PCL Construction.

• Author: Cote, Maria
• Position: REAL ESTATE/CONSTRUCTION

Ask PCL Construction Enterprises President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Beaupre what it takes to make it in the construction industry when the economy is rough, and he'll oiler a One-word answer: diversity

"We are strategically located in various geographic areas, and that was all part of a strategy a generation ago, before me, that said we need to be geographically diverse. We also need to be diverse in various sectors," Beaupre said.

PCL, with North American headquarters in Canada and a US. base in Denver, works in three sectors: the commercial world; the heavy industrial world, which deals in soil, gas and power; and the civic world, which tackles the water, wastewater and transportation industries. If one sector is suffering, the others can make up for losses, he said.

Geographical diversity is also critical to the success of the business, which operates from 27 offices throughout the United States and in Canada.

"We have such a committed group of employees, they will move where the work is. That's been very helpful in this down industry," Beaupre said, adding that he says such dedication is easy to explain.

The 100-year-old company is employee owned, and has been for more than 35 years. Around 95 percent of full-time salaried employees own stock in PCL.

"It puts a special responsibility on all of our employees to ensure1 everyone does well. We make sure that our clients are looked after and are satisfied with the work that we do," he said. "It's also a great way to retain long-term employees.

"They own a piece of the company and they therefore benefit from the rewards and success of the company"

Diana Canzona-Hindman, community relations liaison for PCL, said the employee ownership model leads to a very dynamic culture at PCL.

"It really bonds employees together," she said. "It's a very family-oriented, fun environment."

And that's all-important when times are tough, she said.

"There's a lot of camaraderie at PCL," she said. "It's been tested with the economy but because we are a...