A division of B&B Contracting Group, the fourth largest construction firm in B.C. and one of B.C.’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies, B&B Heavy Civil Construction (BBHC) has established a reputation for award winning quality and on-time, on-budget project delivery.
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Building from B&B’s longevity in the industry, BBHC prides itself on its extensive experience, a superior safety record, and the ability to collaborate with clients to effectively and efficiently meet and exceed the multi-disciplinary engineering requirements on each and every diverse project.
B&B was founded in 1948 as a trucking company, organically growing over time under the private ownership of the Bailey family. Adding gravel sales, aggregate production, diking, road building, highway construction, and utility contracting capacities over the years, B&B operationally reorganized in 1981 under the names B&B Contracting Ltd. and Fraser Valley Aggregates.
As B&B continued to diversify its service offerings to become a multi-disciplined, dynamic, and progressive construction company, it acquired Neelco Construction, a structural construction company, in 2006. B&B had worked with Neelco in the past and viewed the acquisition as a natural evolution, complementary to its current service repertoire.
Neelco underwent a name change in 2012, officially becoming BBHC. Today, B&B Group comprises B&B Contracting Ltd., B&B Contracting (2012) Ltd., B&B Heavy Civil Construction Ltd., and Fraser Valley Aggregates. B&B Group also owns a number of dump sites, as well as A&A Testing Ltd., a CCTV Inspection and Sewer Testing Company.
“We market ourselves as the B&B Group and within that group is B&B Contracting, B&B Heavy Civil, and we have Fraser Valley Aggregates. That’s made clear in terms of the different arms of the business and the different markets that we are approaching, but the model for each of those companies is pretty similar,” explained Richard Lyell, General Manager of BBHC.
B&B is a union contractor in good standing with the Construction and General Labourers Union, the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the Teamsters Union. Its team of well-trained, experienced personnel, paired with its expansive fleet of well-maintained equipment has positioned the company at the forefront of the industry.
A leader in the highly competitive civil construction market, BBHC, under the leadership of B&B, maintains consistent volumes of diverse projects which enables it to retain and attract highly experienced employees. Many of B&B’s employees have a tenure of 25 years or greater with the company, longevity that helps to reinforce B&B’s commitment to quality. “We have a very solid history and we’re very committed to how we deliver projects,” stated Lyell. “Our attention to detail really makes us stand out. We tend to work with our clients and take a collaborative team approach, even when the work is on a tendered basis, to try to demonstrate the best value to the client.”
As a general and heavy civil contractor, BBHC delivers on technical and highly complex structural construction projects. Together, BBHC in partnership with parent company B&B have developed a number of valuable industry relationships with clients, reputable subcontractors, and suppliers. Working in both the public and private sectors, with commercial and government sector clients, typical projects include a variety of civil construction activities: highway and pedestrian bridges; roadwork; railroads; and utility installations such as municipal water reservoirs, treatment plants, wastewater facilities, and power generation projects.
BBHC undertakes Design Build and P3 Projects, and executes on projects with multiple stakeholders. The team is at ease working amidst challenges such as facilities in operation, heavy traffic management needs, and environmentally sensitive areas, doing so safely and reliably. With upwards of 300 personnel based out of its Surrey, B.C. headquarters, the team has the capacity to work to tight schedules and meet the most diverse client needs. BBHC serves the lower mainland from Vancouver to Chilliwack, having recently expanded its service footprint to include Alberta; BBHC has completed six projects in Jasper to date.
“We have to be flexible and tailor the approach to quality to meet the client’s needs,” explained Lyell. “It takes good project planning from the start. That translates into good project delivery and that’s what we try to strive for.”
BBHC, with B&B’s full complement of services, executes on clients’ visions and engineering specifications on time, on budget, and on point. One such project, where BBHC exemplified its ability to execute in accordance with project specifications, is the Low Level Road Project that has recently been completed for the Port of Metro Vancouver. The $69 million road realignment and bridge project entailed a focus on structural design through careful planning. BBHC mitigated a number of site-related challenges while simultaneously minimizing the need for future maintenance on the project by incorporating integral (joint-less) bridge construction.
Project success depended on the completion of sewer and water main relocation and upgrades, excavation and earthworks, roadworks and paving, traffic management, environmental management (the protection of sensitive habitat – Bald Eagle nests), quality management, and public and stakeholder liaison and communication. In fact, the Low Level Road Project has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability, its innovation, and its technical, engineering and geoscience excellence. Lyell noted, “It’s the first time this type of project has received such recognition – accreditation for being a sustainable project. It’s actually comparable to LEED certification on buildings, so we’re quite proud.”
Awards and recognitions for the Low Level Road Project include: Platinum Envision Accreditation for the Institute of Sustainable Infrastructure; ACEC-BC People’s Choice Award 2015; ACEC-BC Award of Merit in the Transportation and Bridges Category; APEG-BC Peak of Excellence Award; and ITE’s winner of the Bill Curtis Award (Transportation Project of the Year) for 2015.
In addition to the Low Level Road Project, other notable projects include the $7 million Keith Road Bridge Reconstruction; the $10 million Capilano River Bridge; the $17 million South Fraser Perimeter Road Project; $35 million 202St Park and Ride Facility; the $45 million Highway #10 Project; the $50 million 202St/Highway 1 Project; and the $135 million Coast Meridian Project, to name a few.
Since 2010, B&B has consistently completed over $100 million worth of projects each year. Continuing to secure large, high-profile infrastructure projects and consistently delivering project success has served as a major catalyst for BBHC and B&B’s collective growth and success, while safety standards and regulatory compliance at B&B remain second to none. “It’s important to keep up to date with current construction practices, different advancements and different construction techniques. We are members of a number of associations and those organizations help us with that, but they also make sure that we are keeping our standards high and delivering quality and consistent results,” added Lyell.
To this end, BBHC has adopted a program of continuous improvement. This program has a proven track record of success and has further contributed to B&B’s overall reputation for being an industry leader in terms of both quality and safety. BBHC has a dedicated process and safety team that supports its construction staff, auditing projects while monitoring and educating staff of the safest methods and practices.
In addition to making the health and safety of its employees its foremost priority, BBHC places the utmost importance on the protection of property and the environment to ensure responsibility and accountability in its practices. BBHC has achieved COR status through the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance for its commitment to excellence in safety.
With almost 70 years of experience and success in the industry, BBHC and B&B Group as a collective has the reputation and the resources necessary to remain an industry leader. Through well-developed construction and management plans, efficient scheduling, sound financial planning, and an organization-wide commitment to safety and project delivery, B&B can meet and exceed any client’s need.
B&B Contracting is an active member of the British Columbia Water and Waste Association and the British Columbia Road Builders Association.
