N2 T: 705-360-1063 F: 705-268-4517 C, E, G, H, M, R, U

TRUE NORTH PROPERTIES GROUP LTD. 1057A Niuraivik Lane Iqaluit NU X0A 0H0 T: 867-979-3400 F: 867-979-8800 C, K, M, N, U

UNDERHILL LANDSCAPING & EXCAVATING

S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

VVI CONSTRUCTION LTD. 203-401 Glenmore Rd. Kelowna BC V1V 1Z6 T: 250-861-5768 F: 250-861-5410 www.vicvanislegroup.com/vviconstruction $34,910,701 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, U, V, Y

WALES MCLELLAND CONSTRUCTION 6211 Fraserwood Place Richmond BC V6W 1J2 T: 604-638-1212 www.walesmclelland.com $95,000,000 C, N

WALSH CANADA 2700 Steeles Ave. West, Unit 2 Vaughan ON L4K 3C8 T: 905-532-0662 F: 905-532-0051 www.walshgroup.com $155,000,000 C, F, H, M, N, O, T, V, W, X, Z

WAL-TECH DRAINAGE 391 Carroll St. West Strathroy ON N7G 1B2 T: 519-661-9199 $800,000 B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Z

WESTCOR CONSTRUCTION LTD. 2420 39 Ave. NE Calgary AB T2E 6X1 T: 403-663-8677 F: 403-663-8678 www.westcor.net $38,000,000 C, H, M, O

WESTRIDGE CONSTRUCTION LTD. 435 Henderson Dr. Regina SK S4N 5W8 T: 306-352-2434 F: 306-352-0199 www.westridge.ca $68,266,779 B, C, E, F, H, M, O, V, X, Z

490 Rte 118 Gray Rapids NB E9B 1H2 T: 506-843-6712 F: 506-843-6568 $90,000 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R,

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ASPHALT

UNIVERSITY PROF DEVELOPS CUTTING-EDGE

ASPHALT COMPACTOR Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller improves the longevity and resilience of pavement By Nate Hendley

he Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is wrapping up a research study that began two years ago to test the performance of a cutting-edge asphalt compactor called the Asphalt Multi-Integrated Roller (AMIR). AMIR is the brainchild of Abd El Halim, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa, who says his nine-tonne invention

will improve the longevity and resilience of pavement. As part of its research, MTO used the AMIR in “the paving of four bridge decks on MTO highways” in eastern, central and northeast Ontario, says Frank Pinder, area contracts engineer, MTO, Eastern Region Operations Office in Kingston, Ont. “The study included a comparison with conventional compaction technology, field

and laboratory testing, results evaluation and reporting and a final presentation to the MTO technical staff,” adds Pinder, noting a “final report is expected soon. In the meantime, next steps are being considered.” If all goes well, those next steps might involve the Ministry using AMIR compactors to pave MTO roads across the province. The Ministry of Transportation is “very on-sitemag.com / 53

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Professor Abd Halim conceived the idea for the AMIR back in 1982, while in graduate school at the University of Waterloo. The compactor completes the compaction of asphalt in fewer passes than traditional technology.

interested in the potential of this unique Canadian technology to improve the performance and longevity of asphalt pavements, ultimately reducing maintenance and construction costs for MTO and the taxpayers of Ontario. In general, if an asphalt pavement could last even one year longer, that would translate into an average savings of around $50 million per year for MTO provincially,” states Pinder. Halim is also the director of Carleton University’s Centre for Advanced Asphalt Research and Technology (CAART), which studies ways to improve pavement. He

conceived the idea for AMIR back in 1982, while in graduate school at the University of Waterloo. “I was developing the technology of ‘Polymer Grid Reinforced Asphalt pavements’ with the objective of preventing surface cracking, which can appear less than two years after construction. However, as I was completing my PhD on the topic, I discovered the main cause of the surface cracks … these very fine surface cracks were created by steel drum-rollers, vibratory, static or oscillating rollers. It is assumed that pneumatic rollers heal those

cracks, which our research since the ‘80’s [has shown to be incorrect],” says Halim. “These findings led me to develop a new theory, which explains how the cracks occur and how we can prevent them. The result was the inception of the AMIR idea, in which steel drums are replaced with a track made of a specially designed rubber belt. No vibrations or oscillations are needed. The AMIR compactor … completes the compaction of the asphalt in fewer passes [than a traditional compactor]. The AMIR compactor provides highway engineers and designers with [pavement]

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ASPHALT

that lasts longer with less maintenance and repairs,” he adds. Halim says surface cracking of pavement due to rollers is a global problem that results in increased costs for road construction and maintenance. A full-scale prototype of AMIR was put together in the early 1990s by Lovat Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of tunnel-boring machines later acquired by Caterpillar Inc. An Australian version, dubbed HIPAC, was produced in the late 1990s. The Canadian AMIR project went dormant, due to lack of funds, until 2012 when the Ontario Ministry of Transportation took an interest in the machine. What followed next was an agreement between MTO, Carleton University and R.W. Tomlinson Limited, the Ottawa-based transportation infrastructure firm, to upgrade the Canadian prototype. MTO entered into a research project with Carleton University on October, 2014 to test the upgraded AMIR (officially dubbed “AMIR II”) under realworld conditions. Among other tests, the AMIR was tried out on a cold day in late November, 2014 on Highway 34. “The Highway 34 project went well. On that project, the AMIR compacted a single 80-mm lift of Superpave 12.5FC2, to 92.6 per cent compaction, meeting MTO specifications with a uniform, tight surface texture, having a permeability three times less than the conventionally compacted surface paved on the bridge. This was also achieved during cold conditions (-3°C) when paving would not normally take place,” reports Pinder. “The AMIR technology promises several benefits, but from a [highway management] perspective, the most notable would be the lower permeability asphalt surface that the AMIR produces. In simple terms, asphalt pavements deteriorate over time due to damage caused by the ingress of water and freeze-thaw effects. If the permeability of the pavement is lower, the damaging effects of water will be reduced and the pavements will last longer,” continues Pinder. Halim has been working with R.W.

Halim is working with R.N. Tomlinson on a commercial prototype called AMIR.

Tomlinson on a commercial prototype called AMIR X, scheduled to be unveiled later this month. Halim cites several reasons why contractors would be wise to acquire an AMIR compactor: “One, if you use an AMIR unit to replace three different conventional rollers, there are savings in capital investment, operation costs, and overhead of the equipment. Two, AMIR does the job right in less time and fewer passes and provides a finished asphalt that meets the MTO specs and sometimes exceeds them. And three, it will give you an edge in competition when you bid against others contractors using

conventional compaction equipment when the contractor is required to guarantee the end product for several years as many contracts require today.” For now, those involved with the AMIR project await MTO’s final report on the machine’s performance. Depending on its conclusion, the report might portend a bright future for the advanced asphalt compactor, and the province’s highways.

Nate Hendley is a Toronto-based freelance writer and author. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com.

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Panama Canal Expansion Project Panama

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Expanding our company for stronger chemistry MAPEI, an Italy-based global leader in the construction industry since 1937, has joined forces with GRT, a U.S.-based manufacturer of high-performance admixtures. The result is an enhanced offering of innovative, technology-driven concrete admixtures plus the ongoing ability to custom-manufacture products to meet the unique requirements of our customers. In addition to increasing our reach and product line portfolio, we are also expanding to new production facilities in Texas and New Jersey. With these additions to our existing facilities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and St. Louis, Missouri, we will be able to better serve customers across the entire United States. MAPEI/GRT products are routinely used to produce high-performance concrete mixes that are called upon to perform in all weather conditions. We continually incorporate the latest product technology available in our efforts to fulfill customer needs and are focused on continuing the development of next-generation chemical admixture products. Whether you are a current or a future customer, you can expect a high level of service, technical support and commitment from this new partnership. For details on how we can help you, contact Customer Service at 1-800-324-8154, email us at info@grtinc.com or visit www.grtinc.com.

Admixtures for Concrete

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TIME TRACKING

It’s about time Construction firms, in comparison with their counterparts in other industries, have been late adopters of technology, and user acceptance in the field has been one of the major hurdles. Time tracking may be the app that changes all that. BY JACOB STOLLER

ourly wages constitute the largest expense category for most contractors. Yet the amount paid is determined, in most cases, by a source that is scientifically proven to be highly unreliable – human memory. In fact, according to a phenomenon that psychologists call the misinformation effect, an employee might have trouble remembering whether the sign at the corner is a stop sign or a yield sign, let alone when he or she actually returned from lunch a week before. Paper-based systems are still the most prevalent method for tracking worker hours in the construction trade. While there have been no definitive studies, it is estimated that at least 50 per cent of contractors still use paper-based systems, and some believe the number is significantly higher than that. The problem is that the recording of hours spent is usually left until long after the worker has left the jobsite. “It’s almost

never done in real time,” says Cliff Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of ClockShark, an automated time-tracking application for contractors. “Best case it’s done at the end of the day. Worst case is it’s done at the end of the week, or the end of the bi-weekly payroll period. So there’s a lot of estimation, and a lot of rounding up, which is human nature.” “Inaccuracy occurs, either because of fraud, or unintentionally,” says Scott

Prewett, CTO, ExakTime Inc., a provider of time-tracking software for contractors. “It’s human nature to round the numbers in our favour, even when we have the best intentions. And if you asked a few days ago what time I went to lunch and what time I got back, I can tell you within 15 to 20 minutes, but I certainly can’t tell you exactly. And that’s true for most people.” The cost of inaccuracy is significant. According to a study by the American

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TIME TRACKING

Payroll Association, “It’s human nature to round the contractors overpay between one and eight per cent of their numbers in our favour, even when we payroll costs due to the rounding up effect have the best intentions. alone. And if employees are intentionally over-reporting their hours, the numbers are significantly higher. repetitive work. Inaccuracy, however, isn’t Legal compliance risks can also ensue the only problem. Manual time tracking if a manual system isn’t maintained also adds administrative costs and hassles. properly. For example, if an employee Typically, a supervisor or administrator or subcontractor has a dispute with a will gather sheets of paper, transfer the company over overtime or meal allowances, information to a spreadsheet, and then a loose paper-based system won’t provide go through the process of tracking down the backup that might be needed in court. delinquent information. Then, the data ELIMINATE INACCURACY has to be manually keyed into a payroll or Time tracking apps digitize the entire time project management system. “So you have and attendance process, eliminating both the same data entered three times – all the inaccuracy and the administrative overfor good reasons,” says Prewett. Multiple head of the paper-based processes. Workers data entry, of course, increases the chance clock in and out, in real time on the jobsite for error, and ties up administrators with

with a remote device, communicating directly with a time and attendance database that resides, typically, in the cloud. There are dozens of choices, many of which, like ClockShark and ExakTime, are widely used in construction. Ease of use is perhaps the most important feature to consider in these packages. “You can have great reporting and other features, but if a product is hard to use for somebody out in the field who is clocking in and out, you’re going to get pushback,” says Prewett. “This has to be easier than pencil and paper.” In many cases, all the worker has to do is select a job from a menu and push a button to clock in. The entry is automatically time stamped. When the worker leaves, he or she simply clocks out, and the system handles the rest. In some cases, the worker, perhaps a member of a specialty trade, might switch jobs in the middle of a shift, allowing his or her time to be billed to the appropriate cost centres. Large buttons, colour-coding, and multi-language capabili-

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TIME TRACKING

“It’s not difficult to use these apps, it’s just about

ties are examples of features that promote ease of use. Several factors have made adoption easier. While specialized time clocking devices have some distinct advantages, this is no longer a requirement thanks to the ubiquity of smart phones – most apps allow workers to use their own personal

devices. As well, most apps are now cloud-based, removing the hardware requirement on the server end. Implementation, therefore, may be a matter of signing up for the required subscriptions, typically priced per

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modifying behaviour.”

month per user, and providing some basic training. Another important feature is GPS, which can serve two functions. Most commonly, it is used to confirm the worker clocking in is in fact at the right location. This prevents fraud, and also ensures the worker didn’t make an error when clocking in. GPS is also used to track a worker throughout the day by “pinging” the worker’s device at regular intervals, typically three or four times per hour. This might be particularly useful for tracking the whereabouts of workers who are constantly mobile, and may be assigned various tasks depending on their location. Workers, however, might resent the intrusion of this more intensive monitoring. As well, the approach can be a battery drain on the mobile device. How well a package integrates with a company’s accounting systems is another important consideration. In many cases, a supervisor or administrator reviews the virtual time sheets, approves them, and moves the data into an accounting or payroll package with a single keystroke. However, this is not always the case – prospective buyers should make sure they know exactly what is required to get the data into their accounting systems.

MAKING THE SWITCH

Husqvarna’s all-around power cutters have you covered, no matter the application. The K 760 and the more powerful K 970 power cutters are the perfect solution for most jobs. The K 760 boasts the lowest vibrations, below 2.5 m/s2, on the market and both feature a fuel-sipping X-Torq® engine. The K 970 features a more powerful 6.4 hp engine, perfect for highway or demolition work. To see more features and learn more visit www.husqvarnacp.ca or call your local representative. facebook.com/husqvarnaconstruction Copyright © 2016 Husqvarna AB (publ.). All rights reserved. Husqvarna is a registered trademark of Husqvarna AB (publ.).

Even though the transition to automated time tracking is relatively painless, companies often find resistance. “People don’t like change,” says Mitchell. “Construction workforces are tough in that regard.” Since every worker has to comply to make these systems work, even a little resistance can disrupt an implementation. Consequently, management has to act decisively. “It’s not difficult to use these app, it’s just about modifying behaviour,” says Mitchell, “Sometimes I’ll hear companies

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TIME TRACKING

saying something like ‘it didn’t work because the guys just couldn’t get the hang of it.’ But what they really mean is that people just didn’t want to do it. So I ask, ‘why did you give them the option?’” Often, management will take the leap in response to a crisis. “What often happens is somebody will happen to arrive on a site unannounced and find out that only half of the workers are there. And then they get the time sheets, which show that everybody was there until 4:30,” says Prewett. “So they’ll come to us and want to have their system in place the following Monday.” Prewett recommends, however, that companies take a measured approach. “If you’re thinking about automating your attendance system, its better to take a handful of small steps rather than overhaul everything at once,” he says. “It’s much better to bring something on as a trial and test the system out with your company, your employees, and your work environments, and once it proves itself out, to then do a full deployment.” Gaining user buy-in for process automation in the construction trade has never been easy. Automated time tracking, however, with its clear business case and a relatively low bar to adoption, may provide a foot in the door for contractors who have yet to realize the many benefits that technology can provide for their business.

Jacob Stoller is principal of Toronto-based consultancy StollerStrategies. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com.

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WEBSITE TIPS

GENERATE BETTER CONSTRUCTION LEADS WITH THESE

3 WEBSITE CONTENT TYPES OF

In a long-sales cycle industry like construction, lots of information gathering happens throughout the buying process. Whether you realize it or not, your prospects are learning about you before they ever pick up the phone. And that learning process will most likely begin on your company website. BY JOE SULLIVAN

arly on, prospects are trying to qualify you. They’re learning about your services and areas of expertise, as well as your client experience. This is the no brainer website content that you absolutely need – descriptions of your capabilities and summaries of projects you’ve completed. But in this article, I’ll assume you’ve already put those “must haves” in place. I want to instead focus on three types of content that will separate you from your competitors as the buying processes of your construction leads progress.

1. EDUCATIONAL ARTICLES Most of your competitors are all talk. “We’ve built all across the country.” “We listen to your needs.” “No one else could possibly service you the way we can.” Blah. Blah. Blah. The problem with this approach is that your audience is smart. They smell the B.S. from miles away. And every contractor they find says the same thing as the last. So don’t be like them. Instead of wasting your energy talking all about you, focus on helping your construction leads. Put yourself in their shoes. What problems are they trying to solve? What questions do they need answered on a regular basis? What do they want to learn that will help them make a purchasing decision? Five-paragraph educational articles (AKA blog posts) are the perfect solve. Educate and inform rather than blabbering about how awesome you are at delivering your services.

2. IN-DEPTH WHITE PAPERS Condensing your answer to a common FAQ into a few paragraphs can sometimes be difficult. Your solutions to customer problems are often complex. And some of your construction leads might want to dig deeper, seeking more detailed and technical information. So give it to them. White papers are like educational blog posts – just more detailed. Dive into the common topics that lead to long sales conversations and flesh out those topics with 2-3 page (or longer) educational papers. For example, we helped one of our clients – a design-build contractor – produce a white paper called How To Hire A Manufacturing Facility And Distribution Center Builder. Gather the technical details that your prospects seek from the experts at your company. And turn them into content that will engage your audience and prompt sales conversations. Oh, and a bonus comes along with writing white papers – they’re great lead generation tools. While you should post your educational articles / blog posts on your website for anyone to read, you should use your downloadable white papers as lead generation tools.

3. CASE STUDIES, BUT WRITTEN IN A SMARTER WAY I recently read a fantastic book called Same Side Selling: A Radical

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Approach to Break Through Sales Barriers. (this is a highly recommended read). The authors spent a few pages talking specifically about case studies and argued that an effective case study should be broken down this way: 10% Client background 50% Client issue, impact and importance 40% Outcome of solution Most traditional case studies allocate a majority of their real estate to describing a solution. But those solutions are customerspecific and therefore not relatable to many prospective customers. The breakdown outlined above instead emphasizes the clientâ€™s problem (or issue), how fixing it would impact them, the importance

of fixing that problem and the outcome that was actually produced. In short, this case study structure demonstrates problem-solving capabilities and the ability to understand the issue at hand for the customer. And it focuses on success, which is just the thing you need to sell. Generating construction leads is obviously no easy task, but these three types of content will help qualify and separate your business.

Joe Sullivan is thinker and partner at Gorilla 76. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com.

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RISK By David Bowcott

The human capital contraction and investing in R&D

his issue of On-Site has a focus on investment in research and development (R&D). When we think of R&D within the construction sector, most people think of investment in solutions related to design or project management software, construction materials, asset monitoring tools, systems controls, and other physical capital related aspects of the construction industry. Though there will be many dollars spent, and many solutions developed, from these vital sectors of the construction economy, we can’t forget that the foundation of this industry is its people, and, for now, productivity will continue to be driven by the people of this industry. Further, you can invest R&D dollars into human capital to drive productivity and profitability. Every construction company has physical capital and human capital, and it is the marriage of these two capital sources that will drive the company’s success. Related to people, I am lucky to work in an industry that acts like a thermometer to the industries we serve. The insurance sector issues policies that insure a myriad of risks. When we take all of the policies issued for a particular industry, say construction, and we monitor the claims results from all of these policies, we truly do get a temperature check on where that specific industry is failing (after all a claim is something that went wrong and cost the project/company money). In recent years we have noticed the construction industry is running a fever in one area in particular, and that’s in the area of human capital experience. Everybody has seen the numbers around human capital demographics so I don’t have

to spend a lot of time evidencing the fact that all industries, not only construction, are facing a workforce where the experienced workers are retiring and the succession to those workers don’t seem to have the same level of experience as their retiring colleagues. Our data is showing a noticeable spike in design-related claims and workmanship-related claims. When we peel back the onion on these claims we are finding the level of experience of the design firm that created a design error was not what it used to be, further we see the level of experience

from the folks performing the workmanship related to construction of the design is also lacking. The global construction sector is in the middle of a strong contraction in experienced human capital. So back to research and development investments. When deploying your R&D money in hopes of coming up with some fantastic innovation to improve productivity at your company, you should also measure the impact of that technology on your employees. Focusing on innovations that helps your employees make up for the current shortfall in experience are also worthy R&D investments. Here are a few examples of investments that could drive improved

productivity by training or supplementing your current employees experience levels: Collective Intelligence Systems – software that can aggregate the experiences of your entire employee base for the benefit of those that are less experienced. Education and Training – Though it may not be as sexy as some of the R&D related to building sciences or innovative building material hybrids, it is a solution that is constantly improving. The speed at which you can develop knowledgeable employees is a vital ingredient to success. Data Investments – Invest in sources of data that allow your people and your company to benefit from the experiences of others. Visualization Solutions – Virtual reality BIM systems are here and the ability to imagine problems in a virtual world will give your employees virtual experience, which can be far less costly in comparison to real experience (virtual mistakes cost nothing if corrected). Collaborative Systems – systems that improve the collaboration between design, construction coordination, subcontractors and suppliers can make up for a lack of experience. The above are but a few areas where your R&D money can be spent to improve a real issue that is no doubt facing your organization – a human capital supply shock!

David Bowcott is senior vice-president and national director of Large/Strategic Accounts at AON Reed Stenhouse Inc. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com.

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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX & WEBSITES Adrian Steel...................... www.AdrianSteel.com.....................................................16

Hyundai.............................. www.hceamericas.com.................................................. 35

AON.................................... www.aon.ca.................................................................24, 39

Mark’s Commercial........ www.markscommercial.ca.............................................15

B2W Software................. www.b2wsoftware.com/ONE..........................................9

John Deere....................... www.JohnDeere.ca............................................................4

Bobcat................................ www.Bobcat.com..............................................................51

Kobelco.............................. www.kobelco-usa.com................................................... 55

Brute................................... www.rubbermaidcommercial.com.............................. 61

Komatsu............................. www.komatsuamerica.com........................................... 72

Canadian

KPI/JCI............................... www.kpijci.com................................................................ 57

Western Bank.................. www.cwbank.com........................................................... 63

Kubota................................ www.kubota.ca..................................................................17

Chevron............................. www.chevron.ca.................................................................6

Liebherr............................. www.liebherr.ca............................................................... 45

CMiC................................... www.cmicglobal.com...................................................... 40

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CONEXPO.......................... www.conexpoconagg.com............................................ 49

Michelin............................. www.michelin.ca/defenderltxms.................................19

Cummins............................ www.cumminsengines.com/bauma............................ 47

Navistar............................. ca.InternationalTrucks.com........................................... 33

Detroit Diesel................... www.demanddetroit.com.............................................. 30

PCL...................................... www.PCL.com................................................................... 26

Doosan Infracore............ www.DoosanEquipment.com/Warranty................... 22

Priestly Demolition......... www.priestly.ca................................................................ 43

Freightliner....................... www.FreightlinerTrucks.com/Tex-Mix.........................2

Takeuchi............................ www.takeuchi-us.com.....................................................71

Geith................................... www.geith.com................................................................. 37

Topcon................................ www.topconpositioning.com.........................................18

HCSS.................................. www.HCSS.com................................................................14

Volvo Construction......... www.volvoce.com/ExFactor..........................................13

Husqvarna......................... www.husqvarnacp.ca..................................................... 62

Volvo Trucks..................... www.DoWork.VolvoTrucks.ca...................................... 21

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CONTRACTORS & THE LAW Dirk Laudan and John Pratt

Substantial compliance can be pretty strict: complying with terms of tender

“discretion clause” in terms of significant to the owner’s decision-making. compliant bid in the first place would not tender can give the owner the disUnder the first part of the test, where the have been able to do so. It was unfair, in cretion to overlook technical nontender requires specific information, and the court’s opinion, to allow the bidder here compliance by bids, and allow them there is an indication that the information to give itself such an advantage over other to accept bids unless they are materially or is material, then that information will be bidders who might have submitted originally substantially non-compliant. Notwithstandconsidered “important or essential” without compliant bids. ing this, a decision by the British Columbia further evidence. Under the second part of One point to take away from this case Court of Appeal in April 2016 shows how the test, the list of subcontractors would is that even if an owner is allowed by the the requirement for substantial or material indeed be significant to the decision of terms of tender to overlook purely technicompliance can be applied quite strictly. which bid to accept, as it was material to cal non-compliance, a bidder’s failure to In the case True Construction Ltd. follow mandatory procedures can vs. Kamloops (City), the low bidder be considered a substantial or for a contract to build a new fire hall material breach if it might give the “A bidders failure to follow in Kamloops submitted a sealed bid bidder an advantage over others. It more than a day before the deadline is also notable that the “substanmandatory procedures can be for bids, but did not include in its tial compliance” standard was considered a substantial or material sealed bid a list of subcontractors. applied quite strictly here. For breach if it might give the bidder an Including such a list was required contractors, this underscores by the instruction to bidders. Later, the importance of complying as advantage over others.” but still before the bid closing, the strictly as possible with instrucbidder submitted the required list of tions to bidders. For owners, it subcontractors to the City in a faxed highlights the risks of dealing with the performance of the final project appendix. The City nevertheless rejected bids whose material compliance may be contract. In fact, the Court went so far as the bid as substantially noncompliant. The open to question. The owner may have to to say that there would have to be evidence bidder sued. decide upon the substantial compliance of of the “immateriality” of a requirement of Because the tender included a discrea bid absolutely correctly if they are to avoid the tender, before non-compliance with it tion clause, the issue was whether the possible liability; there may be no margin would be considered merely technical. bidder’s failure to include the list of for error. The bidder’s subsequent fax did not subcontractors in the original sealed bid This article is for information purposes cure the defect. The court reasoned that constituted material non-compliance with only and may not be relied on for legal “allowing bidders to submit bids that are the terms of tender, particularly in light of advice. incapable of acceptance and then complete the bidder’s subsequent submission of that them” by later submission “subverts the list by fax prior to the close of the tender. Dirk Laudan is a partner at the law firm of scheme” of the tender. It might have given The court began by stating a two-part Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), practicthe bidder a “competitive advantage”, in test to decide if a bid has “substantially ing in the areas of construction, insurance that it would have allowed the bidder to complied” with the instructions to bidders: and commercial litigation and arbitration. negotiate with subcontractors and, if those (1) did the bid fail to address an “important John Pratt is an associate at BLG practicing negotiations were unsatisfactory, walk away or essential” requirement of the instrucin the areas of construction, insurance, tort from the bid by failing to cure the defect. tions; and (2) was there a “substantial and commercial litigation. By contrast, a bidder that had submitted a likelihood” that the defect would have been

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“IT’S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS” MY CUSTOMERS LOVE KOMATSU!

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On-Site June 2016