History

Aecon and the companies before us have had a part in building the infrastructure foundation of Canada.

Our heritage can be traced back to 1867.

Adam Clark, a Scottish immigrant, established a plumbing and gas company in Hamilton, Ontario, which became Aecon’s earliest forbearer.

The late 1800’s and early 1900’s saw the creation of several of Aecon’s predecessors:

Lockerbie & Hole, based out of Edmonton, an early leader in Canadian mechanical construction and fabrication (1898)
Foundation Company, a top civil contractor based out of Montreal and a forerunner of Aecon’s infrastructure business (1910)
Jackson-Lewis Company, one of Canada’s first general contractors based out of Toronto and a centrepiece of Aecon’s buildings business (1913)
Ambro Construction, one of Canada’s most iconic road builders, aggregate suppliers and the brand predecessor to Aecon based out of Brampton (1929)

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In the 1940’s to 50’s, Aecon’s predecessor companies helped build Canadian landmarks including:

Vancouver Ferry Terminal (1942)
St. Lawrence Seaway (1954)

A number of new construction companies brought their strengths to Aecon and diversified its business offering, including:

C.A. Pitts (1942), one of Canada’s original leaders in heavy civil contracting, based out of Toronto
Banister Pipelines (1948) in Alberta
Leo Alarie & Sons Limited (1955), known as a leader in infrastructure construction in Northern Ontario
Cliffside Pipe-layers (1957) in Ontario

In 1957, Prefac Concrete, the legal entity that is now known as Aecon Group, is established in Montreal by Etienne Beck, his wife Rose, and their young son – current Executive Chairman and Canadian business leader – John M. Beck.

In the 1960's the company completed a number of major infrastructure projects:

Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport (1960)
The Expo ’67 Biosphere in Montreal (1967)

Major sections of Highway 401
The Gardiner Expressway (1966)
Bloor-Danforth Subway (1966)

After building these major landmarks which have shaped Canada, the Beck family made big moves to increase the scale of their business with companies they would later acquire:

South Rock Limited (1973) in Alberta
Karson Kartage Inc. (1973), Nicholls-Radtke (1975), and Miwel Construction (1980) all in Ontario
Cegerco CCI Inc. (1976) in Quebec

During this time, Aecon’s predecessor companies went on to build:

Lester B. Pearson Airport (1973)
The iconic and world-renowned CN Tower in Toronto (1973)

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In the 1980s, one year prior to taking the company public:

Vancouver Sky Train (1986)
Armbro Enterprises Inc., the brand predecessor to Aecon, was first listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) on December 31, 1987

After going public, the company forged on through the 1990’s and early 2000’s, evolving into a diverse company, known as a pioneer in Public-Private Partnerships (P3s):

Highway 407 in the Greater Toronto Area (1997) – the first P3 project in Canada and first Electronic Toll Highway in North America

In 2001, Armbro officially changed its name to Aecon, bringing the amalgamation of a number of firms acquired over the years into the ONE Aecon that has continued to build Canada and beyond to this day.

In 2004, the Cross-Israel Highway was completed – modelled after the widely successful Highway 407.

Success in the civil and P3 market, while branching out to serve the industrial sector and international markets, diversified Aecon and its ability to provide integrated turnkey solutions to key clients:

In 2010, Aecon established a strategic presence in Canada’s mining sector, capitalizing on a thriving market for more than a half-decade
In 2013, Aecon completed the Quito International Airport in Ecuador, further developing its P3 and international project expertise
In 2015, Aecon played a major role in building the Union Pearson (UP) Express – connecting two of the country’s busiest transportation hubs in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
In 2016, the Northeast Anthony Henday Drive P3 project in Alberta was completed – the single largest highway construction project in the province at that time
In 2018, the John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project in British Columbia was completed – the first P3 hydroelectric project in Canada, recognized for its innovative underground design

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