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EllisDon Construction:
Technology Driven Global Leader
EllisDon Construction of Mississauga, ON is a global construction services stalwart that completes CAD $3.5 billion worth of contracts annually. Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino
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T
he sheer scope of EllisDon Corporation’s operation – from its global reach to its prodigious workload – is, well, impressive. Yet, despite its massive physical presence, EllisDon cultivates and maintains the personal touch of a much smaller company with every client, its “cradle to grave” approach guaranteeing involvement at every level of each project from pre- through post-construction. Established in 1951 by brothers Don and David Ellis Smith, the Mississauga, ON company has grown to become a global construction services stalwart with design, finance, construction and management capabilities, working primarily in the Civil Infrastructure and ICI sectors. It employs approximately 2,500, completes CAD $3.5 billion worth of contracts annually and works across Canada, in South America, the Caribbean and the United States as well as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan. As it has evolved, EllisDon has embraced its reputation as a leading proponent of industry change. It is not uncommon for the company to create solutions where there were none in order
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EllisDon Construction | 4 to address vexing problems. “We thrive on change. We don’t want the status quo. We want to be ahead of the curve so we look to the future and see what’s coming. For our clients, we look at what the needs are for the markets we serve. We set up specialty divisions to fill the void,” explains Senior Vice President George Charitou, an industry veteran of 28 years. “It stems from our roots. Our founder was an entrepreneur and
EllisDon Construction | 5 his enthusiasm for business and his focus on innovation shaped our thinking, from our in-house Construction Sciences division to intelligent buildings and BIM,” adds Jody Becker, Senior Vice President of International Markets, who joined EllisDon in 2007. As head of the company’s Construction Sciences Division, Charitou oversees the Construction Engineering, Building and Material Sciences R&D, QA/QC, Constructability and Logistics, and Products and
Systems R&D departments. “I have the responsibility for continuing the excellence, growth and broadening of the capabilities and reach of the departments. The various teams provide their expertise to all of EllisDon’s divisions, ranging from proposals and pre-construction planning, site logistics, execution and troubleshooting, to supporting large field equipment,” he explains.
Premiere Projects Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital: EllisDon was the majority partner of this Design/ Build construction joint venture for Halton Healthcare Services that cost CAD $976 million and encompasses 1.5 million square feet. The company was a partner on the development and facility management teams as well. “Oakville Hospital is the most technologically advanced hospital in Canada,” Charitou notes. “We also completed the ICAT work, which includes the main technology and communications components.” The acute care facility now has 457 beds and features: a fivestorey section for complex continuing care and rehabilitation
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EllisDon Construction | 8 and an array of outpatient services; a 10-storey inpatient care tower; and a four-storey therapeutic and diagnostic section. Brookfield Place: This CAD $1.3 billion full-block commercial development will cover 2.4 million square feet upon completion and feature the tallest building in Western Canada at 56 storeys. North American oil company Cenovus will be the anchor tenant. “With a defined budget and schedule, everything was met to a ‘T.’ It was executed well, which goes back to the services and
“We thrive on change. We don’t want the status quo. We want to be ahead of the curve so we look to the future and see what’s coming.” - Senior Vice President George Charitou www.ellisdon.com
planning that goes into every project we do,” says Charitou. Ottawa Light Rail Project: This Design/Build/Finance/Maintain P3 project for the city of Ottawa’s Confederate Line is scheduled for 2018 completion at a cost of CAD $1.8 billion. The 12.5-kilometre line will move 24,000 riders per hour in each direction and will include 13 stations, three in a 2.5-kilometre tunnel designed to greatly reduce downtown congestion.
Technology Driven Charitou says the ability to create solutions as needed fuels his group and the company as a whole. “There are always a lot of interesting things going on and inventions when there is a need. Our people come to us with challenges and we find the solutions; we create it.” According to Charitou, when it comes to reviewing plans, the company takes nothing at face value. “We are driving change and marinating leadership in technologies and building systems for our clients to have longer performance and more money in their pocket in the
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long-term. We look at assets for their lifespan performance. We get into the details and if we find better ways to do things, we will flag it and explain why we think it’s better. We work with the client, the trades, and the consultants to have the best action plan,” he elaborates.
Cost mitigation is a top priority.
“It is the willingness by everyone to embrace technology and keep it on the front line. We’re looking how to improve building performance based on technological advances,” Becker asserts. “We draw from this team for challenges we have, no matter where we are building.”
Doing The Job
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“Our industry is one of the last to be disrupted so we have a keen interest to find cheaper and better ways of doing construction. We have a focus on that for the whole industry in general,” Charitou says.
“Our people have the ability to service the client directly without asking for permission from the office. At the job site level, the employee can make decisions. They can service the client and make them happy. They have
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EllisDon Construction |12 more autonomy and authority,” says Charitou. Superintendents and Project Managers are empowered to essentially operate as project CEOs, which Charitou points out “is different than the competition.” With its commitment to a culture of trust and openness and its reputation for quality work, it stands to reason that it is paramount for EllisDon to establish long-term relationships with equally qualified sub-contractors. “We monitor their performance, their financial strength, the
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level of commitment to other projects they have ongoing, and their safety practices. We get into their business to understand the level of quality and execution before we qualify them,” Charitou explains. “We are the company of choice for them.” “So many of our subs have become real partners with us. We consistently work with firms that are like-minded, that take on risk and are innovative,” adds Becker. “And our willingness to take on risk with our clients as a partner, sets us apart. We always look to see how we can take on more risk. We’re partnering for success,” Becker explains.
EllisDon Construction | 13 The company maintains multiple trade association memberships, including the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and ACI, a committee which Charitou sits on. “We participate in working groups for the Ministry of Labour for legislative changes and participate with special committees for the development of specialized standards for construction,” Charitou says.
Safety, Training and More The company maintains laser focus on its safety protocol and
“It is the willingness by everyone as a whole to embrace technology and keep it on the front line. We’re looking how to improve building performance based on technological advances.” - Senior Vice President of International Markets Jody Becker
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EllisDon Construction |14 consistently maintains the industry’s highest safety rating. “In the last year we are the first construction company to have mandatory programs for our sub contractors as well. We are taking safety to the next level for all workers in construction and we are trying to promote this both domestically and internationally,” says Becker. The company offers a range of formal and informal programs with the singular goal of creating and maintaining a culture of freedom and trust.
“We have leadership programs for all of our employees,” she says. “We can make changes in your career to help you grow and succeed.” At the corporate level, EllisDon partners with The United Way for charitable initiatives and has provided support at a number of international disasters. It is also involved with a number of local and regional charities. “We encourage our staff to five to the max and the corporation also has a matching program for many different organizations,” Charitou says.
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EllisDon Construction |16
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EllisDon Construction | 17 Looking forward, expect the company to continue along its innovative path, immersing itself in new technologies and developing practical applications. In fact, Charitou says he would tell the younger version of himself just starting out “to learn about AI and code development and robotics, and learn about constructive technologies in general.” “EllisDon has transformed from being a Canadian general contractor to being an international construction services firm. That’s been the success of our story,” Becker concludes.
COMPANY INFORMATION Company Name: EllisDon Construction Country: Canada Industry: Construction Est: 1952 Revenue: $3.5 billion Premiere Service: Construction and Building Services President/CEO: Geoff Smith Website: www.ellisdon.com
www.ellisdon.com
1004 Middlegate Rd. Suite 1000 Mississauga, Ontario L4Y1M4 P: 1-877-980-4821 F: 905.896.8911 E: inquiries@ellisdon.com