PCL breaks ground on GE ‘Brilliant Factory’ in Welland

WELLAND, ONT.—PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto) has been chosen to build General Electric’s (GE) new factory.

A groundbreaking event was held at the site in Welland, Ont. on Aug. 26 to celebrate the start of construction for the first multi-modal "Brilliant Factory" in Canada. The factory will manufacture GE Power’s reciprocating gas engines, components for compression, mechanical drive and power generation, as well as manufacture components for GE transportation diesel engines, states a release. The first phase of investment is estimated to cost US$165 million.

PCL will be the construction manager for the project. Other consultant teams include CSO Architects in joint venture with B+H Architects; Entuitive/Thornton Tomasetti, structural consultants; H.H. Angus & Associates Ltd., mechanical/electrical consultants; and Lea Consulting Ltd., site services.

"As GE’s construction management partner, PCL is honoured to celebrate construction start and we congratulate GE and partners on their inspiring vision which is bringing investment to the Niagara Region," said Mike Wieninger, PCL Toronto senior vice-president and district manager in a statement.

"We look forward to delivering this first-of-its-kind facility in Canada that will couple the company’s long history of industrial innovation with cutting-edge data science and analytics expertise."

Completion is expected by the end of 2017, with production expected to begin in spring 2018.