A Message from the Wales McLelland Leadership Team:
As the premier General Contractor and Construction Manager in British Columbia, our clients retain Wales McLelland with confidence, knowing we will deliver the complete execution of the work to meet or exceed all expectations, regardless of any challenges that may arise. While the impact of COVID-19 is undoubtedly exceptional, it has been a true demonstration of our capacity to rise to the occasion for our clients, employees, subcontractors, and partners.
As the standards of pandemic prevention measures increase, we are simultaneously modifying the planning and operation of our business. We are also fully implementing the business continuity plans and technologies that were already at the core of our company infrastructure.
During this challenging time, the Wales McLelland team has sharpened our focus on what makes the WM organization special. Drawing on our depth of experience, our skilled people, our trusted relationships, and our collaboration and partnership approach, we continue forward as always with our partners: by relying on our culture, values, and specialization.
“If this is going to be the ‘new normal’ for weeks or months to come, we are ready,” says Tony Vigini, Vice President of Development. “We are open for business and committed to delivering the best for our clients, partners, employees and communities.”
Following are the guiding principles Wales McLelland is employing to deliver the construction milestones under these unprecedented circumstances:
1. We keep our employees and partners connected and safe.
Wales McLelland is a team of committed professionals, many have been with us for decades, and some throughout their entire career. “Our first priority is to keep our employees safe,” Doug Scott, President, confirms.
To that end, we have eliminated all in-person and group meetings, replacing them with communication platform technologies. Office staff and management work remotely as much as possible, while we maintain productivity, workflow, and team culture with ‘face-to-face’ meetings on Zoom or Microsoft Teams, keeping each other updated through email or phone.
Doug recognizes how quickly the Wales McLelland team has regrouped and adapted. “We are sharing lessons learned, innovations, and success stories across our job sites. We are also providing weekly video updates to our clients to keep them updated on the status of current projects. This keeps us all connected and supported as we continue to drive forward.”
“Our strong relationships and work processes are allowing us to navigate effectively and efficiently in this new environment.”
2. We develop lasting and trusting relationships with all our key vendors.
We have strong relationships with suppliers, subcontractors, and project partners spanning decades, and we are working through these challenges together. We understand supply chains are strained and work conditions are modified, so we are communicating with our project partners more than ever to maintain alignment and find innovative solutions to new challenges.
Our collaborative approach to projects and long-term connections built on mutual respect are proving their value in today’s construction environment.
“The investment our clients make in their projects is significant,” Doug Scott reflects. “Delays are costly and disruptive, and we are fortunate to have a strong network of suppliers and subcontractors who are committed to supporting each other and our clients through this crisis.”
“We work every day to overcome a multitude of challenges in the construction industry, and our strong and tested relationships are now more important than ever. Together we address, solve, and execute.”
3. We lean on our specialization, experience and history.
We have strategically grown our company and made investments thoughtfully and with precision over the past 50 years. We seek out projects and partners that match our values and our commitment to growth and professionalism. This has resulted in hundreds of successful projects and partnerships, and provided our company with strong financial stability.
We are fortunate to remain in a position to retain our employees, as we continue to provide them with opportunities to work on monumental projects and deliver confidence to our clients.
“Our employees are embracing the changing work environment,” says Kevin Armon, Vice President of Construction. “Yes, working conditions are challenging, but our people remain positive and focused, and approach each day with intention and ambition.”
“It’s impressive to see how quickly our employees have adapted, and how well everyone has come together as a team to manage through this pandemic.”
Tony Vigini builds on Kevin’s remarks. “Our specialization in the commercial, retail, and industrial sectors allow us to bring solutions with confidence for our partners. In this time of uncertainty, we dive deep into our history of project delivery and innovative solutions.”
4. We use remote construction technology on every job site.
For the past seven years, we have been using SiteMax software to help manage every construction project, software for the job site that Wales McLelland helped develop. This software provides our clients with real-time remote access to their specific project information, including progress updates, daily photos, and all related project files.
This mitigates the frequency for our clients to physically attend the project site for assurance that their project is on budget and on schedule. This also gives our senior leadership team the ability to provide timely and seamless oversight on multiple project sites.
“We have built our organization to be lean and efficient,” Doug Scott comments.
“By applying these industry-leading tools and resources, we provide transparency and vision, keeping our clients and partners fully aware and informed on their projects.”
Positioned to Emerge Stronger
We are grateful for the employees we have in place, the relationships we’ve developed with trade partners, and our ability to adapt to new challenges with technology. The investments we continue to make in our people, our culture, and our processes will last throughout and beyond the current pandemic crisis, and will position us to emerge stronger as we embrace this new normal.
Our values of safety, professionalism, integrity, respect, and commitment provide us strength and support as we rise to the occasion and continue building forward during these times.