ASPHALTopics | Fall 2015 | VOL 28 | NO 3

This Bruno’s Contracting project involves the reconstruction
and expansion of Golf Links Road/Junot Avenue, Thunder Bay.
Bruno’s Contracting is currently working on Hwy 11/17 from
First Street Easterly to 1.7 km east of Highway 11 Junction
including the Nipigon River Bridge.
remote locations that you have to manage. No hydro,
no cell phone service. And it’s risky, too. If a production
specification is off due to faulty
equipment, it can cost you $300,000
to $400,000 per day. Before, we used
to do three or four highway contracts
a year. Now we do one or two, closer
to home.”
Although diversification and the
accumulation of assets have helped
smaller operations remain competitive, modern road
construction offers new challenges to next generation
companies. Tighter specifications, new regulations,
and compliance issues have necessitated a higher level
of expertise to navigate ever-changing policy so that
companies can keep abreast of government mandates
and recommendations.
“You can spend a half a million very easily trying to get
a quarry license, and most environmental studies have
up-front costs,” says Les Cruikshank. “Any time there is
a problem with a mix, there is a new compliance that you
have to meet. It makes for a very complex environment,
and larger companies have the resources to deal with
these issues much more easily.”
While the pre-qualification of select bidders gives smaller
companies the opportunity to win contracts based on
performance rather than lowest bid, the process is timeconsuming
with ample paperwork involved, which again,
taxes the in-house resources of smaller operations. “A lot
of municipalities are catching on and following the practice
of using pre-qualified contractors,” says Kevin Martin,
Estimator and Project Manager for Etobicoke-based
Fermar Paving Ltd., and grandson of company founder,
Armien Martin. “Performance rating gives municipalities
the ability to separate performers and non-performers,
so that they can deal with companies who are capable
30 OHMPA | ASPHALTOPICS
The smaller family-run
business can switch gears
quickly and capitalize on
new opportunities.
of doing the work. With pre-qualification, though, you
have to prove yourself on paper, providing references and
showing that you can be on schedule and
meet safety standards. It lengthens the time
of the tendering process; to pre-qualify, you
are essentially preparing two tenders.”
Inherent in family-run asphalt companies is
the high value that is placed on employees
and an appreciation for their contributions
to the overall success of organizations.
They become a corporate family and include third and
fourth generation workers, who continue the tradition of
providing a strong work ethic and invaluable knowledge
and expertise. Employee retention is high, which saves on
the training of new workers, and organizations gain a critical
mass of expertise through employees’ combined years
of experience.
“When employee retention is high, you have a much more
stable work place,” says Dominic Crupi. “In the current
climate of competition for workers, we try to engage our
employees and keep them excited about their work. We
have regular gatherings which provide the opportunity
for everyone to socialize outside of work. There is a lot of
opportunity out there, so you have to keep your talented
and valuable workers happy.”
Keeping employees happy includes having a steady
flow of jobs in the pipeline to ensure that the work is
there. “By diversifying in all of our other organizations, we
can provide a longer working season for our employees,”
says Silvio Di Gregorio. “When it’s slow in one area, we
can move our workers to other jobs. Our employees are
our greatest asset so we have to take care of them. This
way, we can maintain and attract a better workforce.”
Since 2011, Cruickshank has been a winner of Canada’s
Best Managed Companies program, which is a testament
to Cruickshank’s commitment to its workforce of 500