connections the biannual newsmagazine of the OSCO Construction Group Brings its experience and expertise to the OSCO Group CONNECT with us on fall & winter 2020 • Brown University • Polar Park • Rothesay Netherwood School • FCC Turns 60 • Smith Neilson Library • Maine Correctional Center the biannual newsmagazine of fall & winter 2020 connections the OSCO Construction Group what’s inside projects 6 .....Birch Meadows 19 ... First 2700mm Concrete 33 ...Mill Lake Overpass 7 ..... Brown Wellness Center & Pipe in Atlantic Canada 34 ...Nova Scotia Dam Residence Hall 20 ...Place Sentier 35 ...Precast Concrete Stairs 8 .....7037 Mumford 21 ...UPEI Residence 35 ...Kia Charlottetown 9 .....Polar Park 22 ...105 West First 36 ...Assumption University 10 ...RNS Science Hall 23 ...Fox Hill Village 37 ...Irving Oil Refinery 13 ...7Ink 24 ... Brown Performing Arts 38 ...Felician University Center 14 ...Smith Neilson Library 39 ...The Wentworth 25 ...Richmond Yards 15 ... Moosehead Small Batch 40...CBCL Office Reno Patio 30 ...Rebar Projects 41 ...Highway 104 Twinning 16 ...Maine Correctional Center 31 ...The Kensington 42 ...Halifax Tower Hotel 18 ...Port S Modernization 32 ...Port of Charlottetown priorities 3 ..... Message from the President 43 ...Safety: Toolbox Talks 26 ...FCC Turns 60! 44 ... COVID19: Pandemic Site Safety 52 ...Our Locations 45 ...COVID19: OCI Safe Spaces 46 ...Facilities: OSCO Warehouse 46 ...Technology: homebase public & community 47 ... Ocean Capital Companies Scholarship profiles 47 ... Pte. David Greenslade Bursary 4 ..... Company: PreCon Joins the OSCO Group 16 ...Customer: Cianbro people 29 ... Product: Architectural Precast Wall Panels 48 ...Service Awards 49 ...Retirement Lane 50 ...Group Golf Challenge 51 ...Fresh Faces OSCO 51 ...Congratulations construction group CONNECTIONS is the biannual magazine of the Want to be added on our cover... OSCO Construction Group, published every to or removed from Spring and Fall to share news and information our mailing list? with our valued customers & employees PreCon Precast brings its experience & Please let us know by Comments and submissions are greatly appreciated and sending a quick email expertise to the OSCO Group: may be sent to the editor/designer: to Bernie Blakely at Tammy Legacy, c/o OSCO Construction Group www.oscoconstructiongroup.comblakely.bernie@ See story on page 4 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • Canada • E2K 5L6 email: [email protected] oceansteel.com message from the president Message from the President human history, the world collectively were changing constantly, our man- applied its capital, research, talent agement team and our individual and technology to create vaccines to contributors kept soldiering on. The neutralize this pathogen. Presently, result was that we came through this these vaccines have been success- year relatively unscathed but stronger fully tested and are now being admin- and better prepared for unforeseen istered throughout the world: a truly events in the future. remarkable achievement given the time to contain earlier pandemics. This was especially true when it came to proceeding with the PreCon acqui- During this difficult time, I am proud sition in June. This decision was not to say at OSCO we all came together, taken lightly given the more critical quickly adapted to our new reality and status of COVID in Ontario and the did our part. We made our work- fact that OSCO had never competed places safe and followed new proto- in the GTA market. Regardless, we cols for social distancing, masking, moved forward because of our con- enhanced hygiene and daily tempera- fidence in the quality and experience ture/check-in measures. More impor- of the newly assembled GTA manage- tantly, given the limited travel allowed ment team. In the short period since between provincial/state jurisdictions, closing, we are very pleased with the our local managers stepped into progress made. Although there is still the breach and took whatever steps much to do, we are confident that say 2020 was a challenging year were necessary in their operations to expanding into Ontario will prove to To would truly be an understate- ensure service disruptions were mini- be a good, strategic move for OSCO. ment. When the year began, many mized. I can’t express enough thanks Another noteworthy item this year of us were uncertain what the future to these individuals for taking charge has been the progress with our off- would hold. Our existing norms had when we needed them most. Despite site construction initiatives, both at been shattered by something too all the COVID-related obstacles and unbelievable to be true; a respiratory- regulations which, in some cases, continued on page 51... based pandemic. Countries closed their borders; communities went into lockdown; and social interaction “Despite all the COVID-related obstacles and regulations which, came to a standstill. A fiction writer in some cases, were changing constantly, our management team could have based his or her latest novel on these events. and our individual contributors kept soldiering on. The result was that we came through this year relatively unscathed but stronger And yet, somehow by the end of 2020, in the shortest time frame in and better prepared for unforeseen events in the future.” www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | fall & winter 2020 3 company profile Bramalea GO Transit Parking Garage Rowes Wharf Complex Boston Harbour Oakville GO Scotiabank Arena, Toronto Highway 407 Express Toll Route, GTA Transit Parking Garage Amazon Python Distribution Centre, Ottawa Woodbine Casino Parking Garage, Etobicoke Flexwall- Mars Canada Distribution, Toronto 1501 M-Street, Washington, DC Mark Summerfield / Alamy Stock Photo 4 connections | fall & winter 2020 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com company profile Joins the OSCO Group contributed by: Peter Quail P.Eng. n June 1st of this past year, the other industrial, civil, institutional and the Woodstock plant (43 acres) about OOSCO Construction Group commercial projects. 1 hour west of Toronto. The Bramp- entered the central Canadian con- ton plant produces Flexwall®, a struction market through the asset Throughout its history, Pre-Con variety of structural components for acquisition of Pre-Con from AP In- has built lasting customer relation- parking garages and for other build- frastructure Solutions LP (APIS). Now ships with a focus on precast con- ings, as well as architectural precast. operating under OSCO as PreCon crete solutions and strong Technical The Woodstock plant has tradition- Precast Limited and PreCon Erection Sales and Engineering teams. These ally produced heavier prestressed Limited, this change in ownership relationships were reinforced by the elements, such as double tees, pre- also represents a new beginning for expertise and experience of their stressed beams and bridge girders. Pre-Con that has had a long history Project Management, Production and There are approximately 90 salaried in the precast concrete industry in Erection personnel. The company and 250 hourly employees inclusive Ontario and the bordering USA states. completed many iconic projects over of the offices, the two plants and the the years such as Rowes Wharf (Bos- erection department. Founded in 1958 by St. Mary’s ton Harbor), 1501 M-Street (Washing- Cement as Pre-Con Limited, the ton DC), Scotiabank Arena (Toronto), Despite the ownership turnovers company grew to be the largest the majority of bridge girders for since 1997, the company has main- manufacturer of engineered pre- the 151km Hwy 407 Express Toll tained good customer relationships, cast concrete products in Ontario. Route (Greater Toronto Area), and a strong market position and a core Pre-Con developed an opportunistic the Toronto Pearson Offsite Parking group of talented salaried and union business model with flexibility to de- Garage (the largest precast garage in employees. Together these attributes sign, manufacturer and erect a wide Canada). provide a solid foundation to rebuild spectrum of precast/prestressed the company under the new name concrete products such as insulated From 1997 to date, Pre-Con Lim- PreCon Precast Limited. wall panels (including Flexwall®), ited has changed ownership several architectural panels, bridge girders times. The company consists of two Going forward into 2021 and beyond, and structural members for parking production facilities; the Brampton there is a clear mandate for PreCon garages, food processing plants and plant and head office (19 acres) and Precast and PreCon Erection to continued on next page... Osborn Parking Garage, Michigan Toronto Pearson Offsite Parking Garage www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | fall & winter 2020 5 projects continued from previous page... stored and realigned with the OSCO be a key element to introduce state- Construction Group. Much progress of-the-art innovative production build a steady state business model has been made in a very active GTA systems as PreCon Precast expands and to grow. Since the purchase on market environment despite the in the future. June 1st, PreCon Precast has begun extraordinary challenges brought on its transformation to rebuild and by COVID-19. As is the case for any successful achieve stability. Safety and quality venture, PreCon’s future growth will are being reinstilled as the top two Over the past 6 months, PreCon only be achieved through the efforts driving priorities for the company. has also taken some steps towards of engaged employees working The organizational