A CORNERSTONE OF THE COMMUNITY
We return to Turner Construction, whose Vice President and General Manager, Stuart Smith Jr., tells us how the company is proactively expanding its market presence and supporting local organizations
Writer: Lucy Pilgrim | Project Manager: Michael Sommerfield
Historically experiencing a number of fluctuations, the Canadian construction industry has remained comparatively stable over the last year.
Although many market areas have experienced reduced activity, such as the commercial market across Toronto, other sectors have continued to flourish, including critical facilities and data centers, higher education and life sciences projects, as well as the nation’s healthcare industry.
Following this trend, the construction sector has also witnessed a significant push toward the creation of affordable housing to support communities across Canada, and in the Ontario area in particular.
“Our biggest focus remains on building the next generation of craft labor and trade contractors within the market, ensuring that labor is available
to keep pace with scaling housing projects and increased market demands,” introduces Stuart Smith Jr., Vice President and General Manager of Turner Construction (Turner), an industry-leading construction services company operating across Canada and worldwide.
Established in 1902, the business was founded on the core values of teamwork, integrity, and commitment, which still drive Turner today.
“As the business has grown over the past century, we have really made an effort to evolve and learn from the market and community, and evolve the company,” insights Smith.
Indeed, central to Turner’s growth is its focus on actively caring for the local areas where it works, which has guided the company philosophy over the last seven years, relating to areas of engagement, culture, and diversity,
equity, and inclusion (DEI).
More recently, Turner has also had a strong grip on its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, further cementing its role as a frontrunner in the international construction industry.
“We want to transform the industry landscape to be the best possible place for people who want to be a part of it, building long-lasting careers,” he affirms.
STRENGTH IN UNITY
Over the past year, Turner has increased its presence across critical facilities and advanced manufacturing markets in Europe thanks to the completion of a diverse and strategic acquisition.
Through a collaboration with parent organizations Hochtief and HCS Construction, Turner recently finished a transaction for the acquisition of Doran Consulting, an Irish civil and
structural engineering consultancy agency that operates across the European critical facilities market.
The company’s drive and growth strategy are further bolstered by the merging of Turner’s two sister companies, Flatiron Construction and Dragados.
The unity between the two organizations will be headed by Turner’s President and CEO, Peter Davoren, who will become the new entity’s Chairman for North America.
“The combined entity will be the leading civil contractor in the region, which is a huge asset for us, particularly as we look more toward larger infrastructure and advanced manufacturing initiatives holistically,” expands Smith.
Elsewhere, the company is fortunate enough to be highly active in the data center and life sciences markets, showcased by a plethora of amazing, recently completed projects.
For example, Turner completed the conversion of a commercial space into a Level 2 biomedical lab in collaboration with the University of Toronto and Canderel, one of Canada’s largest commercial and residential developers.
This particular venture proved to be a leading-edge project, as the company innovatively transformed a space so that it could be efficiently used by a renowned teaching institution.
Additionally, Turner continues to pursue different strategies to expertly utilize mass timber to support the affordable housing market, whilst also creating a sustainable environment and giving back to the community.
BUILDING TODAY, TRANSFORMING TOMORROW
Demonstrated by its most recent projects, Turner is devoted to transforming the industry whilst also
actively caring for its people and sustaining the planet.
These values continue to be equally as important as the company’s founding ethos of teamwork, integrity, and commitment.
“If we can make a positive difference to the lives of people in the local communities where we work, and marry that with our industry, we will continue to create generations of construction workers who will support growth and become leaders for the next generation,” emphasizes Smith.
This is most aptly shown by the company’s community engagement projects across Toronto, its work with a local dog guide organization being a particular standout.
“An opportunity was presented to us to be a part of the construction of a national dog guide training facility for the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. As a result of the project, the organization will be able to deliver over 300 support dogs a year,” explains Smith.
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AWARD-WINNING CULTURE
Turner is proud to have been featured on Forbes’ Best Employers for Women 2024 and America’s Best Employers for New Grads 2024 lists. Smith owes this achievement to the company’s ability to foster an open-minded and inclusive work environment.
“I think it all starts with our active caring philosophy and commitment to building a culture for our employees where everyone has a voice and feels comfortable enough to feel they can contribute and add value. We strive to create an industry where all people can be at their best, be authentic, and are treated with dignity and respect,” shares Smith.
Indeed, the two highly prestigious awards are a recognition of the leadership team’s ability to create an environment that sets ambitious but achievable goals.
“I believe that our employees should take advantage of these opportunities to lead and grow their careers through networking in the organization and make change across the industry.”
The new facility will contain a number of apartment units where the recipient of the support animal can participate in the training process and learn how to work with the dogs.
When completing the project, the company was asked whether it would ever consider taking onboard one of the dogs, and as a result, it adopted a black labrador named Turner, who has made a major positive difference on-site.
“She has increased the morale of our team members overwhelmingly. All our trade workers love to see
Turner in the site trailer area and really enjoy her presence, so it has been a great journey for us,” smiles Smith.
Elsewhere, the company also supported Youth Without Shelter (YWS), an Ontario-based organization that provides housing support and educational opportunities for young people who have made the decision to restart their lives and distance themselves from difficult situations.
The company has built a broad network of support with YWS and
continues to establish partnerships by offering programs in craft training and trade support, as well as educating younger generations about the construction industry.
“Our hope is that this will provide continuous opportunities for individuals who are transitioning their lives to the best they can be.”
On top of this, Turner has welcomed interns from a local women’s shelter, supporting many in re-energizing their lives and careers by starting on a new path with the company.
“WE WANT TO TRANSFORM THE INDUSTRY LANDSCAPE TO BE THE BEST POSSIBLE PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE A PART OF IT, BUILDING LONG-LASTING CAREERS”
– STUART SMITH JR., VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, TURNER CONSTRUCTION
Turner also recently partnered with The Riverwood Conservancy in Ontario as part of a clean-up initiative to help beautify a nature park located
west of Toronto, so that it continues to be a place of nature and relaxation for years to come.
“These initiatives that we’ve been a
“IF WE CAN MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHERE WE WORK, AND MARRY THAT WITH OUR INDUSTRY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO CREATE GENERATIONS OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO WILL SUPPORT GROWTH AND BECOME LEADERS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION”
– STUART SMITH JR., VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, TURNER CONSTRUCTION
part of are all core to our mission as an organization to support growth and give back to the community,” Smith expresses.
SPEARHEADING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
Turner strongly believes in finding the best solutions to support its clients’ initiatives, primarily through its procurement entity, SourceBlue, which has rapidly expanded over the last year.
Indeed, the brand enables the company to work directly with manufacturers to help accelerate their schedules and cement production cycles, whilst also receiving prioritized pricing.
“All in all, this leads to significant benefits for our clients, who need to order mechanical or electrical equipment, for example, before the design is complete,” highlights Smith.
SourceBlue therefore brings the required expertise of its team members to the table, leveraging experience to create what the
business calls bridging documents. These support the transition of equipment to trade contractors who will eventually install it and work with the SourceBlue team to commission it for the client.
This reflects Turner’s commitment to overseeing and ensuring the success of its clients’ supply chain, as it hopes to continue to broaden SourceBlue’s scope going forward.
The company’s future goals also include organic and holistic growth across North America, with a particular focus on core markets
across Toronto.
“We see an opportunity in the Greater Toronto area to increase our market penetration and diversify into other sectors that we are not currently engaged in, including healthcare and aviation,” closes Smith.
www.turnerconstruction.com
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