Bird Design-Build Construction Inc. and ETRO Construction have won Groundbreaker Awards from Procore Technologies. They are the only two Canadian builders among the winners.

The Groundbreaker Awards celebrate the individuals, projects, and companies that impact and drive progress in the construction industry.

Bird won in the General Contractor Project Excellence category for its construction of a 94,000 square foot pea and canola protein plant in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The project was completed in 18 months, from concept to operation (completed on December 31, 2020). It included a processing plant, warehouse, office and its own electrical substation. Similar projects often take three years. Bird provided in-house design services, virtual design & construction.

ETRO won in the Excellence in Innovation category. The company created its ETRO milestone tracker (EMT) in-house, which monitors crucial parts of projects and keeps them on schedule. The EMT updates milestones in real-time in a dashboard visible to clients, subcontractors and and contractors. The project was completed in three months during the pandemic, and has allowed for a significant reduction in site visits with associated savings of $5,760 a week.

“Behind every successful project, there are great people. The Groundbreaker Awards celebrate how our customers embody the highest standards of our industry on a daily basis. Congratulations to all of the winners of the Groundbreaker Awards,” said Procore founder and CEO Tooey Courtemanche.

Twenty four companies and projects were selected as finalists and winners were announced on Oct. 13 during a virtual awards ceremony at Procore’s annual industry event, Groundbreak.

The event featured special guest Jay Leno who presented the Groundbreaker of the Year Award and was hosted by Procore leadership Brad Cooper, vice-president, international customer success, and Carrie Griffiths, senior director, customer success.