By David MacDonald O n the international scene very few large concessions and con- struction corporations are so consistently represented in the Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) Top-100 Business Sector lists as OHL. According to the 2014 ENR Global Ratings, OHL is 5th in Highways; 9th in Mass Transit; 12th in Transportation; and 7th in Health Care and Hospitals. In the grand scheme, OHL is the 31st largest inter- national contractor; they are present in more than 30 countries across five continents. Jim Eldert, Director of Business Development at OHL Construction Canada in Toronto, Ontario, believes this success can in part be attribut- ed to the company’s reputation for its industry-leading multi-sector, comprehensive research and development departments. “We value,” Eldert explains, “the creation of infrastructure which benefits human- kind in economic, social and environmentally sustainable conditions, meeting the specific interests of investors, clients and the human resources which are the OHL Group of companies.” This cohesive vision is well-founded in the OHL family. “The company survived two World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and several global reces- sions,” explains Eldert. Resilience is in the very make-up of OHL so it is little wonder why they invest in state of the art technology. The demands
of 21st century projects like the OHL-constructed high-speed railway lines in Spain and Turkey, the West Light Rail Lines in the city of Madrid, the rehabilitation of New York’s subway, or the airport link for Metrorail in Florida necessitate a forward-thinking orientation. “Considering the com- petition is continuing to grow and to be keen and attentive,” Eldert says, “we have to pay that much more attention to the details when it comes to answering to our clients.” The “specific interests” and “details” of international social infra- structure are boundless and responding to diversity is paramount to strengthening OHL’s competitive edge. Seeking and identifying opportunities – from courthouses, bridges, hydropower dams, tourism and recreational complexes – has made the OHL name synonymous with ingenuity. Referring to the OHL Group’s Strategic Plan and Vision for 2020, Eldert affirms that “excellent management of the Group’s concession portfolio throughout all geographies” is key. With an increasing global demand for private and public sector infra- structure and bearing in mind the fact that OHL is already competitive- ly meeting the majority of these demands on the world stage, it is not at all surprising that Eldert envisions the company further diversifying. In order to continue to grow across business sectors Eldert feels OHL
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APRIL 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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