INDUSTRY PIONEER

BY CHERYL MAH

Smith Bros. & Wilson (SBW) is a pioneer in the construction industry. At 125 years old, the company has played a pivotal role in the development of towns and cities across Western Canada. Under the leadership of Jeff Musialek, president and coCEO, business volume has grown dramatically in the last decade and shows no signs of slowing down.

“I can’t think of a time where there’s been this much work,” says Musialek. “We are very busy.”

There are many challenges and risks to sustaining a construction company. SBW has managed to not only succeed but endure as B.C.’s oldest construc- tion company. Their quality work can be seen in many historical landmarks such as the Vancouver Post Office, Seaforth Armoury and the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The company today is very different from the one formed by the Smith brothers in 1897 but the core values remain.

“ We started out as a family business and became a business of families,” says Musialek. “We have many long-term, good employees that have been with us for 20-30 years with low turnover. We have lasted as long as we have because we are well-man - aged and have strong family values, commitment and integrity.”

Musialek has been a part of the leadership team since 2013 when he joined the company as vice president. He was elected to his current position in 2019. Working in the industry, he was aware of SBW’s reputation as a good builder.

“It wasn’t a difficult choice,” recalls Musialek about what attracted him to the company. “SBW is known for its integrity so I came to the partners. I knew I could bring my experience to help. We ended up rebuilding and modernizing all the systems in the company. Bringing in a lot of new people and training them. The volume increase over the period of time I’ve been here is probably more than 10 times growth.”

Musialek grew up in Kelowna and was exposed to construction at an early age through his father, spending his childhood and summers at construction sites. He graduated from the University of Victoria with a BA in 1993 and a certificate in Building Technology from BCIT in 1996.

Prior to joining SBW, he worked in different capacities with Graham Construction, Dominion Construction, and WR Shields Contracting. Over his 30 year career, Musialek has successfully completed projects across B.C. and the Yukon in civil, industrial, institutional, and social infrastructure markets.

“I love the business. I love the people,” he says. “The business is full of challenges every day — never a dull moment. It’s exciting and rewarding to solve complex problems and to meet the needs of our clients.”

Headquartered in Surrey, SBW is active in institutional, commercial, industrial and civil construction. Projects range from SkyTrain stations and bridges to municipal buildings, hospitals and schools. With a team of around 200, the company undertakes about 30 projects at any given time. A special projects group manages smaller contracts.

Musialek notes projects are now predominantly located in the Lower Mainland but the company has worked historically all over B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Yukon. The company is known, in particular, for their ability to deliver complex projects with a high level of intricate concrete work.

Current projects driving volume include the Harry Jerome Community Recreation Centre, SkyTrain Operations and Maintenance Facility and Dickland’s Biofuel Facility.

“ The new Harry Jerome Community Centre is an exciting project in North Vancouver. It is a large comprehensive project with an ice rink, pool, gym and seniors centre. We built the original in the 60s,” says Musialek. The three year project is on track to complete in 2025.

One of the most complex jobs undertaken by the company was the innovative Surrey Biofuel Facility in 2014, the first and largest of its kind in North America. It was the company’s first major construction management project as well as its first P3.

“ The Surrey Biofuel Facility was an important project for us. It’s the world’s most advanced bio- fuel public facility, converting waste into renewable natural gas. We’ve built another biofuel since then and we’re looking at several others,” says Musialek.

More sizable contracts followed including the $15-million renovation of Vancouver Central Library, the $42-million upgrade of TransLink’s Commercial–Broadway SkyTrain Station and the $200-million Molson

Coors Brewery in Chilliwack (another project where SBW built the original).

All of these projects helped put SBW on its current business volume trajectory, rejuvenating the company and also earning industry honours along the way with several VRCA Awards of Excellence.

Most recently, SBW was named the VRCA Member of the Year, which recognizes outstanding achievements by a company. Each year, the VRCA recognizes the finest companies, projects and individuals in the construction industry.

“ We’re very proud to be recognized by VRCA with that award. We have so many good relationships in the construction community and have high respect for the organization,” he says, adding the company was a founding member of the association.

To accommodate their growth, SBW moved from Vancouver to its new, company-built Surrey office in 2020. The three-storey concrete and heavy timber building includes a 5,000 square foot prefab warehouse, storage site yard and parking lot.

“ We’ve already outgrown the space. The building is designed to add another floor and we submitted the building permits to go ahead probably this summer with the addition of the next floor,” he says. “We also have a second office in Langley.”

Musialek anticipates continued strong growth with the company set to look into other markets in the province as well as possible expansion across Western Canada. In the past, SBW had offices in many major cities such as Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Victoria.

“ The company is primed and ready to grow. We have the right people and the capacity,” he says.

Careful succession over the years has been key to ownership transitions within the company. The company’s culture and values have carried successfully over five generational transitions.

“ We have young leadership in place and have focused on the succession of great leaders to carry on the practices and values of the company for years to come,” he says. “We have a robust system to transfer knowledge and experience and offer career advancement opportunities.”

While the construction industry is facing a number of current challenges (inflation, supply chain is- sues, labour shortage), Musialek is optimistic about the next few years.

“ We’re seeing continued robust expenditures from both large companies and public institutions,” he says.