Hamilton contractor Jim Barclay got his feet wet in construction at 15 working as a labourer at Barclay Construction, a firm which was founded in 1953 by his grandfather James.
Hamilton contractor Jim Barclay got his feet wet in construction at 15 working as a labourer at Barclay Construction, a firm which was founded in 1953 by his grandfather James.
“It was tough work — up early, back late at night,” recalls Barclay, the incoming chair of the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA).
“But it had a profound effect on me in terms of how I look at construction and at the opportunities handed to me.”
Barclay, 45, joined the family business full-time after graduating from McGill University with a degree in economics. He now is president and general manager of The Barclay Construction Group Inc.
He considers it “a real privilege” to be part of an industry where progress is made and accomplishments measured on a daily basis.
“I love to build.”
While Barclay prefers life in the field to the office, he views his responsibilities for financial management as his most critical role. He calls estimating “a tough, low-batting-average game.”
On a day-to-day basis, Barclay does his share of troubleshooting when problems arise.
He also keeps an eye out for situations in which he can best add value. He tries to remain “visible and approachable.”
The corporate philosophy is to strive to exceed client expectations, on a project-by-project basis.
“We’ve always tried to outperform client expectations,” Barclay says. “That’s not always possible, but important to strive towards, I believe.”
The Barclay Construction Group Inc. provides general contracting, design-build, turnkey plant construction and a mix of other services. A primary focus is heavy industrial and major utility projects. Clients are drawn from the steel, natural gas, hydroelectric, co-generation and manufacturing sectors.
“Each project is different, involving a unique environment and set of circumstances often set against the clock within productive environments,” Barclay says.
“I try and make sure we are fully prepared from the onset of each project challenge, that we run safely and efficiently and professionally to completion.”
A past president of the Hamilton Halton General Contractors Association, Barclay says he was “honoured” to be invited to join the OGCA board about a decade ago. His father served as a director in the 1970s.
The company itself has been a member of the association for more than 50 years.
“The industry has been good to companies like Barclay,” he says. “I feel strongly that we have an obligation to acknowledge that and give something back. It doesn’t take that much — plus you meet new people, share different perspectives and network along the way.”
One of his priorities for his term as chair is to ensure that the association maintains its leadership role in the industry. OGCA member firms perform the lion’s share of major industrial, commercial and institutional construction in the province.
“We have a lot of ongoing issues that we need to work through — site safety challenges, responsible stewardship of our crews and trades, continuing rough economic conditions ahead, contentious contract language, rising workers’ compensation costs, to name a few. We need to keep on our toes.”
Barclay succeeds Eastern Construction Co. Ltd. president Frank DeCaria as chair of the OGCA, which represents some 200 general contracting firms. He takes office during the association’s annual general meeting and conference this week in New York City.
Recent Comments
comments for this post are closed