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EllisDon co-founder Don Smith built a construction legacy across Canada which transcends the simple bricks-and-mortar of its projects.
Smith, considered one of the "great Canadian success stories", passed away on July 16 at the age of 89.
"He helped change the industry in a big way," said Toronto Construction Association (TCA) president John Mollenhauer.
London, Ont. contractors Smith and brother David Ellis Smith began the company on April Fool's Day 1951 with only four employees.
"He started with a wheelbarrow," said Walter Woloshyn who worked with Smith for over 25 years. "I have a lot of respect for what he did and how he did it. He was a great guy to work with it and look at where the company is today."
The company quickly became the first Canadian contractor to own its own tower crane, in 1956, and the first to fully computerize its accounting and cost systems in 1968.
Today the company completes over $3 billion in volume annually, has worked all over the globe on every type of project, and is nearly 50 per cent owned by its 1,600 employees. Smith's son Geoffis now the company's president and chief executive officer and sons Michael and David are the vicepresident of marketing and business development and vice-president of project management respectively.
"It's recognized globally as a formidable...