Graham Bros

Source: Construction Digital

Date :11/04/2008 02:24:50

On time and on budget is more than a requirement to Brampton-based Graham Bros. Working with continuous pride, it has gained vast experience on large and small projects across Ontario

Written by Ian Armitage and Produced by Michael Gutierrez

Graham Bros. Construction Limited is the creation and life-long passion of businessman and entrepreneur Bill Graham, who wanted to “mix things up” in his local construction industry, developing a new, fresh approach to construction. He’s done that and achieved much, much more.

Indeed, founded in 1959, the Brampton, ON based company has built a reputation in the same way it builds projects – “With Pride”. With continuous pride, it has enjoyed considerable success as it has gained experience on large and small, standard and challenging projects.

Bill Graham, who remains the owner and CEO to this day, passed the presidency of his beloved construction firm onto the equally ambitious and passionate Alfredo Maggio in 2006. Mr. Maggio is working hard to continue Mr. Graham’s standards, but is also preparing the company for what he believes is an exciting future.

Before we get onto that, Mr. Maggio was keen to talk a little further about what makes this successful construction company so appealing: “Graham Bros. is located in Brampton, a strategic location for the GTA but is also capable of servicing other parts of Ontario. With a head office of highly trained and experienced personnel and a modern facility, we can compete in most aspects of the infrastructure improvement construction trade. In addition to our Brampton office we have facilities for complete maintenance of all our equipment and vehicles, a concrete and asphalt recycling yard as well as our own aggregate source, and, if that isn’t enough, our trained personal are committed to efficient and reliable service.”

Graham Bros. uniquely operates its own asphalt production facility and a multi-faceted fleet of world class equipment, including a truck fleet, advanced specialty machinery, and on- and off-road rolling stock. “There really is no job we can’t do,” says Mr. Maggio. “We are very well equipped to deliver high quality and timely performance on any project.” There is no doubt that Graham Bros. is able to pull its resources to solve any problem.

Walking the walk

The services offered by Graham Bros. are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the local construction community and wider Ontario. “Customers are looking for contractors to help solve their construction problems,” admits Maggio, “Our approach to business has changed from providing a construction service to providing a construction partnership. There is an ever increasing deficit in construction expertise throughout our industry particularly recognized in the public sector.

"As a result of our longevity and depth of experience, we find ourselves endowed with the knowledge and capability required by the Customers to resolve critical design and constructability problems. Our Customers have found value in dealing with us not only in the quality of work we provide but in the expertise we bring to the table as part of the package.”

Quality is high on the Graham Bros. agenda. You would hope that quality comes as standard with any construction firm. Yet, unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Many firms will talk the talk, but sadly not all are able to walk the walk.

Graham Bros. most definitely walks the walk and if you doubt that just ask any number of the firm’s many satisfied customers, which include private developers small townships, larger cities and the province. “We certainly deliver quality because our projects are “Built With Pride” a commitment that is more than an adage to me and the 400 other people who work for the company.”

Route to success

“The industry is doing very well,” continues Maggio. “It is probably doing better today than it has done in many, many years – especially with respect to government spending on infrastructure.” Indeed, Ontario’s public sector is, for want of a better word, booming. Significant sums have been set aside by government to improve infrastructure and modernize existing sewerage systems and roads networks. “That has been a key mandate for politicians,” confirms Maggio. “Infrastructure is a hot topic right now, especially with respect to sewers, roads and bridges – all of which we have extensive experience in. Looking ahead that market is very promising.”

As if to confirm this undoubted potential, Maggio went onto reaffirm that the knowledge deficit means government is looking increasingly at companies like Graham Bros. – those capable and experienced in infrastructure projects. “The government has confirmed that there is going to be a significant amount of money spent on public infrastructure, so the future looks very good,” adds Maggio.

The new investment from the government will give Graham Bros. an opportunity to expand.

Promoting an ‘unglamorous’ sector

One of the largest challenges facing construction firms in today’s economy is self-promotion. As Maggio puts it “the construction industry is hardly seen as glamorous and parents rarely encourage their child to enter.” As a result, it works hard to promote the industry and attract the new blood that is so important to its survival.

Fortunately though, Graham Bros. is excellent at finding new talent to complement an existing workforce that is often seen as one of the most knowledgeable in Ontario.

Maggio works hard to retain existing staff and has superb staff retention. Indeed, some employees have been with Graham Bros. for over 40 years.

Finding new staff is important according to Maggio as it enables the company to rejuvenate the workforce. “This is something we work very hard at,” he says. “Our current workforce is an aging one, so our challenge is to find new staff and then allow the existing knowledge to be transferred from one generation to the next. The seasoned veterans have superior know-how and we want them to pass that on to the new talent before they retire and the knowledge is lost.” In doing this, Graham Bros. retains its experience, but also adds some much needed new blood and direction.

Graham Bros. also welcomes changes to technology and working practices and, as such, is seen as an industry trend-setter. This is attractive to young, educated engineers, who are looking for an exciting and challenging career. “We have always embraced new techniques and technologies in construction, keeping us on the leading edge in our field,” says Mr. Maggio, naming fast track concrete, SMA and Super Pave Asphalt, and innovative bridge replacement techniques as recent examples.

Graham Bros. is willing to challenge tradition and is never afraid to try something new.

Business is presently going very well for Graham Bros., which is experiencing growth – a trend that is set to continue. When asked why this was, Maggio almost instantly replied: “it is because we are proud of what we do, and we do it well.

"Our focus is on timely completion of work and customer satisfaction with continuous improvement on quality. Perform the work well and on time and you avoid all the expenditures that come with having to carry out repairs on both the work and reputation. We treat our local construction industry as a community where we have a vested interest. We have always taken an active role in our construction associations where we partner with our public sector customers in developing technical and contractual specifications that help deal with real issues.”

Mr. Maggio’s unique approach to construction is often referred to as ‘new age’ in a somewhat traditional sector, but it is helping Graham Bros. lay a foundation for the future.

Click here to view the corporate brochure on Graham Bros