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The construction industry is essential to Toronto's economy, carrying out the plans of developers and architects, supplying the physical efforts it takes to reshape a city. UrbanToronto has spoken with individuals from various industries tied to development, including public relations, marketing and design, but our Q&A with Herb Lewington, Business Development Manager at leading construction firm EllisDon, is our first Insider Q&A feature with a professional in the construction management industry.
EllisDon was founded over 60 years ago, and has grown to become a major player in the construction industry, building a number of Toronto landmarks like the SkyDome (now Rogers Centre) and the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, as well as international projects like the 1996 Olympic Village in Atlanta and the massive Dubai Waterfront Project in the United Arab Emirates.
UT: How did you start in the business?
HL: I brought my sales and marketing background to project management consulting about 5 years ago. Coming from outside the construction industry, it was challenging to get up to speed on the technical aspects of the business, but it's been interesting, exciting, and always evolving. Third party project management is still maturing as a service in the Canadian marketplace, so I see a huge potential at EllisDon to leverage their extensive experience and expertise as a builder to grow our PM services business.
Give us a little insight about your role at EllisDon.
EllisDon has been providing project management as a discreet service for about a decade, so my role as Business Development Manager is to help take this part of the business to the next level. It's an important part of our overall strategy to provide "cradle to grave" services to our clients. Our enormous internal capabilities and experience as a constructor give EllisDon a distinct advantage over other consultants in managing capital projects for our clients. My job is made easier by the fact that I work with people who have "hands on" knowledge of how to get projects done on time and on budget.
Tell us about a current project you're working on.
We are in the process or wrapping up the new Student Residence at the W. Ross MacDonald School for the Visually Impaired in Brantford for Infrastructure Ontario. It's a 54,000 SF, $17M facility that we were able to deliver under budget. This is a great example of a project that was not a fit for EllisDon as the general contractor, but one for which we were very well suited as the project manager.
Any future plans you'd like to tell us about?
EllisDon is very active providing project management services to assist many of Canada's largest commercial insurance companies in managing their claims. We're just started a very complicated project for a large oil corporation at a fly-in camp in a remote area of Alberta. With projects like this, we develop comprehensive budgets and schedules with minimal information, and if the client wants us to, we can stand behind our assessment and do the work ourselves. Our competition can't provide that level of support.
Work Inspirations?
The way the folks at EllisDon think: Freedom, Trust, Innovation.... They're in this business for the long term.
In your opinion, what is currently the biggest issue facing Toronto/GTA?
Short term political agendas that create challenges to long term, strategic infrastructure planning.
Your take on the state of the Toronto market?
The rate of growth continues to astound me. Pundits keep predicting a "bubble burst", but there seems to be no end in sight. I'm sure whatever the future brings will be obvious when we see it in the rear view mirror. Exciting and scary at the same time.
Favourite project in Toronto?
Our successfully completed McDonald's D12 program started in the GTA and spread to over 1,400 restaurant renovations we managed across Canada. That was one of our most complicated and geographically diverse assignments to date.
Favourite restaurant?
That's a tough question with so many great places in the city, but one of my all time favourites is Mamma Martino's in Etobicoke. Not sophisticated, but I've never been disappointed.
Argos, Blue Jays, FC, Maple Leafs or Raptors?
Well, I'm a Ti-Cats fan from The Hammer and a lifelong Habs fan, so I'll have to go with the Blue Jays.
Favourite thing to do in the city?
Live music and theatre. I feel lucky to live near so much great entertainment.
Who do you follow on Twitter?
I'm a news junkie, so all the major feeds.
We thank Herb for taking the time to answer our questions, and look forward to more major construction projects from EllisDon. We will return soon with another Q&A session with one of the many insiders in Toronto's development scene.
