OUR
STORY
the beginning
Ernest (Ernie) Poole starts a construction company in Stoughton, Saskatchewan.
1913
Three years after moving the company’s headquarters to Rouleau, Saskatchewan, in 1910, Ernie incorporates his company as Poole Construction Ltd. and sets his sights on bigger construction projects.
incorporated
1906
to
Today
PCL began as a humble operation in 1906 when workers in collared shirts and coveralls wielded hand tools and guided horse-drawn machinery on the first dusty construction sites. We could have never imagined that small-town builder growing into what it has become today — one of the largest and most respected construction companies. Driven by a culture of ownership, we draw upon our vast experience and rich history to leave a legacy for our clients, partners and employees.
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Foreword
1906
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Poole Construction Ltd. completes its first major buildings project, the Weyburn Hospital in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. The building covered nearly 6 acres of land, and more than 4 million bricks and 1.25 million feet of rough timber were used to construct it.
FIRST MAJOR BUILDINGS PROJECT
1921
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By 1932, the company has built several major buildings in Alberta, so Ernie decides to move Poole Construction Ltd.’s headquarters to Edmonton.
MOVE TO EDMONTON
1932
As new work is hard to come by during the Great Depression, Poole Construction Ltd. branches out and is awarded the contract to build a section of the Trans-Canada Highway between Cochrane, Alberta, and Banff National Park — PCL's first civil infrastructure project.
FIRST CIVIL PROJECT
1935
John and George Poole take a leap of faith and purchase Poole Construction Ltd. from their father, Ernie. Before transferring ownership, Ernie wrote down a set of guidelines that came to be known as “Poole’s Rules.” These principles helped Ernie successfully navigate his journey in the construction business and are the foundation of PCL's guiding principles today.
FAMILY BUSINESS
1948
Further diversifying its construction portfolio, Poole Construction Ltd. enters the industrial construction market and completes two major projects for Canadian Industries Limited (CIL): an explosives plant in Calgary (1949) and a polythene plant in Edmonton (1952, pictured).
FIRST INDUSTRIAL PROJECT
1949
PCL pairs safety with labor relations to form a new department. Throughout the 1960s safety and training fall under the umbrella of a small human resources team, laying the groundwork for what’s to come.
Safety’s Early Years
1958
Poole Construction Ltd. partners with United Way for the first time to help make communities better places to live, work and play.
UNITED FOR GOOD
1968
Poole Construction Ltd. installs its first computer mainframe.
DRIVING INNOVATION
1971
Poole Construction Ltd. enters the U.S. market, constructing a 14-story office building in Colorado Springs, Colorado for long standing client, Oxford Properties. This quickly leads to the establishment of the U.S. Headquarters in Denver, Colorado and blossoming work in the buildings, civil and industrial markets across the U.S.
AMERICA BOUND
1975
With a belief that employee ownership would result in greater loyalty and stability, and an admiration for other companies using the model, CEO Bob Stollery and 24 other senior managers purchase Poole Construction Ltd. from the Poole family, signaling the start of employee ownership.
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
1977
After introducing employee ownership, the company officially adopts its new name: PCL Construction Ltd.
NAME CHANGE
1979
While PCL had been building smaller, unique projects since the 1920s, PCL’s Regina office formally establishes the company’s first Special Projects division.
SPECIAL TEAMS FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS
1984
PCL begins work on their first major American heavy civil project, Glade Creek Bridge in West Virginia. The company establishes civil infrastructure operations in Florida and Arizona that same year.
FIRST U.S. CIVIL PROJECT
1986
PCL is awarded its first public-private partnership (P3) contract to build 15 schools in Nova Scotia. PCL continues to pursue opportunities to work with government partners through P3 projects in both Canada and the U.S., as one of the most experienced P3 builders in North America.
PARTNERING UP
1999
Demonstrating a commitment to sustainable construction, PCL completes construction on its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certified project: the Seattle Terminal Radar Approach Facility in Washington.
LEED-ING THE WAY
2001
PCL is named for the first time as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, which recognizes excellence in Canadian-owned and Canadian-managed companies with revenues over $25 million. In 2009, having won seven years in a row, PCL is inducted into the Best Managed Platinum Club.
WINNING WORKPLACES
2003
Demonstrating a commitment to renewable energy and sustainability, PCL completes construction on its first solar energy project, the 9.3-megawatt Erie Ridge Solar Electric System in Ridgetown, Ontario.
POWER OF SOLAR
2011
PCL completes its first project in Australia — the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Melbourne (a P3 project with Grocon Construction and the Victorian Government).
DOWN UNDER
2016
As part of PCL's commitment to innovation,
PCL Construction launches Job Site Insights®, an Internet of Things (IoT) smart construction platform that uses digital technology to find efficient construction practices, enhance safety and quality, and improve customer satisfaction.
GAINING INSIGHT
2018
PCL publishes its first Corporate Social Responsibility report, detailing the company’s efforts to lead by example on sustainability and drive change in the construction industry.
DRIVING CHANGE
2019
PCL’s Diversity initiative is created to enrich the organization and further draw upon the backgrounds and perspectives of employees to drive innovative solutions.
CHOOSING TO INCLUDE
2012
During the COVID-19 pandemic, PCL’s dedicated health and safety teams undertook initiatives to keep its workers safe, both on job sites and in offices, over the course of an unimaginable year.
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
2020
From 1906 to Today
THE BEGINNING
The company’s humble beginnings included the construction of many brick schoolhouses, town halls, banks and stores.
From 1921 to Today
FIRST MAJOR BUILDINGS PROJECT
Building construction — which PCL was founded on — remains a cornerstone of the company.
Today, PCL has Canadian offices in Edmonton, Calgary and Nisku, Alberta; Kelowna and Vancouver, British Columbia; Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Sudbury, Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; and Halifax,
Nova Scotia.
From 1932 to Today
MOVE TO EDMONTON
Since 1932, PCL has expanded to more than
30 offices in major centers across North America, Australia and the Caribbean.
From 1932 to Today
MOVE TO EDMONTON
From 1935 to Today
FIRST CIVIL PROJECT
At the time, road construction was backbreaking work. Most projects were small, but the first civil project kept Poole Construction alive for two seasons. Ernie kept his workers employed, and in turn, they remained loyal to the company for many years.
From 1948 to Today
FAMILY BUSINESS
Poole’s Rules include:
Employ highest grade people obtainable.
Encourage integrity, loyalty and efficiencies.
Avoid side lines.
Do not permit side lines by employees.
From 1948 to Today
FAMILY BUSINESS
Be fair in all dealings with owners, architects, engineers and sub-contractors.
Keep your word as good as your bond.
Give encouragement and show appreciation.
Be firm, fair and friendly.
From 1948 to Today
FAMILY BUSINESS
Avoid jobs where design is not good or financing doubtful. Let your competitors have these.
Good accounting and cash keeping are essential.
Do not let finishing up of jobs or collecting payments lag.
From 1949 to Today
FIRST INDUSTRIAL PROJECT
As of 2020, PCL had taken on industrial projects across North America and established industrial offices in Edmonton, Alberta; Bakersfield, California; Houston, Texas; and Lake Charles, Louisiana.
From 1949 to Today
FIRST INDUSTRIAL PROJECT
PCL’s industrial portfolio includes energy, petrochemical and mining megaprojects in Western Canada and across the Gulf Coast, as well as significant infrastructure construction and project development support in California.
From 1949 to Today
FIRST INDUSTRIAL PROJECT
In 2013, PCL opened the Peter Stalenhoef Center of Modular Excellence in Nisku, Alberta, which manufactures large components for industrial oilsands, mining and petrochemical applications.
From 1968 to Today
UNITED FOR GOOD
The relationship between PCL and United Way continues today. In 2021, the company matched funds raised through employee campaigns for a total of more than $5.1 million.
From 1968 to Today
UNITED FOR GOOD
In 2014, PCL completed construction on
the Mile-High United Way headquarters in
Denver, Colorado.
From 1968 to Today
UNITED FOR GOOD
Each year, employees also raise funds and volunteer for charities near and dear to local offices, including food banks, women’s shelters, and local branches of Habitat for Humanity.
From 1975 to Today
AMERICA BOUND
In 1978, PCL opened an office in Denver, Colorado, which becomes the head office for PCL’s U.S. operations.
From 1975 to Today
AMERICA BOUND
Today, PCL’s major offices in the U.S. include Bakersfield, Long Beach, Orange County,
Los Angeles and San Diego, California; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Honolulu, Hawaii; Houston, Texas; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Miami, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; Seattle, Washington; Tampa, Florida; and Vail, Colorado.
From 1977 to Today
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
In all his leadership roles, Bob Stollery brought wisdom and strength to PCL. He believed that sharing is good business, and that PCL’s model of employee ownership speaks for itself.
From 1977 to Today
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
Today, almost 90% of PCL’s 4,000-plus
full-time salary staff are employee-owners.
At PCL, we put our culture of ownership to work for you. This entrepreneurial spirit drives our employees to do their best work and create value for our clients.
From 1984 to Today
SPECIAL TEAMS FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS
Today, nearly every office has a Special Projects team that puts big ideas and years of expertise to work on unique, local projects. These teams provide customized solutions for projects typically valued at under $15 million in the buildings, civil and industrial sectors.
From 1984 to Today
SPECIAL TEAMS FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS
Examples of Special Projects include:
Burwell Center for Career Achievement at the University of Denver
Calgary LRT Station Refurbishments
Rio Tinto FalCon Bulk Sample Plant
From 1999 to Today
PARTNERING UP
In 2018, PCL was awarded a $1.1 billion P3 design-build contract to build the new Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) facility at Los Angeles International Airport. It will combine all rental car operations at LAX into one convenient facility.
From 1999 to Today
PARTNERING UP
In February 2021, PCL was awarded a $1.7 billion P3 design-build contract to construct the new
St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. It will be the most extensive hospital redevelopment in British Columbia’s history and PCL’s largest Buildings division design-build in company history.
From 2001 to Today
LEED-ING THE WAY
As of the end of the 2021 fiscal year, PCL had built 209 LEED certified projects worth more than
$15 billion and has over 260 LEED Accredited Professionals. Other major LEED certified PCL projects include:
Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion (Platinum – 2009)
Terminal 2 at San Diego International Airport (Platinum – 2014)
From 2001 to Today
LEED-ING THE WAY
Deloitte Tower in Montreal
(Platinum – 2016)
Factoria Recycling and Transfer Station
in Bellevue, Washington (Gold – 2017)
Punahou School in Honolulu
(Platinum – 2019)
From 2003 to Today
WINNING WORKPLACES
In 2005, PCL was recognized on Fortune’s
“100 Best Companies to Work For” list; and continued to receive recognition on the prestigious list for 13 consecutive years. In 2015, PCL was also recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials.
From 2003 to Today
WINNING WORKPLACES
From 2003 to Today
WINNING WORKPLACES
Across the organization, PCL offices regularly rank on local best place to work lists, with the company’s employee-ownership model, diversity initiatives, benefits and emphasis on professional development contributing to these placements.
From 2011 to Today
POWER OF SOLAR
PCL continues to work on solar projects throughout North America and Australia. Completed in 2021, the Claresholm Solar Project in southern Alberta is Canada’s largest solar site to date at 132 megawatts. The largest U.S. site is the 260-megawatt Hillcrest Solar Project in Ohio.
From 2016 to Today
DOWN UNDER
PCL has since opened an office in Manly, Australia (2021), and is working on several renewable energy projects in the country, including a solar farm in Gunnedah, New South Wales.
From 2018 to Today
GAINING INSIGHT
Job Site Insights® can monitor conditions remotely — including temperature, humidity and air quality — and in real time, helping workers be more efficient and head off small problems before they become big ones.
Job Site Insights™
From 2020 to Today
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
In 2020, PCL and its trade contractors achieved a record year for safety, with a lost-time frequency rate of 0.01 (the industry average was 3.40).
From 2020 to Today
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
PCL also worked with partners to develop Citizen Care Pods — retrofitted shipping containers designed to serve as mobile COVID-19 testing facilities.
From 2020 to Today
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
PCL relied on its experience building facilities that use UV light to kill germs on an industrial scale in 2021 when it partnered with Sterilray™ to manufacture PURE Portal, a sanitation solution for grocery carts and baskets. PURE Portal uses FAR UV light, which is extremely effective at killing germs.
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From 1971 to Today
Driving Innovation
Today, PCL is at the forefront of construction innovation. The company uses a wide range of tested technologies to maximize schedule and cost savings for clients. Award-winning digital dashboards, BIM turnover models, virtual collaboration and PCL’s smart construction platform, Job Site Insights® bring the full power of construction tech to the job site every day.
From 1986 to Today
FIRST U.S. CIVIL PROJECT
Today, PCL’s U.S. Civil Infrastructure Division connects communities through bridge rehabilitation projects like the Lake Tillery Bridge in North Carolina, and supports clean water in communities with projects like the Lake Manatee Water Treatment Upgrade
in Florida.
From 1958 to Today
Safety’s Early Years
Safety becomes a driving force at the company —
positioning the company as an industry leader. Safety is one of the company’s guiding principles and an enduring aspect of the company’s workplace culture.
Employees look out for one another on the job site and in the office with a clear view of the most important goal: sending everyone home safe at the end of each day.
Expanding PCL’s Civil Infrastructure operations from bridges that span water, to facilities that control water, PCL successfully navigates the U.S. entry into water, wastewater, dams and water pipelines with its first project for the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
CIVIL EXPANSION
1988
PCL is awarded its first project in Hawaii, the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, a joint venture with Nordic Construction.
ALOHA HAWAII
1995
In 2008, after numerous successful collaborations between the two companies, PCL acquired Nordic Construction to form Nordic PCL Construction Inc.
From 1995 to Today
ALOHA HAWAII
The convention center was completed in 1997 after only 730 days of construction. It was PCL’s largest-ever design-build project at the time.
From 1995 to Today
ALOHA HAWAII
PCL has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers every year since 2009. In 2020, it was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for Young People for the first time.
From 2012 to Today
CHOOSING TO INCLUDE
In 2020, PCL revises Diversity and Inclusion initiative to include Equity.
From 2020 to Today
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
The company continues to lead the construction industry in safety performance.
PCL has completed several successful projects in Quebec over the years, including the Deloitte office tower in downtown Montreal. Building on established relationships in the province, PCL opens a new office in Montreal and looks forward to serving new clients in the second-largest construction market in Canada.
Montreal Office
2021
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From 2006 to Today
TURNING 100
“We believe that our five core values — honesty, integrity, respect, dynamic culture and passion — more accurately capture the essence of what it takes to excel today and our eight guiding principles — ownership, teamwork, mutual obligation, safety, effective communication, diversity, mobility and social responsibility — are road maps for success.”
— ROSS GRIEVE
PCL announces the next step in the evolution of its highly successful solar business: PCL Solar. The growth and formalization of this dedicated business will support increasing demands for solar projects. The company continues growth of its North America and Australia Solar operations, building a reputation as the go-to name in solar construction.
Solar Expansion
2022
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2022 and Beyond
Solar Expansion
As PCL expands their geographic footprint, they’ll begin work in new areas in 2023, including Arkansas — where the team will build a 241-megawatt direct current solar farm on more than 1,700 acres.
2022 and Beyond
Solar Expansion
PCL’s Solar team has completed many impressive projects, including Travers Solar, which will be the largest solar project in Canada; the Gunnedah Solar project in New South Wales, Australia; and in the United States, projects in Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Colorado and Tennessee.
PCL announces the next step in the evolution of its highly successful solar business: PCL Solar. The growth and formalization of this dedicated business will support increasing demands for solar projects. The company continues growth of its North America and Australia Solar operations, building a reputation as the go-to name in solar construction.
SOLAR EXPANSION
2022
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2022 and Beyond
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
As PCL expands their geographic footprint, they’ll begin work in new areas in 2023, including Arkansas — where the team will build a 241-megawatt direct current solar farm on more than 1,700 acres.
2022 and Beyond
COMMITMENT TO SAFETY
PCL’s Solar team has completed many impressive projects, including Travers Solar, which will be the largest solar project in Canada; the Gunnedah Solar project in New South Wales, Australia; and in the United States, projects in Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Colorado and Tennessee.
PCL acquires The Companies of Nassal after more than 20-years working together on major entertainment and hospitality projects. Nassal is a leading global specialty theming fabricator and program manager that provides fabrication and installation of immersive environments for theme parks, cultural experiences, hospitality, zoos and aquariums, and other themed environments.
PCL ACQUIRES NASSAL
2023
PCL acquires The Companies of Nassal after more than 20-years working together on major entertainment and hospitality projects. Nassal is a leading global specialty theming fabricator and program manager that provides fabrication and installation of immersive environments for theme parks, cultural experiences, hospitality, zoos and aquariums, and other themed environments.
PCL ACQUIRES NASSAL
2023