Building the Systems Behind Growth. How Technical Discipline Is Driving Orion’s Expansion

President & Founder of Orion Construction Joshua Gaglardi discusses the importance of fostering reliable relationships with consultants, municipalities, and clients that lead the way in building a lasting presence beyond project completion.

BUILD CANADA: Describe your building style in three words.

Joshua Gaglardi: Intentional. Unified. Accountable.

Those are three of Orion’s core values, and they perfectly describe how we approach the work.
Intentional means making good decisions early. The choices made during design and pre-construction have a huge impact on cost, schedule and how well the building will perform once it is occupied. We want to understand those implications before the project reaches the site.

Unified reflects the way our teams work. Design, estimating, permitting and construction all need to be connected. When those disciplines are working together from the start, we can test ideas properly, identify risks earlier and give the client a much clearer picture of the project.

Accountable is about owning the result. Every project will run into challenges. Our responsibility is to communicate clearly, make decisions and keep things moving. Clients should always know who is responsible and what happens next.

Those values helped us grow from four people into a company operating across multiple regions. They also give us a consistent way to work as Orion continues to expand.

BUILD CANADA: Orion has grown from the Lower Mainland into B.C.’s Interior, Vancouver Island and now Alberta. What have you learned about the difference between completing a project in a new market and building a lasting presence there?

JG: Completing a project gives you experience in a market. Building a presence takes a much deeper commitment.

You need people who understand the region, relationships with local consultants and trades, knowledge of the municipal environment and clients who know you will still be there once the project is complete.

Our expansion has been deliberate. In the Interior and on Vancouver Island, the work grew from relationships we had already built and clients who wanted Orion involved in projects outside the Lower Mainland. As those opportunities increased, we invested in local teams, local relationships and a permanent presence in the market. We are taking the same approach in Alberta. Horizon gives us a strong starting point in Calgary, and we are building with a long-term view.

You also learn quickly that your reputation doesn’t automatically travel with you. Orion may be well known in the Lower Mainland, but in a new region, you still have to prove yourself. That comes down to showing up, doing what you committed to do and handling the difficult parts of a project well.

The goal has never been to collect offices or put pins on a map. We want to build regional businesses that last.

BUILD CANADA: Which projects best represent the technical foundation Orion built before expanding into new regions?

JG: Coastal Heights was an important project for us because it tested the company on a different scale.

The 428,000-square-foot distribution centre in Surrey, BC, included 36-foot clear heights, 49 loading docks and more than 200 insulated tilt-up panels. It is now home to Skechers’ first Canadian distribution hub.

The project required a high level of planning around site logistics, panel sequencing, truck circulation and structural execution. We were also dealing with a high water table and significant hydrological risk, so the entire site had to be raised by approximately one metre. During construction, the team had to manage extreme flooding in B.C., a record-breaking heat dome, crane shortages and broader supply-chain pressure.

We eventually sourced a 500-ton crane from the United States to complete the panel erection sequence. That was one of those moments where there was no perfect option. We had to understand the schedule impact, make the call and keep moving.

Despite the challenges, the project was delivered on time and under budget, maintaining cost efficiency despite unforeseen challenges, including a crane shortage. For me, that’s what makes Coastal Heights Distribution Centre such an important part of Orion’s story. The schedule and budget were protected because the team planned early, stayed close to the critical path and made decisions quickly when conditions changed.

Industrial buildings can look simple from the outside. In reality, their success depends on the details. Clear height, slab performance, loading, circulation, fire protection, mechanical capacity and tenant operations all have to work together.

That technical foundation gave us the confidence to move into other regions and project types.

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