Dawson Group Team Leaders
KAMLOOPS – Dawson Construction Limited has been recognized for doing what it does best better than anyone else this year.
The company under the Dawson Group banner, headquartered in Kamloops, won the Paving Award at the BC Transportation Contractor of the Year Awards in Victoria December 12. It was in recognition of the firm’s asphalt resurfacing over 54.3 kilometres of Highway 97 at Hixon, south of Prince George, on which they used 15 per cent recycled-asphalt pavement in the 36,200-ton total to create a smoother and sustainable road.
Dawson Group Executive Chairman Ian Dawson
The project finished on budget and ahead of schedule, and Dawson’s frequent communication with the Township of Hixon was appreciated by the community. The company also helped manage traffic during fire season.
Len Kazakoff, Manager of Paving and Aggregates for the company, notes “It’s always great to be awarded amongst the biggest and best in BC, and against various other projects throughout the province,” adding the Awards were put together by the provincial government Ministry of Transportation. “It’s great to be acknowledged for all the employees who put in so much each and every year, and it’s great for the guys to get recognized.”
Len Kazakoff, Manager of Paving and Aggregates
The Hixon job was “highway paving, so mill and fill. We remove a layer of asphalt by a process of milling, where we grind it off and then basically put it back smoother and straighter than it was before.”
Kazakoff also noted the company is proud that it achieved 98 per cent for product spec on this project, “which is a very high rating.”
Dawson Group builds roads, bridges, highways and utilities. The company website (www.dawsongroup.ca) states:
“We take them for granted but their importance can’t be understated. Dawson Group’s construction and maintenance companies make sure our transportation and civil infrastructure is properly built and well maintained. As well, we sell, lease and service heavy commercial vehicles that haul goods across all parts of BC, from deep in our mountainous forests to across our busy cities.
“We measure our legacy by kilometres safely travelled by our employees, their families, and all who live in BC who in some way depend on roads and vehicles to make lives and livelihoods possible. We take pride in the work we do to ensure communities have the necessary services. We are committed to connecting people, and driving prosperity in the communities we serve.”
They have been involved in some of BC’s biggest projects, including portions of the Yellowhead Highway, the Sea-to-Sky Highway linking Vancouver and Whistler, and the Coquihalla between Hope and Kamloops.
Dawson Construction Limited pavers on the job
At the end of September they finished 61 lane kilometres of fresh asphalt on Highway 5A between Aspen Grove and Merritt.
The Group’s services are offered vary under different divisions.
Dawson Road Maintenance is the highways maintenance company that covers four areas of BC, including the Cariboo, North Peace and Bulkley-Nass around Smithers.
Dawson Civil specializes in heavy civil works including major utility installation, water mains, drains and storm systems, working with mines and other resource industries.
Dawson International Truck Centres is a full service International, Isuzu, Trail King and Peerless sales and service division that has been serving the BC Interior since 1928 and has locations in Kamloops, Kelowna, Vernon and Williams Lake. Their partner Dawson Idealease offers full service leases and commercial truck rentals.
Ian Dawson is Executive Chairman of the Dawson Group, becoming a director of his family’s business, Dawson Construction, in 1986. The company entered the privatized road maintenance business in 1988 and a year later, he was named Chief Financial Officer, later being appointed President of the firm and its sister companies. He has also served as Chair of the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association.
by Mark MacDonald