Awards

In no particular order, Business Chief North America takes a look at 10 of the best construction companies on the continent.

10. PCL Constructors Inc.

A company with a significant legacy in the industry, PCL has been in operation for 114 years and seen some big changes since its founding as a small company in Stoughton, Saskatchewan. 

Currently employing over 4,000 people and engaged in more than 700 projects at any one time, PCL has achieved the status as the largest contractor in Canada and the seventh-largest in North America.

9. Kiewit Corporation

Kiewit is an employee-owned Fortune 500 company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Not just restricted to construction, the company is also involved in mining, off-shore operations and dirt removal projects. 

The company’s latest accomplishments include building the largest geodesic dome for the Henry Doorly Zoo and the Interstate H-3 project located in Hawaii. 

8. Ledcor Group of Companies

A construction company that takes pride in the diversity and varied experience of its workforce, Ledcor always seeks to incorporate an innovative mentality into its projects. 

Passionate about building strong relationships with the communities it operates in, the company seeks to engage Indigenous groups by fostering a mutually cooperative and trusting rapport. 

7. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

Jacobs is renowned for its highly technical, its broad client base and scientific consultancy capabilities. Managing to generate a revenue of US$14.98bn in 2018 and ranked as one of the best engineering firms in the world by several industry-recognised associations, Jacobs’ story has been one build on success and quality.

6. Aecon Group Inc.

An industry leader in the Canadian market, Aecon is a safety-focused company with a strong leadership philosophy: combining years of experience with an innovative mindset and a customer-centric approach, Aecon seeks to turn visions into reality.

The company has been involved in the building of some of Canada’s most well-known constructions, such as the CN Tower, the Montreal-Trudeau Airport and the Vancouver Skytrain.

5. McDermott International

Texas-headquartered McDermott was founded almost 100 years ago in 1923; Ralph Thomas McDermott created a company which would one day build floating dry-docks and land ship tanks for the Allies during World War Two and become one of the largest construction companies on Earth.

In 2018, McDermott Int. merged with the Chicago Oil & Bridge company (CB&I, gaining technological and engineering expertise for the energy sector in the process.

4. EllisDon Corp.

Established by brothers Don and David Ellis Smith, the company is currently based in Mississauga, Ontario and generates a revenue of more than $3bn per year. 

Recent projects for the company include the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Brockville General Hospital redevelopment and Stage One of the Edmonton Valley Line LRT.

3. Fluor Corporation

Listed at 164 on the 2018 Fortune 500 list with a revenue of $19.2bn, Fluor has maintained an enduring legacy of success throughout its more than 100 years of operations.

Providing employment to more than 47,000 staff worldwide, the company serves customers on six continents with an impressive array of industry technologies and its own innovation lab: Innovation Unwrapped.

2. SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.

A construction company firmly set on designing the future and not just building within it, SNC-Lavalin is the largest construction company in Canada by revenue: $10.1bn in 2018.

Employing over 50,000 people across 160 countries, the projects undertaken by the company are truly diverse and cover a range of industries - from the military (AERALIS jets), civil engineering (Docklands Light Railway in the UK), airports (Heathrow Express) and more.

1. Bechtel Group Inc.

The largest construction company in North America and the 11th-largest privately owned company in the USA, Bechtel recorded a revenue of $25.5bn in 2018 and currently employs more than 55,000 people.

The high-prestige projects engaged by the company are numerous: London City Airport, the Caroll County Energy Facility, Sydney Metro, the Chernobyl Shelter and Confinement and Pennsylvania Chemicals are just a few of its exciting and diverse portfolio.

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