Waiward Construction differentiates itself from its competitors by taking a long-term view and having a consistent approach to all of its projects
Written by Martin Slofstra & Produced by Sabah Choudhry
Waiward Construction Management Inc. is an Edmonton, Alta.,-based company that has been serving the construction industry since 1975.
The company prides itself on attracting and retaining a highly motivated and competent staff, and in the ownership of the latest series of equipment that is well maintained and can be readily adapted to a variety of applications.
“Granted, there are some other firms that do what we do,” says Dale Degner, vice-president and managing partner. There is, however, one important difference, Waiward has a strong, dedicated history with its people, customers and supplier. When planning its business, the construction firm takes a long-term view of its activities.
“We have been around a long time. There are organiza¬tions in our industry, however, that are strictly project-based. They ramp up and they ramp down, hire a bunch of people and then get rid of everything,” he says.
“We take a different approach. While we are bound by each project, we look for longevity and aim to provide our people with a solid amount of work.”
According to Degner, contracting can be a funny busi¬ness. “You can be busy, or you can be really slow. But if you have a good relationship with your customers, you can ride out some of the highs and lows.”
This has been no truer than in the last few years. The construction industry in Alberta and Saskatchewan where Waiward focuses its efforts has in the last couple of years taken a hit. The volume of business industry wide is a far cry from 2007 when demand was high and the company was involved with as many as 300 projects, some as high as the $15-20 million range. However opportunities still exist and Waiward remains near capacity.
This year, the market is much tighter. “We saw this coming last year,” says Degner, as a combination of the economic slowdown and lower oil prices has led to an overcapacity in the market. Although approved and ready to go, a number of construction projects in Alberta are on hold until market conditions get better.
According to Degner, when things get slower “we continue to focus on improvement and innovation, only with more vigor. You cannot rely on price to protect your margins”. And at Waiward, where tight standards and procedures are closely adhered to in all of its activities, that can work to the company’s advantage.
Diversifying also helps. Over time, Wai¬ward has moved from general earthworks projects into large site preparations, sewer and water installations, site reclamation and waste handling. The company also undertakes a number of “ancillary” projects, that have special requirements and that are beyond the capabilities of most construction firms.
A recent example is Caribou Energy Park, an industrial business park now being built by Wai¬ward in Fort McKay, Alta. Located right in the center of the oil sands, the project involved a significant amount of muskeg removal before construction and grading could begin. Waiward is also providing design and construction management services for the development, which is also unique from typical construction projects. “Being involved early in the design ensures that the best possible construction practices will be implemented at the time of con¬struction,” says Degner.
“We are a custom shop. Each project is unique and has its own needs. What is consistent is the way we approach them. We’re delivering on what clients want and we tailor our assets and people to fit that need,” says Degner.
Project management skills are all-important. “When an opportunity comes available, whether we are solicited by a general contractor, a con¬sultant or owner and invited to tender, we do a detailed analysis of the project to see if it is viable. As a result, once that project is landed, we already know how it fits into our organizations and how to apply the specific resources required.”
Also essential is corporate safety practices, an area where Waiward has an excellent record. Degner says the company employs two full-time safety officers, and their responsibility is to ensure each project meets safety requirements. All employees are trained and oriented in the company’s best practices, and “nobody goes to a job site without having it,” stresses Degner.
Finally, the company emphasizes its use of technology. All project leaders are equipped with the latest communication technology. “Operat¬ing in remote sites, sometimes more than 1000 km apart demands reliable connectivity to the front line staff working on the projects.” Soft¬ware packages called Bid-2-Win, for estimating project costs, and Build-2-Win, for managing all aspects of a construction project, have been in use since 2004. It further has the capability to provide guys in the field the ability to “re-create” the actual project, and Degner is able to track project status and time sheets on a daily basis that are uploaded to its servers. Furthermore, at the field level Waiward is one of the first contrac¬tors in the region to offer in house Geomatics and GPS machinery guidance services ensuring project accuracy and quality control documenta¬tion. Waiward was the first contractor in northern Alberta to utilize Leica geomatics third generation machinery guidance systems.
There are, according to Degner, many dif¬ferent aspects to being a fully-integrated, high quality contractor. “At the end of the day, only so much pipe can go into the ground and so much of a site can be graded. While we have many of the same challenges as our competitors, it comes down to reputation and solid deliverables, and that’s where we can win,” he says.
View Digital Corporate Profile of Waiward in Construction Digital June 2009