Supplier, Manufacturer and Contractor Profile
Where is your company located?
Aecon is a North American construction and infrastructure development company with global experience. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Aecon delivers integrated solutions to private and public-sector clients through its Construction segment in the Civil, Urban Transportation, Nuclear, Utility and Industrial sectors, and provides project development, financing, investment, management, and operations and maintenance services through its Concessions segment.
How many employees do you have?
Aecon is a major utility contractor with over 10,000 employees company-wide across its diverse operating sectors.
What is the company’s priority over the next five years?
In the Utilities sector, Aecon has long-standing relationships with key clients. Significant revenues are generated from recurring revenue programs for public and leading private utility-sector clients. Aecon Utilities also recently created an enhanced growth vehicle focused on providing utility infrastructure services across North America through a strategic investment by the Power Opportunities strategy of Oaktree Capital Management. Many of these growth opportunities are tied to climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as decarbonization of energy systems, including public investments in Canada and the U.S.
What opportunities and challenges does your company face?
There is a significant level of infrastructure investment underway across Aecon’s focus areas. Aecon is strategically focused on projects and concession opportunities linked to decarbonization, sustainability, and energy transition. In the Utilities sector, Aecon is focused on four end markets including electrical transmission and distribution, renewables and in-home services, telecommunications, and pipeline distribution.
Across all industries, there is a race for talent in the skilled trades. Aecon is responding and preparing in a number of ways. We’re working to grow the pipeline of skilled workers in Canada through advocacy, partnerships and initiatives that support candidates traditionally underrepresented in construction.
In your opinion, what will be the role of natural gas in the next 50 years?
Natural gas is expected to play a key role in the energy mix in combination with other key energy sources. Its versatility and the growth of LNG as a delivery mechanism will link disconnected demand and supply centers. However, the role of natural gas will be influenced by energy regulations, the price of alternative energy forms, and decarbonization policies. As such, the future of natural gas will likely be a balance between its practical utility and the global push towards other low-emission fuel options.