Bird Construction of Toronto to acquire H.J. O'Connell, expand civil industrial business

Bird Construction Inc. has agreed to acquire H.J. O’Connell Ltd., an 80-year old contractor with operations in Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, for $77.5 million.

Toronto-based Bird announced this week that the acquisition is expected to be completed on or about August 31, and 600 employees of H.J. O’Connell will join Bird’s staff of 700. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, such as approval under the Competition Act.

Bird says there is no “geographic market sector overlap” between the firms.

H.J. O’Connell, founded by Herbert John O’Connell of Montreal, has an office in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, plus offices in St. John’s and Wabush, Newfoundland. The firm, which is employee-owned, has been involved in projects such as hydro developments in Churchill Falls, Newfoundland, Vale’s Voisey’s Bay nickel project, plus expansion projects at other mines.

Bird’s projects have included courthouses in Thunder Bay, Ontario and Saint John, New Brunswick plus the Sheridan College School of Business in Mississauga.

“Certain key members of H.J. O’Connell’s executive and management teams have agreed to remain as employees and to assist Bird in the management of H.J. O’Connell’s ongoing growing operations,” Bird stated in a press release. “The equipment and expertise in earthwork and surface mining that H.J. O’Connell brings will permit Bird to expand its civil industrial business into new scopes of work.”

JOC DIGITAL MEDIA