Professor Mo Ehsani is, for many, the welcoming face of QuakeWrap and QuakeWrap, Inc. His reputation – both at home and abroad – precedes him. Ehsani has been featured on CNN, The History Channel and National Public Radio in the United States, among others, for his expertise on adding life to structures in need of strengthening – be that as a result of corrosion and age-related defects, change or modification of use, or myriad other reasons.

Ehsani, the President and CEO of Tucson-based QuakeWrap, Inc., pioneered the introduction of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) products for infrastructure repair, retrofit and renewal to the construction industry. His knowledge and enthusiasm, combined with the ability to distil sometimes complex engineering concepts into easy-to-grasp nuggets, make for a winning combination – and go quite a way towards explaining the success of QuakeWrap over the past quarter-century and more.

The relatability that marks Ehsani out – and no doubt has led to his being in demand as a media commentator – may be partly due to his teaching background. Ehsani is Centennial Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at the University of Arizona, and it was here that the early work was done that would lead to pioneering the advanced construction technologies utilizing FRP. Ehsani says it all began in the late 1980s when he began looking at different materials with a view to the strengthening of infrastructure. There was clearly a demand to address dilapidation – things like corrosion of reinforcing steel and degradation of concrete. It was sort of a “novel” idea then, he recalls.

Initially some of the applications were intended to strengthen beams. When a major earthquake in California highlighted a failure of bridge columns, Ehsani and his team came up with the concept of taking the materials and wrapping them around such columns, thus making them earthquake-proof. And hence the name ‘QuakeWrap’ came into being.

In 2009, Ehsani left the University of Arizona to fully devote his attention to the growth of QuakeWrap Inc. or as he puts it: “to give up the guaranteed paycheck and take on some new challenges.” Forward now to the present day and QuakeWrap’s patented FRP products are in demand at home and internationally, field-proven to rehabilitate, retrofit and strengthen assorted structures, with award-winning results. “QuakeWrap solutions represent an extraordinary improvement over traditional infrastructure repair methods,” is the message. The company thrives on creating new, innovative products that result in higher quality, faster construction time and lower cost. This is evident from the numerous patented technologies they have now developed.

The Marine Division is hugely important for the company. Here, major products include sheet pile repair system SPiRe ®. This is used on corroded seawalls and bulkheads. It is “reinforcement that brings corrosion to a near halt,” says the company.

PileMedic® meanwhile is billed as being for “repair of deteriorated steel, timber and concrete columns and submerged piles.” Applications range from columns to bridge piles to utility and communications towers, piers, and underwater columns. This application is of huge importance as, Ehsani explains, “every time you have a structure in water in what is called the ‘splash zone’ that area is very susceptible to corrosion. We can repair and strengthen this.”

“QuakeWrap’s patented FRP products are in demand at home and internationally.”

The PileMedic® laminates are manufactured with specially designed equipment commonly used in aerospace and military applications. Sheets of carbon or glass fabric 4-feet wide are saturated with a proprietary resin and passed through a press that applies uniform heat and pressure to produce a laminate with strength greater than plate steel. PileMedic® is known for easy and fast application too. All the necessary elements and materials come in kit form. “We provide the engineering from here and if needed we can collaborate with local engineers; installation is most often done by local contractors,” says Ehsani. In addition to this, the laminate system is One-Size-Fits-All which means no more delays if a pre-manufactured shell doesn’t fit. “They can adapt the product to whatever shape and size is needed and it is very user friendly.” After applying epoxy to the surface of the “jacket” it is wrapped twice around the structure in question.

The success of PileMedic® is evidenced by its popularity. In the US it is in use on both Pacific and Atlantic coasts – from the port of Seattle to Virginia. In addition, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has tested and approved the system. Away from such major waterbodies, there are further applications of course. “The company has grown a lot in terms of applications,” explains Ehsani. “Once you understand the behavior of these materials, you can use it for a lot of unique applications. That’s where our company has excelled – we have developed a lot of applications with about twenty different patents on different systems that we have developed.”

Here, in addition to PileMedic® and SPiRe®, there is SuperLaminate® for spot repair of pressure pipes, StifPipe® for repair of gravity or pressure pipes subjected to external gravity loads, and InfinitPipe® a revolutionary onsite manufactured pipe of virtually any size and length. One major project at the moment is the construction of a sixteen-foot diameter pipe for a project in Detroit. “No one has built a pipe like that,” stresses Professor Ehsani.

What these products and applications have in common is that they are, in different ways, adding longer life to infrastructure that is already in place, bringing infrastructure up to the standards required now and into the future.

Apart from corrosion of materials over time there are other factors driving this need, explains Ehsani. “One thing is that the knowledge of the engineering discipline has expanded over the years.” Regarding the codes available to engineers, back in the 1970s, for example, says Ehsani, even if something was built compliant with the state of knowledge, that state of knowledge was not as good as it is now. Retrofitting can address this.

“In hydro-electric plants”, says Ehsani, “you can now take older pipes that were not designed to take a lot of pressure, or ones that have lost strength because of corrosion perhaps, and apply our fabric inside. We can make them very strong so you can then increase the capacity of the plant, allowing more water at higher pressure to flow through.”

And then, there are those projects that relate to modifications, like adding extra weight to a floor – for example when installing a gym – or changes in light of technological advancements, like the strengthening of cell phone towers due to the introduction of new technology – meaning more weight being added.

It’s perhaps little wonder that the company has been going from strength to strength – and not just in North America. Professor Ehsani cites many examples, including enquiries from Europe, clients in The Philippines and the port of Melbourne, where products have been specified in connection with work on sea walls.

“Right now,” he says, “we are also preparing to head to Capetown in South Africa to see a marine contractor – we are setting up a distribution partnership there.

“Things are getting busier all the time,” says Ehsani. “Clients really see the value in good solutions.”

Hugely respected concrete subcontractors in the Austin and Central Texas market, BCS Concrete Structures have come a long way in seventeen years. The company has gone “from zero to doing $40m worth of work a year,” says Executive Vice President, Ben Horton. It has done so whilst never losing sight of its core values which have played an integral part in its development. BCS Concrete Structures specializes in turnkey concrete structures and Form, Place and Finish. Work ranges from relatively smaller projects for their commercial customers through to high-rise buildings where they have been playing a major part in shaping the modern face of Austin.

Ex-marine Ben Horton is now a part-owner of the company alongside his father, Sonny Horton who is current CEO and Sonny’s business partner, COO Joel Garcia. Sonny and Joel founded BCS in the early 2000s after working for Constructors and Associates. Ben proudly exemplifies the values that run right through this company. “The Marine Corps’ core values are honor, courage and commitment and I like to bring those to wherever I am in life,” he says. “Here, if we make a commitment to something, then we are going to do it.” Ben also adds “empathy” to that list of values when it comes to BCS. There is a deep understanding here – and an appreciation – of the other trades on the job site and their challenges too. It’s a holistic view that makes these guys incredible team players who see the whole picture and know how the part they play impacts others. This is, naturally, enhanced by the fact the Sonny and Joel worked for a general contractor before setting up the company so there is that wide overview and awareness that comes with the territory.

It comes as no surprise that BCS is synonymous with an absolute commitment to safety. “It is so important to us,” says Ben, “because we care about the people who work here and providing them with a safe work environment is paramount. For a subcontractor, having a strong safety program, I think, gives the general contractor a reassurance. So, it is obviously a selling point – but also, it’s the right thing to do for the people who work here – and that is number one.

“We are not afraid to spend to keep our people safe,” stresses Ben. “We have had zero recordable incidents in the last twelve months.” Clearly that is a testament to the huge investment in safety here. “BCS Concrete Structures is always on the lookout for opportunities to improve our safety approach,” adds Ben.

Meanwhile, the safety team is led by industry veterans including Todd Smith, VP of Human Resources and Safety, who was a professor at the University of Texas. He has written books on safety and speaks at conferences right across the country. Bottom line: Safety is top of everyone’s mind – all the time, says Ben, whether it’s at ground level or working several hundred feet in the air such as on the Waterloo Tower at the University of Texas, Austin.

“Bottom line: Safety is top of everyone’s mind – all the time.”

Together with partner and developer, Lincoln Ventures, BCS were tasked with creating this 31-story, multi-use building, one of the tallest in the area. The project saw BCS partner with Doka. This partnership included using the Doka Super Climber self-climbing core system and the Doka SuperDek framing system. “If you can relieve some of the stress off the crane by having formwork that climbs itself – and less formwork – then you can be more productive in a given workday,” notes Ben. For the residential area, BCS used the SuperDek system. The props that hold the deck up are on an 8 x 8 grid instead of 6 x 6 and that opens the floor below for access, so other trades can start that bit sooner.

Again, there is that huge awareness of others who are onsite. “We are the concrete guys, but we are concerned with the other trades being able to start sooner,” says Ben. “We shaved some weeks off the schedule there. It saved the general contractor money.”

This again underlines how BCS – with a workforce that measures between two and three hundred, depending on workloads – prides itself on its client-centered focus. “We believe building projects begins with building lasting relationships with our customers,” says Ben. “We listen with big ears when our customers talk about what they need, what their concerns are for a project and how they want to do business.”

The awareness and appreciation of others extends further again. BCS is also committed to giving back to the community and involved in multiple initiatives. One of the most recent in this regard was in the area where its offices have recently moved to, Mustang Ridge. Ben explains how there is a local police officer in the community who is bravely fighting a battle against cancer.

“We hosted a huge fundraising event for him and set up a GoFundMe account and we also had all our vendors and some of our partners come out. The Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter was here, as were SWAT teams from Austin and Travis County. All our tool vendors came and set up booths and people donated items and we held raffles and raised a bunch of money.”

Other causes that are near and dear to the hearts of all at BCS range from a local children’s hospital to the Conservation Association which takes care of coastal waterways in Texas and around the United States. “We all live by the rule of ‘leave the garden in better shape than you received it,’ says Ben. “We need to do that with our environment, the people around us and our communities. If we can make something better and leave it in better shape than we found it, then we do so.”

As for future plans and growth at BCS the company wants “to grow in terms of the volume of work but at the same time to make sure we do so in a sustainable way,” says Ben. “We want to scale whilst also keeping the culture we have and keeping that small company ethos and those values.

“If things keep going in Austin like they are, we’d like to see a smooth, even, $60m dollars a year of work in five years, maybe $80 if we can get there – a well-rounded, balanced workload of small, midsize and larger projects. It’s about being able to scale efficiently and not just ‘balloon’ or ever lose any of the important aspects like care for the community and for one another and empathy for people we work for and who work with us.”

So, what is next for the company? The evidence points to more of the same. Steady customer-led growth based on a high-quality product. Sounds simple? For BCS, it sure is. “We want to continue to expand into other markets if we can. Right now, Austin and Central Texas is our main area, but we will go further – like Huston or San Antonio if a client asks us to. Right now, for example, we are building a big data center and a crypto mining facility in Temple, Texas and that customer has asked us to look at a project in Corpus Christi, Texas. Where our customers take us, we are happy to go!”

As the name and reputation at BCS continues to spread, this seems more likely to happen. Again, it comes back to doing what you say you are going to do, says Ben. “Austin, we like to say is the biggest small town in America,” he states. “Everyone knows everyone, and reputation is important. In the end it’s all you have.”

The evolution of AGC (Associated General Contractors of America) chapters was so often tied to the history of their local communities. To a greater or lesser extent, the eighty-nine chapters reflect the personalities of those communities which gave rise to them – whilst walking in step with the national organization. It is little wonder, therefore, that the Austin Chapter –seventy-six years in existence—makes for such an interesting case study. It is forward-thinking, open and inclusive with a finger on the pulse of both local and overarching, national trends. It’s no surprise either, to find these same traits embodied in President and CEO, Phil Thoden – a twenty-four-year AGC veteran who takes enormous pride in representing local members. “I really enjoy what I do, and I love the community of contractors I get to work with,” Thoden says. “At the end of the day, contractors do something that is real and lasting. They build our quality of life. That is sometimes underappreciated. I enjoy working with those people who make our community’s dreams a reality.”

With experience as an AGC lobbyist – as part of their Government Affairs Team – in Washington DC prior to arriving in the central Texas city, Thoden has a unique perspective on how the AGC works nationally and locally. Additionally, he is very clear on the role of his chapter and of the national organization and how the work all relates to members on the ground, especially here in Austin. In general, Thoden likens the AGC role to that of insurance or computer virus protection. “You pay into the organization and maybe you forget about us. But every once-in-a-while, we kind of raise our hand, just like in the case of the computer virus software, and say: ‘Hey, there’s a threat out there but you don’t have to worry about it because we are worrying about it for you.’ It’s the mindset I like to have. Our contractors are busy building projects and don’t have time to look at some of those coming threats.”

No prizes for guessing that the biggest such threat in recent history was COVID-19. Thoden sums it up as “a situation where, when you need an organization to serve as the voice of your industry, it’s too late to go out and build one.” In addition to this, he recalls that Austin was the only major town in Texas where discussions took place regarding the types of construction projects that could remain open. “One thing that contractors require is clarity. We were in a situation for a week or so when people didn’t know what they could or couldn’t do. That was a time when I was probably most proud in regard to being of service to our members. I was proud to serve as a resource for the community and to work with member contractors and with those who had an ability to influence public policy debate.”

As well as advocating for its members at a time of great concern, the association also led the way both nationally and locally in educating workforces, says Thoden. “We did a deep reworking on how construction could be performed and performed safely.” Then, as with now, a lot of the work can be described as, “seeing around corners and telling the members what might be coming”. The national organization does that really well, says Thoden. “In addition, I put a monthly report together and let people know about things I am seeing on the radar; things I am monitoring that might come down the road.”

“We did a deep reworking on how construction could be performed and performed safely.”

So, what is he, and the team, looking at now? What might be coming on that radar screen? For AGC Austin and its members, the bottleneck of supply chain issues is a challenge that will need to be navigated carefully. “Construction projects were put on hold in 2020 and in 2021. These have been brought back off the shelf but meanwhile the ‘normal’ projects that were due to start are taking off at the same time. That heavy demand has run straight into the supply chain issue. We are now in a place of hyper-inflation and lengthy lead times for construction materials. We also have workforce shortages.”

With global high-tech names like Tesla, Dell, Oracle, Samsung, Facebook and Google on the scene here, it is no surprise that Austin is experiencing extended periods of growth. After all, this area that has been referred to as the “silicone hills” since the 1990s. This, according to Thoden, is largely down to the talent in the area. Adding to this, no doubt, is the quality of life. For Thoden, his own move was prompted by this very thing. “Washington DC is a great city, but it is challenging if you want to have a good work-life balance. Austin is great for this, and it is one of the reasons people love it,” he says. “I moved here in 2003 and didn’t have a job but shortly afterwards this position became available in a serendipitous way.”

The Austin AGC’s position in the community is underlined by the fact that it has been on the same site since 1947 – the year after it all started here. Recent renovations incorporated a two-story-high mural which serves to further emphasize its position in the neighborhood and has, understandably, attracted a lot of positive attention. Having reached their seventy-fifth anniversary, the idea was to do something that reflected and celebrated the built environment; that environment to which so many AGC members contribute. “We call it the Build a Great Life mural because, fundamentally, that’s what construction professionals do. Their career in the industry benefits themselves and their families while, at the same time, they are building a great life for everyone in the community who enjoys the offices, schools, churches, hospitals, hotels, apartments, restaurants, sports venues and many other structures throughout town brought from concept to reality by construction professionals. As for the artist, her dad’s an architect, so she has done a lot of murals on construction sites. She was perfect!”

Not surprisingly, Thoden has plenty of thoughts on current trends, challenges and opportunities in construction, both in Austin, and nationally. Currently, the industry is going through an exciting time. This, according to Thoden, has a lot to do with modern industry role models. People are seeing positive images of construction nowadays, he says. There are construction-related programs on TV with young people who are relatable and that helps enormously too. “More broadly, it is exciting to be in the construction industry now.” Among things that are helpful and positive right now are efforts to reach out to different, under-represented groups and an over-arching culture of “construction is cool.” Not only that, but Thoden also believes that the level of innovation on show in the industry is proving to be a huge attraction. “Technology is fascinating. There are a lot of innovations and, while they won’t replace skill, they will help to cut out a lot of waste in the industry.”

So, is this filtering though into more people taking up careers here in the industry? “I think we are in the beginning of it,” says Thoden. “I think we are going to see more people getting into things that have an ‘impact’. That trickles down to construction. There are some challenges of course.” As expected, AGC Austin is at the forefront when it comes to attracting entrants to the industry. “I think our national organization also has led the way in the ‘culture of CARE’,” he says. CARE, in this instance, being an acronym for: Commit. Attract. Retain. Empower. “The really smart companies are looking in the mirror and asking: “What are we doing to attract new groups?” What do we look like to a young person coming in, or to someone who doesn’t look like most of the others on the jobsite? Are we inviting them in and having their back if they have a problem?” According to Thoden, work is continuously being done to ensure that people see themselves as being a part of the industry. “We will combine the education we provide with our diversity and inclusion committee’s awards. So, currently, we are soliciting for companies locally who excel in their efforts, just like our national group has done.”

As for other activities, 2022 continues apace for AGC Austin. Lean construction is also a big theme at the moment. “We just had a session with the Lean Construction Institute and partnered with them on a workshop that sold out,” says Thoden. “It is based on a book called ‘The Lean Builder’. We talked a lot about ways to cut our waste and to work better with each other.” Looking forward, Thoden sees the work of the AGC as being very much in tandem with the development of the local area. “As Austin grows, so we need to continue to grow. We won’t take success for granted. Part of this will include fostering the next generation.” As Thoden says: it’s their responsibility to do so. “As our predecessors laid the table for us, so we must do the same.”

Commercial Contracting Corporation (CCC) not only builds facilities but installs production machinery, tooling and other equipment for automotive and other manufacturing markets. Solid, dependable and ready to step up when needed, this is the sort of partner you want to have by your side. Over the past seven and a half decades they have continued to push the envelope when it comes to quality and reliability, safety and more, whilst retaining – and strengthening – their core values.

The company was established in 1946. Its predecessor had helped General Motors convert their automobile production to aid the US war effort. As Matt Stone, Vice President Business Development of the company explains, after the Second World War the reverse was the case; they became central to the restoration, creation and refitting of new manufacturing plants.

“The automotive industry was booming,” Matt points out. And CCC “travelled the country with the customers in order to meet the insatiable demand, building the plants and installing tooling inside.” In these, and subsequent years, the company forged what would become a stellar reputation as a “go-to” partner for reliable results, no matter the challenge. 

In addition to extensive expertise with automotive projects, their commitment to quality, dependability and going the extra mile has helped them become a trusted contractor within many other market segments too. Now, CCC is a full-service contractor offering a range of services that cover each step of the construction and the equipment installation process. 

As with any great operators they can tend to make it all look easy. Yet, CCC is actually renowned for embracing difficult and challenging projects. Whatever it is, they will get the job done for their customers, “The ‘can-do’ attitude combined with being prepared to go the extra mile all ties into a lot of repeat business,” agrees Executive Vice President, Joel Lewandowski. 

The company works in a number of areas now: Concrete, Steel, Interiors, Construction Management, Installation and more. CCC’s subject matter experts apply learnings and best practices from multiple markets to deliver the best value engineering, construction means and methods. “We self-perform concrete, steel, carpentry and the millwright and rigging activities,” explains Joel. “On a greenfield project that allows us, on the building side, to control anywhere between twenty-five and forty percent of the project with our own trades.”

Says Joel: “After automotive we probably do the next highest volume of work in Wastewater markets. We are branching out into Food and Beverage too. It is similar in ways to Automotive – when you are actually making something. We do a bit of refinery work as well and we are in markets that are growing – the electric battery movement in the auto world for example is positively impacting our business.” 

“We are based out of Michigan with a strong presence in Indiana”, says Matt Stone. However, he is quick to emphasize that, like any organization that values its relationships with clients, there are no geographical binds.

Most of the work comes from the US Midwest. “We are based out of Michigan with a strong presence in Indiana”, says Matt Stone. However, he is quick to emphasize that, like any organization that values its relationships with clients, there are no geographical binds. “We go into Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri. Of course, having said that, we travel – with the customer – beyond this region. Customers bring us to other markets; we are in California right now, for example, and North Carolina too. Our customers are there. We also have a large operation in Mexico as well. It is mostly auto work there and lately we have been getting more into civil construction there too.”

“We also work in the higher education and university market,” adds Matt Stone. “It is more on the building side – as generally, they don’t really manufacture anything. And so, a major project here has seen Commercial Contracting Corporation selected by the University of Michigan to provide General Contracting Services for the William R. Murchie Science Building Expansion.”

This success was a considerable feather for the company. It is the largest on-campus investment at the University of Michigan Flint, in quite some time. As a result, and quite unsurprisingly, the project had “a lot of attention on it,” says Joel. “We worked through a number of Covid challenges and were able to successfully add onto that building and tie into the existing structure.” The project allowed the University of Michigan’s Flint campus to greatly expand by adding more than 61,000 square feet and a third wing to the Murchie building which houses the majority of STEM programs for the campus.

Never ones to shy away from a challenge, the project consisted of a 4-storey building expansion. Matt Stone further explains: “Our scope of work included small modifications to the existing building, new building expansion including classrooms, offices, laboratories, new substation, AHU’s, chiller and generator. Exterior site upgrades included site concrete, landscaping, pavers and water features.”

CCC was able to self-perform the concrete foundations, structural steel, SOG, SOD, and carpentry, including installation of exterior structural panels, metal stud/drywall, doors/hardware and millwork. They utilized many LEAN Construction techniques driven by their Innovation Committee.

A LEAN Construction technique utilized here was prefabricated exterior wall panels. By utilizing prefabricated, offsite-manufactured, exterior wall panels, they were able to reduce their schedule by a deeply impressive 55 days. While foundations were being installed, they were building 210 exterior panels in a factory. The walls were delivered to the site and required less time to install than conventional framing, improved site logistics and allowed for safer work conditions.

Not surprisingly, the long-standing relationships that have been fostered down through the years play a central role at CCC. “GM started us in business, and we are loyal to them to this day,” says Matt. “When Covid hit and GM went into manufacturing ventilators they tapped on our shoulder to help transform a facility in Kokomo Indiana.” CCC mobilized its construction team to renovate over 100,000 square feet of facilities spread over three floors.

Construction of these clean room environments involved demolition of the existing area’s flooring, walls, ceilings, HVAC and electrical systems. New construction included plank flooring, walls, new process piping, new ductwork and diffusers, new ceiling grid, new electrical infrastructure including +1,000 CAT5 poles, installation of +600 tables and steel hitching posts. CCC self-performed all concrete, selective demolition, interior trades, millwright / rigging and equipment installation. In addition to this already impressive list of tasks the company managed to execute, it also had oversight on subcontractors for mechanical, electrical, fire protection, painting, signage and flooring. The work was completed with evolving safety procedures and protocols to safely work amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the subject of the pandemic, Joel says that “roughly ninety percent” of projects were shut down. “We could carry on with the handful that were considered essential, such as GM’s Kokomo project. Meanwhile, there was a core group of us that never left this building and never let our guard down – always working to stay ahead of requirements.”

One of that core group was Steve Wall. Steve is Corporate Safety Director. “Safety has always been hugely significant here”, he says. “Michigan OSHA is your bare minimum requirement – but we do a lot above and beyond the bare minimum.”

As anyone that had attempted to stay in business over the past two years can attest to, finding and maintaining a balance between safety and remaining financially viable is an enormous difficulty. By focusing on the wellbeing and safety of staff, CCC managed to do both. “The challenge during the pandemic was to keep people working”, Steve says. “We put a response plan together and sent it out to all so that everyone got the same information. We had a health questionnaire and that meant everyone had to take stock of their own condition before entering the job site. To track that it was a simple scan of a QR code, and they entered their information each day, so we had an electronic record of it. We handled sub-contractors as well.

“We had a safety observation card program already in existence; so, we developed new cards that dealt with covid-specific areas. All people on the job site had eyes on the covid sensitive areas to make sure we could control that.

“While, traditionally, an orientation is face-to-face on a construction site, we were able to develop orientations electronically,” adds Steve. “This minimized that interface dramatically and helped with productivity too. We also developed some inspections for cleaning – people use common tools, so when someone used a tool there was a disinfecting process. In break areas we spread out where people could sit. A cleaning crew would come through after a break and we staggered breaks and lunches. 

“Among the biggest things were our electronic orientations and the health questionnaire. That streamlined getting people onto site with the knowledge they still needed, and we were able to manage it.”

Clearly, managing things is something that they do well here at CCC – and right now they are looking forward to a solid and exciting future. That’s partly because CCC stands upon a really strong foundation – and yet it’s never been prepared to simply rest upon that. The goal, growth-wise, is to be a 500m dollar contactor by 2025. “We looked at diversification and at acquiring other contractors, but we figured out that we want to do this organically,” says Matt. “So, we are looking at opening up a couple of satellite offices outside of Michigan where we are already strong and have good relationships.”

“The construction side of the business is doing great,” says Joel. “I see the construction side as the one that will really get us to where we want to go. Along with the Mexican operation too. They started taking on more traditional construction work a few years ago and I definitely see growth there too.”

Another aspect of the company that sets it apart from its competitors is the community spirit that permeates everything that CCC does. The company is now an ESOP, Matt points out. “It helps a lot of folks financially down the road.” CCC also tweaked its mission statement “to focus on people”, Matt explains. Further proof of this focus is to be seen in a slew of local top workplace awards – and for 2022, a top Workplaces USA award, in its size category, issued by Energage. “People like working here,” says Matt. “It is a family environment with a traditional ethos and traditional values.” 

These are among the central tenets that will not change here and are an illuminating example of the work that CCC does internally. Happily, Joel clarifies that this is not limited to those within the organization, however. In fact, something the company is incredibly proud of is going further for the client also. To conclude, Joel Lewandowski sums up: “We are a customer-based contractor that is into loyal relationships and will go anywhere with our customers to do the work.

‘We have a great portfolio and great teams. We are positioned well to ride the upswing.’

A long and proud history contributes to the solid foundation upon which Plattsburgh, NY’s Luck Bros Inc. has been built. What’s more, this fundamental tenet –the base upon which everything stands— is something that everyone connected to the company is acutely aware of. It has allowed them to scale significant heights over the past half-century and more across both the municipal and commercial construction industries.

“The company that Luck Bros Inc. grew out of was in fact started in the late 1950s by my dad James and my uncle Albert”, current president, Jeff Luck tells us. Lake Champlain Development Corporation was named for a nearby geographical feature that dominates the landscape in this part of New York State. It was, as the name suggests, an integral part of its community, solidly dependable and intensely proud of the values all of this suggests, in a world where everyone knew everyone and your word was your bond. While so much has changed since then, the underlying sentiments remain resolutely the same.

A decade or so later, in 1969, Luck Bros Inc. was formed as a sister corporation. “That included my father’s seven children”, explains Jeff. “There were five brothers and sisters running the firm until 2018. My oldest brother retired after serving as president, and my sister retired last April.” Soon it will be Jeff’s turn to retire – this is his last year at the helm – and he couldn’t be happier or more confident that he is leaving it all in good hands.

The family of course will still be a part of it all as Jeff’s brother, sister, and nephew are now involved, representing the third generation. It’s significant, as family values continue to play a major role here – what Jeff refers to as “old-school” values and traditions, which may be interpreted in most cases as simply, “treating people right”.

It is an approach that extends to every connection the company makes – from employees to clients, through to local residents and the communities where work is carried out – of which they are often an integral part. Engagement with local residents on projects is paramount, stresses Jeff. “We really make an effort to keep the communities involved in every project, with information about what is going on, for example”, he says. “You need to disrupt their lives as little as possible. Often, they are our neighbors!”

When it comes to the clients, it is perhaps little wonder that repeat business is such a factor. “Relationships are a big part of who we are”, explains Jeff. “There is a trust there – built up over years.” This approach, combined with consistent quality, is clearly a winning formula that has paid dividends.

“Engagement with local residents on projects is paramount.”

Nowadays several complementary services are offered to clients under the family name. For starters, Luck Bros Inc. is a heavy highway-orientated general contractor. Its areas of specialization include: bridge construction, heavy concrete, utilities, paving and specialized construction. Jeff explains: “This is where we do our prevailing wage work. In essence, any work funded through taxpayers, has to pay what is called, in New York State, the “prevailing wage” which is the union-negotiated wage – whether union or not.

Luck Builders, meanwhile, is a commercial building firm. Areas of specialization include working on industrial buildings, renovations, hospital retrofitting, new construction of office buildings and multi-family housing. For over thirty years Luck Builders has been known throughout Upstate New York and Northern Vermont for its expertise in commercial building projects.

In addition, a full-service crane and rigging company is operated here for in-house and rentals. Crane operators are NYS licensed and they are, of course, fully insured. Meanwhile, concrete-specialty construction is possible, owing to the previous purchase and integration of renowned local company Corrado Concrete. Across the board the promise to clients is high quality projects, delivered on time and most of the work is completed using their own people.

“We’re what you call a merit shop”, explains Jeff at this point. “You come to work here and perform on your ability, not your union status.” This is an area that Jeff feels passionately about.

As to the changing nature of the business, Jeff explains: “Five years ago we were doing about seventy-five percent highways, bridges and utilities, through Luck Bros, and twenty-five percent commercial vertical. This year it is probably going to be seventy percent commercial vertical, with thirty percent being heavy highway work. We go where the market is and in the last few years it’s been commercial vertical construction.”

Speaking of the last few years, Jeff says that Covid affected them here like everywhere but overall, it was not too bad. “I don’t think we lost a lot of time on any project,” he says. Employees contracted it but, fortunately, no one became seriously ill. “On one job, maybe we lost a week,” he reflects. And then there were the silver linings…

Which takes us to the village of Clayton and a major project completed just last year. “Clayton, a small, tourist village on Lake Ontario is known for its quaint little shops and restaurants and renowned as an area for fishing and fishing-related tourism. The local economy centers mainly on tourism in fact. They had planned a major renovation project for a number of years that would see a revamp of central parts of the town, including around the waterfront.

“We were there as GCs,” says Jeff. “It was in the region of a million-dollar job and work included all utilities with excavations – of up to fifteen feet in depth in some places; there was also landscaping, renovation of sidewalks and more.” There were over ten subcontractors. The biggest concern locally of course was how it would all affect their economy – shutting such a large area down – an area that depends on providing access to visitors.

As it happened, 2020 would have been the year of greatest impact when it came to their tourist industry here. That year is, of course, synonymous now with the outbreak of Covid. “We go to work and there is no one there”, recalls Jeff. “They saved money as they didn’t have to do a lot of temporary asphalt paving, for example. There was a lot less traffic and pedestrian control involved.

“So, we had basically almost all of 2020 without certain obstacles. They jumped way ahead in the schedule and they saved money too in that they didn’t have to spend in areas where money was originally planned to be spent due to the fact that that no one was really there.” 

The job ran from the Fall of 2019 and ended in October 2021. “Our crew would be seven or eight people,” says Jeff. “We did the whole project with a crew to a crew-and-a-half. We had a super project manager who really made great decisions too.”

That brings us neatly to the people who work here and the attracting and retention of talent. Here there are 120 field employees and another sixteen to eighteen between administration and services etc. “We are one of the larger employers in the area”, says Jeff. “We have been around a long time and people are excited to come to work here.”

There is no doubting that this organization looks after its staff well. And this extends, naturally, to safety on jobs. This was underlined by a recent major safety award.

“We have a reputation that is impeccable – for both the work we do and the way that we treat employees”, Jeff says. “We have grandchildren of former employees now working for us. We hold a bit of a niche where we are, of course. We are not the only ones here – but we have been around longest and probably are the largest.”

The combination of the huge respect for tradition and an unwavering eye to the future clearly accounts for a lot of their success. Jeff knows that remaining at the cutting edge of technology is crucial. “You have to invest in it,” he stresses. “The digital age revolutionized what we do,” he notes, citing areas like GPS by way of example.

Nowadays, the work is varied as it is exciting. “We have a twenty-five-million-dollar building job we are going to start this Fall,” says Jeff. “At eighty feet in height it’s a manufacturing facility for people who make caps for pill bottles.”

They are also working on two farms – this is a largely rural area of course – that Jeff describes as “mega farms”. One of the farmers is converting manure to natural gas, says Jeff. “He’s providing green energy – really pushing the boundaries of technology. We are doing all the concrete there – literally thousands of yards of concrete. I’d say our specialized concrete is second to none”, adds Jeff. “We are really good at that here.”

On the topic of green energy, Jeff notes that, for the future, a lot of the work will center on this area. “It’s clearly going to be a big part of what we are working on,” he says. “Meanwhile we have to pick and choose what we can bid on as we don’t have all the resources…everyone is working now!”

And so it is that the future is bright for this Plattsburgh-based company which looks set to be a cornerstone of its community and the wider area for generations to come. “I am retiring as an owner at the end of the year,” Jeff reminds us, though he will likely stay involved in an advisor capacity. “I couldn’t’ be more excited about the good hands I am leaving it in”, he says. “We are developing the next leadership team. I am extremely positive for the future.” The likelihood is that the firm will be “at least partially, employee-owned”. Whatever form it takes it seems that the traditions and values that have underpinned Luck Bros’ endeavors so far will continue to hold sway.

Again, it’s about treating people right. “Work hard and give everyone the best and don’t’ break a promise,” sums up Jeff. “That was how my dad was.”

It seems the original Luck Brothers’ legacy is in safe hands.

Talking to Mike Leathers, CEO of Pipeline Plastics, (PLP), on the occasion of their tenth anniversary, it’s clear that the organization has come a long way in its decade of existence. Mike became CEO this summer after three years with the company and is an enthusiastic champion of both the product offering and the role that PLP plays in the industry. In short, he says: “We are providing a product that can make a difference.”

Pipeline Plastics is a Westlake-based manufacturer of HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipe, used primarily for water infrastructure, but is often used in oil and gas, mining, industrial and municipal applications. The end uses for the product involve drinking water, irrigation, mining, industrial, sewer and in the gathering and distribution of oil and gas. Its qualities are well known throughout the industry but, in addition to reliability, it has some great sustainability credentials too. These qualities and reputation prove to be an excellent resource, particularly when backed up and supported by an ISO 9001-certified company dedicated to continuous improvement. Simply put, the people at Pipeline Plastics are passionate about what they do. The result of all this means – as they are quick to point out: You can depend on it. And like the company itself, it continues to surpass expectations.

The pipe is joined by heat fusion. This results in a continuous product – without any joints, grouting, or gaskets. It “excels anywhere where jointless application is ideal,” says Mike. “So, anything where you don’t want leaks or infiltrations.” HDPE pipe is not only “ideal for open cut installation but is the predominate choice for trenchless installation methods which significantly reduces the carbon footprint of pipeline rehabilitation and replacement,” is the message from PLP. It can also go into existing lines and if there is an old, corroding line, for example, it is possible to take the HDPE pipe and slip it through. It is of course corrosion-proof and can run extremely long lengths. In fact, it is possible to run two thousand feet without having to make another connection, points out Mike.

As a company that prides itself on being easy to do business with, Pipeline Plastics’ goal is to be able to meet needs where they arise. Says Mike Leathers: “Our design is to have footprints so we can move capacity around, getting closer to the market. To be able to shift our extrusion lines when we need to.” Again, not bad for an organization that is ten years in existence and started as a single plant in Decatur Texas, growing from there to Belle Fourche, South Dakota. Then, in 2014 to Levelland, in West Texas.

“The pipe is joined by heat fusion. This results in a continuous product – without any joints, grouting, or gaskets.”

“The majority of our early business was energy-related,” explains Mike. “Then we started trying to diversify and one of these diversifications was to have larger diameters. In 2017 we started a sixty-five inch line. In 2019 we sold part of the company to private equity so now we have a combination of private equity and employee ownership. This year we expanded into Fair Bluff, North Carolina. That is specifically aimed at municipal and mining. In the same time we have expanded into natural gas.” The recent opening of that fourth plant in Fair Bluff will again expand their capacity and geographic footprint and size range, again with the ability to manufacture up to sixty-five inch HDPE pipe. Meanwhile, they are transforming their Decatur plant to do all sizes and have some CTS lines. “And the all the requirements for yellow gas pipe,” adds Mike.

Each plant, while all retaining their individual values and features, have some crucial things in common; they are state-of-the-art facilities where an emphasis is placed on producing high quality products from proven raw materials. The goal, according to Mike, is to achieve high output while using the latest technology and the best equipment that is available for the job. “We are ISO 9000-certified and our people have great experience,” says Mike. “As to our processes, we always have a very good visual on where we are with our production and it is all extremely automated,” he adds. “The nice thing is we keep all the data and there is traceability. And we check and double-check everything. We have never had a product related failure.” However, Mike adds that, if there is ever an issue, “we will come and help you figure out what happened and how to fix it.”

As for the future, it is unsurprising to learn that PLP is looking at each and every possible development, or, “how you take a great product and expand its end uses,” as Mike puts it. For those at Pipeline Plastics, this means looking into areas such as wind and solar, among others. And, speaking of the future, whatever expansion and development does take place, what is certain is that sustainability will continue to be more than just a buzzword. Sustainability is at the center of what they do and, according to Mike, is certain to remain so – from producing pipes that conserve water right through to the plants that are purpose-built to recycle process water and maximize energy-efficient use of equipment and facilities. Furthermore, any pipe material that might otherwise be considered “scrap” can be reworked, Mike points out. “We have no waste offsite.” Meanwhile, since Pipeline Plastics HDPE has a lifecycle of 100 years in many applications, its use is even more earth friendly.

Getting these sorts of messages across is something of a priority for PLP and, furthermore, it is something that they excel at. They believe that education is an extremely important aspect when it comes to achieving greater awareness. In this regard they are very much involved with organizations like major trade associations The Plastic Pipe Institute (PPI) and the Alliance for PE Pipe.

Part of their work involves changing perceptions. According to Mike, this is a necessary investment, especially when faced with misinformation throughout the industry. One instance of this is the mistaken belief that using HDPE pipe is expensive. Simply put, that is not necessarily the case. Here, Mike gives a great example of how perceptions may form and how they need to be addressed through education: “HDPE became associated with working in critical areas like crossings etc. – of say, a highway or river where they can’t do open cut and can’t afford a leak. So, one reason people feel the per foot cost for HDPE is expensive can be to do with having to have crew on site to bore that particular 500-foot crossing or whatever it is where they are using the HDPE product.” According to Mike it seems this can skew the impression of the normal cost of running HDPE pipe. “It gives an impression of being more expensive per foot when you take the total cost of that,” he says. “As regards attaching it back to ductile iron or PVC,” he says, continuing the example, “we ask: ‘why not just run all HDPE?’ You may think you can’t afford it but actually you could be surprised.”

And it comes back to surpassing expectations. Back to making a difference. And being passionate about all that. “The key for us,” says Mike, “is we love what we do. And we love what our product does.” It seems a growing number of others does too.

You might call it the “sweet spot”. A company that is easy to work with, where the organizational style ensures clients receive that “personal touch” – yet where the management expertise and the systems in place are those of a much larger organization. Whatever it is – the “sweet spot”, the “X-factor”, it seems Luxton has found it. And like all great achievements it started with a simple premise.

Principal / Director of Operations, Pedram Farzadmanesh tells us: “Amir (Amir Kassaian, Principal / General Manager), Bill (William Puranen, Principal / Chief Estimator) and myself had worked away from home in the oil and gas and infrastructure industry – travel in, travel out. We did this for ten-plus years working for the giants of our industry in top managerial positions.” 

Apart from this shared experience, the trio, it turned out, had many other things in common. One of these was, “the urge to make a living in our hometown of Vancouver”. Hence the birth of Luxton Construction, offering construction services based out of the Metro Vancouver area in British Columbia, Canada. It proved to be a decision more conducive to a manageable work-life balance and would also put to good use the skills picked up through working for the largest construction companies in Canada – applying such learnings to a smaller, leaner organisation. This was about taking that giant-company-mindset and applying these methodologies and thought processes to a setting where environment, safety, community, people and a special set of core values were prioritized alongside professional excellence.

The result of all of this – the “Luxton way” – represented a powerful combination which saw the organization experience a one-hundredfold growth in the first four years of creating revenue. “We turned out to be the second-fastest growing construction company in Canada and the fastest growing in western Canada,” says Pedram, adding that this is all barely the start per their envisioned growth plan.

The sectors they focus on here are Heavy Civil, Buildings and “last but not least”, says Amir, Marine. A fourth area might be termed “Specialty Projects” for want of a better descriptor; Luxton’s projects can tend to read like a list of locations for the latest blockbuster movie. For instance, working in the frozen Arctic, atop iconic city bridges or deep beneath the ocean floor with a microphone installed on the seabed to monitor noise levels on account of the marine life – just the usual passing whales and orcas! The latter was on a project for the city of Vancouver – the Victoria Outfall. It involved drilling thirty-six-inch diameter piles into the ocean floor. The point is, wherever Luxton finds itself, it brings an energetic, can-do attitude along with bags of enthusiasm.

“We turned out to be the second-fastest growing construction company in Canada and the fastest growing in western Canada,”

Bill cites another good example. The setting: “just east of Tuktayuktak”, a base camp in Tuktut Nogait National Park, the sort of place you have to fly into on float planes. Think: the setting for one of those popular “survival”-type TV shows. Here, members of the local indigenous population take youngsters to learn traditional skills. Only, they had no real facilities to speak of – besides one tent structure, recalls Bill. “So, they put out a tender to build two bathrooms, a shower facility and kitchen. The logistics meant we had to build the facilities in Edmonton and put them on a barge – and then, four months later, they arrive on site.” Executing the project on site entailed being dropped off by plane with a promise that it would return in a week!

Part of the draw for Luxton is a shared love of puzzle solving and finding solutions. This is backed up by a culture of “no ego”. “It is not a problem for us to say we don’t know something,” says Pedram. “However, we have the tools to draw on to be able to take on a challenge and solve it. And that is a joy we take, day-in, day-out, from showing up to work. When we talk about the skillsets of our people we don’t say we need carpenters, labourers or whatever. We say: ‘we need problem solvers’. And that is what we have here.”

It is not surprising that the company found itself working on major projects soon after it was established. One of the earliest was the Anderson Creek bridge project, a vehicular bridge for the city of Surrey. This involved demolishing an existing bridge and replacing it with a much larger 18m precast girder bridge. Another one is the seismic repairs on the Granville Bridge currently ongoing. After just three years in service, taking on such a project – on an iconic structure in Vancouver – was a big moment for Luxton.

Projects like the Stanley Park Box Culvert Placement, “the beaver deceiver” job, meanwhile, allowed Luxton to demonstrate ability to execute sensitive sites successfully on time and within budget. Work here involved replacing a culvert by Beaver Lake which kept being filled up by the super-industrious mammals. This was actually drying up the adjacent creek and “a huge problem for the city”, says Bill. What you have here is both a highly important ecological zone and a culturally significant site for indigenous groups. “We had to go in and drive sheet piles,” says Bill. Clearly it was potentially very invasive. “We had archaeological monitoring,” adds Amir. “We also had to take account of old growth trees and maneuver between them in order to be environmentally compliant.

As well as several projects on different army bases at the moment, spanning the full range of services they offer, Luxton recently completed a major SAR building (Search and Rescue) on a floating barge to facilitate search and rescue in remote areas. Again, while the logistics and challenges were significant, they were tackled head-on. “There is a 170 x 55-foot concrete float. We built fully functional offices, work areas, shower facilities, full mechanical and electrical control”, says Bill. “This is going to be pulled to Hartley Bay.”

“Together we are building an organization that will benefit communities and also provide growth and mentorship opportunities.”

The indigenous community is mentioned a lot in the work of Luxton which brings us to Luxton Construction Plains Inc. Under a government initiative, certain contracts are set aside for indigenous-only construction companies. “You have to meet certain criteria”, explains Bill. “We reached out to an indigenous company and created Luxton Construction Plains Inc. It is fifty-one percent owned by the indigenous party and forty-nine by Luxton. Together we are building an organization that will benefit communities and also provide growth and mentorship opportunities.”

Through all of this work the same values hold true, and the same priorities are key – listening and delivering on their client needs, taking care of their people, delivering a quality product, safely and with respect to the environment while supporting the surrounding communities. “Our clients are federal, provincial, and local municipalities – the Coastguard, Department of National Defence, Parks Canada, Ministry of Transportation to name a few. All of these groups hold themselves to the highest execution standards”, points out Amir. “So, in order for us to be first awarded the contract our past experience, systems and procedures always get vetted by the awarding party.”

With employee growth as central aim, a firm foundation was laid early on at Luxton. Amir stresses how the processes and systems that are in place support that. “We have some of the best performing systems in the industry”, he says. “I have been part of rolling out systems for some of the largest construction companies in Canada and we are rolling out some of those same systems here.” One is Procore. It is a construction management software and covers aspects like management of drawings, budgeting and forecasting, invoicing, daily logs, time sheeting, safety management and so on. Amir explains. “There is Hilti ON!Track for asset management. We do SAP Concur which is a major player in accounting and expense management. We also just rolled out an AP processing system, Beanworks. We have SiteDocs, a safety management module that’s well-known in the industry. And Bid 2 Win is our estimating software, which is quite powerful.”

At Luxton there is no doubting the first few years have been hugely successful and paved the way for strong growth. “We have fifteen people in the office and about forty in the field now”, says Pedram. “We have a series of meetings we attend called ‘Vision2030’ – and under that vision our office is going to be around 50-strong and our field employees will number in the region of 200.”

Yet one thing will not change at Luxton: “The professionalism of an industry-leading company, as related to high revenue”, says Pedram, “yet personable – a family environment with the mindset and desires and growth path of a giant of industry. That is the plan and we are not shying away from doing what is needed to get there.”

Renokrew has experienced rapid growth as they take on and continue to complete a series of successful projects, ranging from emergency housing initiatives, women’s shelters, to designing and constructing 3GG Certified apartment complexes for Defence Construction Canada and the Canadian Forces. At the root of these successes lies a set of solid values that are centered on delivering the highest quality of work to their clients as well as retaining the very best when it comes to staffing. The mixture of the two has allowed the company to grow their revenue and client base at an impressive rate with their headquarters in Toronto, a second office in Ottawa, and ambitious plans to continue expanding. Renokrew has been in operation for over a decade, with its roots growing from the family construction business started by Mr. Francisco J. Pinto in the mid-nineties.

Executive Director and Managing Partner, Pedro Pinto is the second generation to be involved, along with his brother Lucas. “We are a family here” he says, “We treat our employees as if they are family, and continue to succeed together. We aim to make people feel they are at home.” This approach helps them attract and retain top talent, which creates a cohesive work environment, and ultimately a better result and experience for clients. The synchronicity between staff, customers, communities, subcontractors and suppliers is what sets them apart and makes a true difference in the level of quality work they deliver.

As for the services that Renokrew provides, “We are General Contractors and Construction Managers,” explains Pedro. “We focus on Industrial, Commercial and Institutional sectors as Constructors, Design-Builder and Construction Contract Managers.” With an abundant history of successful projects throughout Canada, Renokrew has built mutually beneficial relationships with a range of Consultants, Subcontractors and Owners. “Between the two offices in Toronto and Ottawa, we have a full-time staff of 29” says Pedro. During COVID they maintained all staffing and positions. The nature of that work performed during this time was considered essential, with most in the institutional sector, in occupied Shelters and Hospices. “It’s an area that we’ve become well known for, we have completed a number of emergency housing initiatives within the last year in Toronto and the surrounding GTA.” Pedro went on to explain, “We are currently in a few shelter redevelopments for the city – these are larger projects that have been ongoing for about a year and a half now.”

“It’s an area that we’ve become well known for, we have completed a number of emergency housing initiatives within the last year in Toronto and the surrounding GTA.”

These projects that were deemed “essential” with regards to COVID-19, and, although they were clearly beneficial in regards to being able to keep all staff employed, they came with a new set of challenges and risks. Infection Prevention came to the forefront of construction. “Some owners were forced to take a three-month pause on contracts as they needed to relocate people from occupied shelters for us to continue our work,” recalls Pedro. “That was challenging.” These hurdles became learning experiences and Renokrew powered through. An example of the recent projects included creating more bed space for an emergency women’s shelter. Renokrew was awarded Constructor for the extensive renovation and new four-story expansion to the existing building, which involved facing challenges head-on amid constraints. A prime example of this was one project, tasked with working in a tight space in an upscale neighborhood with limited access and a compressed footprint amid a new high-rise development directly next door. The “can-do” attitude that runs throughout the Renokrew staff ensures success even when faced with these logistical and site specific difficulties. Last year they designed and built two three-story complexes for the Canadian Forces Housing Agency on Base Borden. “We were then asked to design and execute the civil and new roadway infrastructure to serve the new developments,” says Pedro. The project was successfully completed ahead of the scheduled occupancy in mid 2020.

It comes as no surprise that revenues are quickly on the rise, “The year 2020 was the best year to date in revenue terms and we are on track to double revenues in 2021,” says Pedro. Not bad for a year when COVID made its presence felt across the globe. “The work was always there. All of our projects were deemed “essential,” basically it was about getting ahead of the curve – creating and implementing new policies and procedures, orienting staff, planning and hosting COVID response training, and ensuring our teams and subcontractors were well versed with screening, new protocols, outbreak control, and day to day operations with increased PPE and distancing requirements for all visitors and staff. At Renokrew, we are strong believers that regardless of the work we do, each one of us plays a vital role in achieving and maintaining a safe work environment. Safety is key to our success and to honour our commitment, we have created and implemented an industry leading Health and Safety approach” says Pedro. “Our track record speaks for itself. To date, we are pleased to have achieved over 500,000 consecutive derived hours worked, without a single lost time injury. Our teams ensure all operations are performed to the highest of standards and this has earned us as a COR™ certified company. We pride on an exceptional safety record and intend to continue this way.”

And so it’s onwards and upwards for Renokrew, they are currently expanding operations and looking for a new head office location for the growing company. “We are seeking additional office space and are eager to add new Project Managers, Coordinators and Quality Control Supervisors.” With the main office in Toronto, Ottawa – which started as a satellite office – has been picking up speed and has most recently reached Substantial Completion on an Infrastructure Ontario heritage project. As for the future, the plan is to continue to grow “and eventually become constructors and developers of our own,” he adds. “We’d like to be handling our own developments in the very near future.” 

Pedro is quick to pay tribute to all those who have helped along the way, from Renokrew staff to the various industry associations that Renokrew are members of. These include the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) and the Ottawa Construction Association (OCA). “They have been very helpful,” says Pedro. “They have our back and contribute to our success.”

“We’d like to be handling our own developments in the very near future.”

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the relationships you build with people in the field, organizations and of course, the clients. Treating people right, building trust and feeling connected is a part of their core values. This is not a vague notion or a marketing slogan, Renokrew continues to prove the importance placed on those values. Giving back to the communities in which they operate is just one of those ways.

In short, this team “walks the walk” in life and in business. From schools and shelters to hospices and various hospitals, each project Renokrew completes has a winning formula: a professional proactive approach, supported by a wealth of talent, an emphasis on the latest technology and a set of real and tangible values, with the client placed front and centre. “We are evolving, we are driven, we are professional and family-oriented. We put ourselves in the clients’ shoes,” says Pedro. “Working for different levels of the private and public sectors, we value the trust put in us and treat every project like it’s our own.”