Ledcor Pipeline benefits from the resources and experience of its parent, the Ledcor Group of Companies.

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Ledcor Pipeline is in the business of flanging up connections, so it's no surprise the company has partnered with an international contractor as a potential solution to North America's skilled labor shortages. The company recently inked an agreement with Italian pipeline contractor SICIM to pool resources to serve Ledcor's North American customers. President Tom Lassu says the agreement gives Ledcor added strength and represents an innovative solution that will reinforce Ledcor's position as one of the dominant forces in pipeline construction and maintenance.

That connection, however, is just one of many that have brought Ledcor Pipeline to a position of prominence in the industry. As a part of the Ledcor Group of Companies, Ledcor Pipeline is connected to 60 years of contracting experience and resources. Senior Vice President Bill Partington says connections that integrate the knowledge and experience of  the company's seasoned personal with the infectious enthusiasm of a younger work force contributes to a very powerful team and represents a strong technical prowess. Lassu adds that the company's family background strengthens the connections between the various branches of Ledcor and makes each branch a stronger entity on its own.

Ledcor Pipeline formed within the Ledcor Group of Companies in 1972, and its first job was the construction of several two- and four-inch pipelines in Swan Hills, Alberta, Canada. The broader company's corporate office is in Vancouver, British Columbia with the pipeline and other oil-based divisions being predominately based in Edmonton, Alberta. Ledcor Pipeline services the transmission, distribution and maintenance sectors of the pipeline industry. Working throughout Canada, Ledcor Pipeline has constructed oil and natural gas pipelines ranging from two inches to 48 inches, and in a variety of terrains including mountains, muskeg (swamps) and heavy forests.

“As Ledcor Pipeline continues its growth, it is undertaking larger and more dynamic projects and is quickly becoming one of the leading pipeline construction companies in Canada,” Partington says. “The company has increased its capacity and has responded to certain opportunities in the market that have enabled it to participate in more  projects of industry significance.”

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One of Ledcor Pipeline's strongest attributes can be found in its name, Partington says. Being part of the Ledcor Group of Companies gives it strong ties to one of North America's largest construction contractors and provides it with resources that pipeline-specific contractors don't necessarily have access to. “I think one of the things that sets the broader company apart from the competition is the depth that comes with being a multidisciplined company,” Partington says.

The Ledcor Group of Companies started with the construction of an access road and well site for Imperial Oil in Leduc, Alberta, in 1947. Founded by William Lede and originally known as Leduc Construction, the company later expanded into civil construction, gravel crushing, mass excavations and rock blasting. As oil and gas discoveries continued to pop up all over Alberta, Ledcor established its pipeline division to serve the industry.

Today, Ledcor is truly diversified, with six construction divisions serving the commercial, heavy civil, industrial, mining, pipeline and telecommunications industries. Partington says this diversification helps keep the divisions strong even as one market weakens. “That certainly gives us financial depth and financial security through some of the leaner periods of the pipeline construction industry,” he says.

Lassu says Ledcor Pipeline as a whole has experienced growth close to 1,000 percent over the last few years, giving it the ability to acquire equipment and hire quality people. Ledcor also gives the pipeline and its other divisions the freedom to focus on their core competencies by providing payroll and other central infrastructure services where appropriate across all its divisions thus maximizing on certain economies of scale.

“We have a strong, multidiscipline parent, so out of all our competitors we're not only the largest pipeline contractor at this point, we're [also the most diverse],” Lassu says. He adds that there is a lot of multidisciplinary experience within Ledcor's different divisions, making it easy for managers and workers to transition between divisions to meet market requirements in each sector as they arise. “Having the broader Ledcor to support Ledcor Pipeline and be able to mentor people into working in a different atmosphere has been very advantageous to Ledcor Pipeline,” Lassu says.