LOCAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY STAYING BUSY IN CHALLENGING TIMES
No doubt some construction companies in Calgary are having a hard time, while some, like Chandos, still enjoy a full worksheet.
Chris Chornohos, director of business development, reports 2016 was a record year and he’s forecasting 2017 to equal its revenues.
Nearing its 37th anniversary, Chandos Construction was founded in Edmonton, where its head office is located. It also has offices in Calgary and Red Deer. Sean Penn was recently appointed managing director in the Calgary office.
Tim Coldwell, previously vice-president responsible for business development, relocated to Edmonton as managing director there.
He’ll also lead recruitment and development of the newly opened office in Burnaby, B.C. He has already hired five locals and persuaded three staff from Calgary to move there to work on building an auto dealership.
The company’s 125 Calgary employees have moved into new space in Sunpark Plaza S.E. Among its current projects is the new Calgary Climbing Centre near Canada Olympic Park that will celebrate its groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday.
Walson Tai opened his first climbing gym in 1995 on Fisher Road in the south Chinook area and has two other facilities on 15th Avenue N.W. and the newest location on Aero Drive N.E.
His substantial new facility will provide a high-quality training ground for future Olympians — and add another 50 opportunities for Calgarians to join his staff of 150.
Chandos crews are also busy on a second building in Marda Loop for Ronmor — it completed Garrison Corner last year — that will welcome tenants next month.
Designed by McKinley Burkart, The Odeon is a four-storey mixed-use building in the heart of the community on 33rd Avenue S.W. that will feature a Blush Lane Organic Market covering the entire main floor. Thanks to Chris Law at Colliers International and Ronmor’s sales team, its 32,000 square feet of office space is almost 90 per cent leased.
Other notable construction projects for Chandos are the retrofit of the John Ware Building at SAIT on the occupied campus, an expansion of Strathcona-Tweedsmuir School and work on five Calgary Board of Education schools, including a renovation of Bowness High School and the new Martindale School.
It’s also redesigning the Best Buy store at Deerfoot Meadows and building a $90-million First Responders Campus for the City of Barrie, Ont.
NEWS AND NOTES
Ireland’s new ambassador to Canada, Jim Kelly, will make his first visit to Calgary on Feb. 24, at the Ireland Canada Centre for Commerce-Calgary luncheon at the Westin Calgary hotel. Kelly will introduce guest speaker Dana Welch of Tourism Ireland.
SAIT School of Business is working with industry associations to fast-track students toward a professional designation. Brad Donaldson, vice-president academic at SAIT, and Peter Dugandzic, the new CEO of Human Resources Institute of Alberta, will soon sign a document to announce the HR major in SAIT’s bachelor of business administration degree will be an accredited program with Chartered Professionals in Human Resources.