Featured Member: Ledcor Group

Calgary’s 10th Avenue luxury rental suites, the Nutrien Western Events Centre, Edmonton’s Art Gallery of Alberta and many other innovative buildings from Vancouver to Ontario are high-performance structures that have one builder in common: Ledcor Group.

Operating mainly in Canada and the United States, Ledcor is an employee-owned, highly diversified construction company.

A handshake deal

Ledcor Group was destined to grow even in 1947, when the company was originally incorporated as Leduc Construction, named after the town between Calgary and Edmonton.

Founder William “Bill” Lede borrowed $5,000 from the local grocer on a handshake to set up his construction business of preparing sites for industries. His first major contract was to prepare the access road and drilling site for Imperial Oil’s Leduc No 1 oil well, an oil discovery that sparked the oil boom in the West.

Today, in its 75th year in business, the Ledcor Group of Companies is one of North America's most diversified construction companies, serving the civil & infrastructure, oil & gas, pipeline, building, mining, power, and telecommunications sectors, and also owns operations in property investment, forestry, aviation, and marine transportation services. Ledcor is a privately held, employee-owned company with over 800 employee shareholders. Ledcor employs over 10,000 people across 20 offices.

Multi-award-winning company celebrates 75th birthday

Ledcor’s awards are plentiful, from safety and innovation to workplace culture. This year, the company was recognized as a top employer, and the team is very proud in their 75th year to be recognized in BC’s Top Employers (2023) and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2023).

“As one of the founding members of the Inclusion and Diversity Council at Ledcor, the Best Diversity Employers award is incredibly meaningful to me personally, and it recognizes the hard work Ledcor’s been doing on our inclusion and diversity journey,” says Lisa Gibson, Ledcor Construction Project Director.

Powering green as the future

Recognized as pioneers in the green building industry, Ledcor is a founding member of the Canada Green Building Council. They are distinguished with many firsts, such as a 7-storey commercial building certified to Passive House in BC and other cutting-edge green initiatives.

"Ledcor is an active member of the Canada Green Building Council – we have representatives there who are guiding the voice of the industry and sustainability innovations,” says Gibson.

Ledcor’s experts work hard to solve green building and construction challenges, “because regionally each geographic area has unique parameters and metrics, guidelines and even where a region’s power comes from or what their industries are that power a particular area,” she says. “We can take initiatives from one of our projects to develop a successful plan for another distinctive area. Our unique approach of ‘One Ledcor’, where we integrate services from across our industries, allows us to apply this knowledge to deliver project solutions and offer a seamless experience for our clients.”

Vision: “Forward. Together”

Before joining the Ledcor team, Lisa Gibson worked in the real estate development industry and was a long-standing Ledcor client, which was why she knew the work culture would be a fit for her.

“I set my sights on the construction industry as an opportunity for career development,” she says, “as well as to join an industry where my experience working for clients would provide value.”

With more than five years at the company, she appreciates the many opportunities available to her: she’s an active community volunteer including SAIT, Calgary Lean Community of Practice, Calgary Construction Association, CaGBC and the Canadian Construction Association.

“Ledcor both supports and values my involvement,” says Gibson. “My other priorities include sustainability, I&D, innovation and learning, all of which align with Ledcor’s culture, so I also get to focus on these areas and provide value to the greater Ledcor community.”

“Ledcor is built on a foundation of people and relationships, which is the best part of what I do every day. The people are what make Ledcor an amazing place to work.”

Gibson adds that Ledcor really values their Calgary Chamber membership. “The Chamber is really about the local community and it’s part of Ledcor’s local community. As an active member of the community, the Chamber helps us stay connected to what matters.”

The Ledcor Cares spirit, embedded in the company’s culture, also connects senior management and employees alike to the community in impactful ways. Together, they’ve raised more than $24 million to support over 200 charities across North America.

To learn more about Ledcor, visit their website.

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Interested in sustainability and green initiatives across all industries? Join us on April 17 for a full day of discussions and networking with experts in the field at Spark the Future: Innovation and the Future of ESG.