David Chan, FEC, P.Eng., M.Eng., assumed the role of President and CEO, effective, March 1st, 2024
SURREY – Not all employees are able to demonstrate having ‘skin in the game, but for David Chan, President and CEO of Surrey-based multi-disciplinary consulting firm Aplin Martin, the proof is undeniable. The company recently celebrated over 55 years of operation, providing business excellence from coast to coast in the areas of architecture, civil engineering, environmental, surveying, and urban planning.
At the helm of this success for the past 17 years has been former president and CEO, Edward Fujii. After a successful and rewarding career, Fujii stepped down as company leader in March 2024 to pass the torch to long-time company employee and friend, David Chan.
According to Fujii, Chan is modest about his achievements, including serving as the past board Chair of Master Municipal Construction Documents Association or receiving the Engineers of Canada Fellowship. Nevertheless, Chan has been a key part of the company’s growth since he joined over 30 years ago, and with a new dynamic focus on service offerings and operations, Aplin Martin is poised for an exciting new journey in this development-booming country.
“When I first started with Aplin Martin in 1994, we were a business of only 60 people with three key departments: survey, engineering, and planning,” said Chan. “Advance to 2024, we have grown exponentially, having added environmental services, project delivery services, and architectural services.
The company now boasts ten office locations with over 350 full-time employees and over 1500 active projects, and with the new services being added to the company’s capabilities, Aplin Martin has advanced far beyond traditional consulting.
“Our services are mostly professional; we provide land development consultation, and we also provide consultation to various municipalities,” said Chan. “This has been the key bread and butter for Aplin Martin consultants, but because of our interdisciplinary service offerings, we function as a one-stop shop.”
This approach is central to the future of the company and something that Chan and the entire team have been cultivating for years.
In 2018, Aplin Martin (formerly Studio Intersekt) tranformed the Cineplex Entertainment Winston Park theater in Oakville, Ontario – a 24-auditorium. Building on the successes in the concession and main entrance areas, the ambitious vision included creating a D-box auditorium, revitalizing the theater street, and introducing a VIP lounge for an elevated cinematic adventure.
“This is what gives us the competitive advantage because even if a client has engaged us for one of our services, a leading professional from one of our other disciplines is at our disposal to provide insight at any stage of a project. Our employees are capable of leading high-level coordination with heightened efficiency, and our clients are informed of a projects’ progress meaningfully and consistently. The relationships we build with our clients are our priority. There has to be a level of trust that is forged because it is about creating dynamic relationships, not transactional ones.”
In a country like Canada and a rapidly growing province like British Columbia, Chan knows that Aplin Martin is ideally placed, as the need for development is paramount.
“There is a ton of opportunity to help densify in the lower mainland and beyond. If you look at Vancouver, densification is not only an opportunity but also essential to the city’s future. The same can be said for Surrey, and both are key metropolitan areas that will accommodate this province’s growth,” said Chan.
Beyond the business prospects in B.C., Chan and the team are also looking at attracting national clients due to their enhanced company offerings. Diversifying the companies’ services has been one of the core goals of Aplin Martin for a long time, and while Chan has been instrumental in pushing this change to better serve customers, the company has also looked inward to diversify and innovate its company culture as well.
“The keys to our company’s success are people; we focus solely on people. When I first started with Aplin Martin, 80% of the staff was over 50 years old,” said Chan. “Now, our workforce has an average age of 36. We have spent a lot of time investing in the next generation of professionals, making sure they are equipped with the tools and guidance to take on opportunities that will support their personal and professional development.”
“More importantly, the more the company grows, the more opportunities we have, so our younger staff can fill in those boxes that are opening for them. We want our people to grow with us and to continue to facilitate a culture of mentorship. We focus on training, staff engagement, and company culture to create a sense of belonging and ensure that each unique individual feels supported in getting to their highest goal, whatever that may be.”
Aplin Martin provided on -site and off-site civil engineering and construction services for the Southalnds, a 950-unit master planned development in Tsawwassen.
As the province moves forward with reconciliation and enlightened land usage and development, Aplin Martin has also significantly grown its involvement with First Nations communities.
“Working with the First Nations has been a primary focus in the last 5 years to help improve with the infrastructure so that each group can thrive economically. We are currently involved with the Semiahmoo First Nation to allow them to have drinking water and sanitary sewer,” said Chan. “We are also working with Musqueam and other First Nation groups to help lay the groundwork for prosperous future communities.”
As the company works to enrich the lives of other people, Chan finds a deep appreciation for his longstanding relationship with the company and the value it has brought to his own life. Moreover, Chan is deeply grateful for the trust and support the organization has offered him from the early stages of his career, and it is his mission to return that same commitment and dedication to his employees.
Aplin Martin’s vibrant and diverse team is committed to shaping communities and driving dynamic results.
“I finished school in ’94, and I joined Aplin Martin right after graduating. Over that time, I have slowly worked from being a technical designer to managing a small client portfolio, then managing a division, and soon after that, I was assigned to manage a branch. Over time, I became more and more involved in the management of the company and began looking at the strategy for growth.”
“At Aplin Martin, we are proud to be an employee-owned company. I was offered ownership of the company very early on in my career, which allowed me to have financial involvement with the organization. We see this as such a crucial part for professionals because we see every professional as unique with their own ability, and we want to recognize each person who has contributed to the success of the company, more than just salary.”
When it comes to the future, Chan’s vision is crystal clear.
“Aplin Martin is a homegrown, Surrey-born-and-raised company. We grow with Surrey; we service the entire lower mainland; and we grow with the province and the country. Our key is to ensure our clients, who are mostly developers, will have a service that is efficient and impactful, optimizing productivity and minimizing construction costs. We want to support developers through the approval process in the shortest time possible and ultimately see housing get built.”
By Tyler Nyquvest