Canadian Construction Association (CCA) outgoing Chair Serge Massicotte says during his year in the position he was able to listen and learn about the issues facing the industry and the need to adapt in an environment that is constantly changing.
"Some of the trends and developments that are impacting our industry will also impact our association, and we should remain open to new ideas and new ways of conducting our work in order meet the needs of our member firms," he says.
"The Canadian construction industry has performed extremely well over the past several years. We anticipate that demands on our industry will continue to grow in the coming years as well. There will be challenges, whether in the areas of skilled labour or the impact of commodity prices on certain sectors of the industry, but as a whole the industry should continue to see growth."
But while there is movement in a positive direction, Massicotte notes that small- and medium-sized firms are facing an uphill battle.
"For small- and medium-sized firms, which make up the majority of our industry, there are new challenges being faced as it relates to the magnitude of project sizes and the ability to participate on those projects," he states.
"As a national association, it is important that we are cognizant of this, and that government, owners, and the public are also aware of the impact this will have on our member firms."
As president of Massicotte Construction in Ottawa, founded in 1988 as a small general contracting company, he knows this aspect of the industry well.
His company has since grown to a mid-sized firm that mainly operates in the National Capital Region, states a previous article in the Daily Commercial News.
Massicotte has also been involved in various industry associations, serving as chair of the Ottawa Construction Association and the Ontario General Contractors Association.
He is also well versed in the CCA, having been actively involved in the Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC), where he was the longest serving member in the history of the CCDC.
Massicotte says serving as CCA chair in 2014 allowed him to delve into issues that matter to members, with the Industry Summit the CCA hosted standing out as one of the highlights.
"As a group, we were able to bring industry together and discuss some of the important issues that will impact construction, not just now, but in the future as well," he says.
"This was an important endeavour for our association, and there was some very positive feedback about the event, about the dialogue that occurred, and about those important hot-button issues of importance to our industry. Certainly in the short term, the Industry Summit will help shape our own strategic planning at CCA. In the longer term, I think it will give us a baseline and a reference to look at as new issues arise."
Seven themes came out of the summit, which Massicotte states will be of paramount importance to the industry. Those themes were business practices, business succession, globalization, government, infrastructure, labour and technology.
Massicotte also cites the $70 billion Building Canada Plan and the federal government’s Express Entry program as examples of "constructive momentum."
"Express Entry is a recognition of the need for skilled labour that already exists in our industry, as well as many others," he says.
"It also demonstrates that the federal government understands some of the concerns we have regarding skilled labour, and that immigration has an important role to play in meeting the labour demands we anticipate in the coming years."
There was also the establishment of Canadian Construction Innovations (CCInovations), which is geared towards driving research and innovation in the industry.
"It was a response to federal government calls for increased industry involvement in research and innovation, and it showcases that our industry is prepared to take on that challenge in a collective and meaningful way," he explains.
"As an industry, it will remain extremely important that we are prepared to adapt and change as the demands on our industry change. They may mean the adoption of new technologies, or better preparing our member firms for different project delivery mechanisms. There will certainly be some new challenges for our industry, but these will be great opportunities as well."
Massicotte also has some words of wisdom for Anibal Valente, who is the CCA’s incoming chair.
"To be able to travel and take the time to meet so many people in our industry, and get to know the issues impacting them, is a great experience," he adds.
"Having that opportunity is something that I would tell anyone stepping into this role to take advantage of."
Follow Lindsey Cole on Twitter @DCN_Lindsey. Visit www.dcnonl.com for more industry stories.
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