BC Business
2013 is a busy year for Metro-Can Construction Ltd. The company just completed the new Oak Bay Beach Hotel, Victoria’s first five-star combination full-service luxury accommodation and private residence, is constructing Capstone in North Vancouver (the company’s 71st medium/highrise project), and has recently broken ground on Building A of the Park Royal Village Expansion, a project that includes 340,000 square feet of parkade, commercial rental units and new street amenities.
These projects are in addition to the construction of Alexandra in Vancouver, a 20-storey highrise built to LEED Gold standards, Riverport Flats 5 in Richmond and the now finished Ultra, a mixed-use 35-storey highrise in Surrey’s City Centre.
Founded by Ben Voth in 1964, Don Voth, Ben’s son and Metro-Can’s current president, says two factors have helped Metro-Can achieve such high levels of activity. The first is Metro-Can’s provision of value-added services, and the second is the calibre of its people. “We strive to work with developers from the beginning of a project and use our acumen to improve designs and deal with unforeseen problems,” says Voth. “Ultimately, we give developers the most for their money.”
As for Metro-Can crews, the average experience per person is about 26 years. But along with seasoned employees, a new generation of professionals are being groomed via “relational leadership.” Voth explains his leadership method whereby daily duties are not merely issued, but rationalized and explained in detail to provide an in-depth understanding of Metro-Can’s approach to business. “This encourages buy-in by our staff,” he says. “We have a good blend of seasoned professionals and promising newcomers to handle any project that comes our way.”