In addition to the new campus building, the expansion plan also includes establishing a regional family medicine centre and a resident program and the future affiliation with the Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital.  The City of Burlington and the Region of Halton have each invested $5 million in the expansion.

Local entrepreneur and philanthropist Ron Joyce’ 98 made an early $10-million commitment to the project.  The land on which the new centre will be constructed will be donated by Michael H. DeGroote of Westbury International.

The centre is scheduled to open in the fall of 2010.  It will feature an atrium entrance, a library/learning commons, “high-touch/high-tech” lecture halls and classrooms, lounges and eating facilities, and breakout rooms that can be configured for meetings, tutorials, workshops, interviews, group study or networking activities.

Cooper Construction Ltd., of Oakville, is the contractor selected to carry out construction of the Ron Joyce Centre.

Oakville, Ontario. July 14^th,  2009: Cooper Construction Limited of Oakville, Ontario is to commence design/build construction of the 68,000 sq.ft. Research Advancement Centre Phase II, located in the University of Waterloo Business Park, north of the Central campus.

The Phase II building will closely resemble the Phase I building completed by Cooper Construction in January 2008.

William Cooper Sr, President and CEO, stated: “With Phase One of the project successfully completed a little over a year ago, we’re very pleased to be commencing Phase Two. This is an interesting project that will serve the Canadian research community for many years to come.”

Three floors of combined office and laboratory space will locate offices on the building’s perimeter, with multi-use laboratory space on three floors in the building’s core, including one 2000 sq.ft. two-storey lab. The lab space is designed for separation into up to 14 labs with independent HVAC and lighting. A central service area links all lab space to the penthouse mechanical space, with provision for easy installation of dedicated HVAC and ventilation equipment for special purposes.

The heating and ventilation system is designed to accommodate fume hoods to the labs, with hydroponic heating and cooling to offices and labs and a central computerized BMS system.

Each of the three floors can be set up independently with dedicated lunch rooms, meeting rooms, computer rooms and washrooms. The third floor has a distinctive overhanging premium office area on the south and west sides to accommodate the dedicated needs of the third floor tenant.

The building will have steel frame structure, with pre-cast concrete floor slabs, architectural pre-cast, distinctive three colour curtainwall glazing, one drive-in door with loading dock and two grade-level dock doors. A screened patio will provide secluded breakout space adjacent to the property’s extensive landscaped reserve.

About Cooper Construction

Cooper Construction is a third-generation family-owned Canadian best-practices company in commercial real estate development and leasing, design-build construction, construction management, and property management.

For more information, please contact Bill Cooper, Jr, at 905.829-0444 ext. 222.

Bill Cooper Sr.

As long-time corporate citizens and residents of Oakville, Cooper Construction and its people have a history of pro-active support for the life of their community—currently expressed in president Bill Cooper Sr’s role as co-chair of the major funding initiative for a new Oakville Hospital.

Mr. Cooper stated the issue clearly. “The need for the New Oakville Hospital becomes more apparent every day”, he said.  “The existing site and facility can no longer accommodate any expansion to best serve the growing population of our town. We’re in a period of renewal and planning for growth to meet our long term needs, and the new Oakville Hospital clearly signals our commitment to the community to provide the very best health care possible.”

It is nearly 60 years since a new 50-bed hospital was built on 9 acres of land to serve Oakville’s population of 17,000 people. Today, Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital is a busy acute-care community hospital, but during its lifetime of service the population of Oakville and the surrounding area has grown 10-fold.

Over the years, the hospital expanded to accommodate the rapidly increasing demand—each expansion providing more room, but also resulting in a fragmented structure with clinical services placed wherever space was available.

Now the OTMH can grow no further.  In order to respond to developments in medical practice and the community’s need for convenient, timely care, a larger and more modern facility is required.

The new hospital will be developed on a 50-acre green-field site at Third Line and Dundas Street, with construction scheduled to begin in 2011.

“Our new hospital will be more than double the size of the OTMH”, Mr. Cooper said. “It will have the latest technology and patient services, and I believe it will set the standard for healthcare services in a community hospital.

“I urge anyone interested in learning more, or contributing to the fund-raising effort, to contact Sheilaah Guthrie at the Oakville Hospital Foundation. The number is 905-845-2571, extension 6382.”

The GWL Building B was designed by Adamson & Associates Architects Inc. Consultants are: Stephenson Engineering Ltd. (structural); Andronowski & Associates Ltd. (mechanical); and Mulvey & Banani (electrical). Subtrades include: D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Ltd. (earthworks); M&G Steel Ltd.(structural steel); Hardrock Forming Co.; CBM Aggregates (concrete); Architectural Precast; GA Masonry Ltd.; Plan Group (electrical); Superior Sprinkler (fire protection); Clima Mechanical Contractors; Westmount Storefront (aluminum/windows); and Kone Inc.

The annual evening is the premier event of the season for the office and industrial real estate industry in the Greater Toronto Area—unrivaled in the industry for its significance and blue chip attendance.

The REX awards recognize “Best of the Year” in six team award categories.  In partnership with AMB Property Corporation and Colliers International, Cooper was awarded “Industrial Development of the Year” for the AMB Milton 401 Business Park project, and “Industrial Lease of the Year” for 3M Canada, located at 2750/2800 Peddie Road, in Milton.

Cooper’s Ken Nevar, AMB’s Matt Sargent and the Colliers team attended the evening to accept the awards. These tributes, awarded by our industry peers, are a proud achievement for Cooper.  Congratulations to Don Gordon and Ken Nevar—both instrumental in achieving this industry-wide recognition.

WILLIAM CONWAY/PROGRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Work is covering up the new office building for Great West Life Realty at 2100 Derry Rd. in Mississauga, Ont.

Cooper Construction Limited expects completion of the 102,000 square-foot project soon. The GWL office building was designed by Adamson & Associates Architects Inc.

Consultants are Stephenson Engineering Ltd. (structural); Andronowski & Associates Ltd. (mechanical); and Mulvey & Banani (electrical).

Subtrades include: D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Ltd. (earthworks); Spencer Steel Ltd. (structural steel); Ronco Steel Centre (reinforcing steel); Hardrock Forming Co.; Innocon Inc. (concrete); Architectural Precast; GA Masonry Ltd.; Plan Group (electrical); Superior Sprinkler (fire protection); Clima Mechanical Contractors; Westmount Storefront (aluminum/windows); and Schindler Elevator Corp.

Source

The GO system was able to purchase the land after Mayor Burton persuaded Oakville businessman Bill Cooper Sr. to sell the land instead of build on it.

“It’s the kind of thing where the long range goal of the Town’s future economic development outweighs a short term approach,” Mr. Cooper said.

A pedestrian access tunnel under the rail lines will give GO passengers access to the future Speers Road parking area.

“Mayor Burton has been farsighted in his work on the GO Board of Directors,” Peter Smith, GO’s Board Chair, said.

“This is the kind of land acquisition that leverages GO’s presence in the community.

”The 800 new parking spots will be installed in two phases. By 2010 the first 400 will open, followed by the next 400.

“GO has acted to serve the residents of Oakville as quickly as possible,” Gary McNeil, Managing Director of GO Transit, said. “We know that this new parking will be well received. It’s all part of our move to build for the future and provide more GO services to the public.”

Original Source

Written by Kevin Doyle and Produced by Nick Janzen

Bill Cooper Sr acknowledges he wasn’t especially well-prepared to take over the family business at the time he did back in 1978. Nevertheless, in his 30 years as President, Cooper has overseen Cooper Construction’s transition from a general contractor to an all-encompassing business engaging in land acquisition and development, Design/Build construction and facilities management.

Cooper Construction was established in 1905 and has been in continuous operation since. Bill Cooper joined the business fresh out of university and spent several years in the field as an engineer before moving into the office, first as an estimator and later as General Manager. His quick elevation to President was a matter of necessity.

“I was a little bit young and not particularly well-groomed for the position but my dad became very ill and was hospitalized for over a year. I found out one morning that I was it [President]. Thankfully, we had a very good management team that stood behind me. You learn things”

Download the full article here (PDF - 1.1 megabytes)

Custom design/build options up to 304,000 sq.ft. on prime 15-acre location

Toronto, ON - Sept. 26 2008 - Cooper Construction is inviting pre-build interest in Building A, the last available site in the Milton/401 Business Park, just north of the 401 on Hwy 25.

“This is a prime location, with excellent access to Toronto Airport, the U.S. borders, and the Greater Toronto region” stated Bill Cooper, Jr, leasing manager for the project. “Depending on the end-user’s unique requirements, we can design-build to suit. Corporate neighbors in the Business Park include 3M, Lowes, Sysco Cold Storage and Smurfit MBI.”

Building A will occupy a 15-acre site capable of accepting up to 304,000 sq. ft. Building specifications include: 32 ft. clear height; 54 x 36 ft. bay size; 60-ft. staging bay;

63 truck-level doors; two drive-in doors; 78 trailer parking spaces; 7-inch reinforced concrete floors.

About Cooper Construction

Cooper Construction is a third-generation family-owned Canadian best-practices company in commercial real estate development and leasing, design-build construction, construction management, and property management.

For more information, please contact:

Bill Cooper, Jr.
905.829.0444, ext. 222
www.coopercon.com
Cooper Construction Ltd.,
2381 Bristol Circle, Suite C200,
Oakville, Ontario L6H 5S9

Located at 2100 Derry Road in Mississauga, Ontario, the 102,000-square-foot building was designed by Adamson & Associates Architects Inc.

Stevenson Engineering Ltd. is structural engineer.

Subtrades include D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Ltd. (earthworks); Spencer Steel (structural steel); Plan Group (electrical); and Clima Mechanical Contractors.

Source

Source: Daily Commercial News

Structural steel work continues on the Talus Capital Corp. self-storage facility at 356 Eastern Ave. in Toronto. Cooper Construction Ltd. has completion of the 130,000-square-foot, five-storey design-build project scheduled for February 2009.

The storage facility was designed by J.H. Rust Architect Inc. and Dorlan Engineering is structural consultant. Subtrades include: Maiella Contracting Ltd. (site services); M & G Steel (structural steel); Birnie Electric Ltd.; Elite Construction (HVAC); Superior Sprinkler Co. Ltd.; and Noram Enterprises (aluminum/windows).

Source: Daily Commercial News

Cooper Construction Limited has completion of the Great West Life Realty offices scheduled for December 2008. The office building is located at 2100 Derry Road in Mississauga, Ontario.

The 102,000-square-foot building was designed by Adamson & Associates Architects Inc. Stevenson Engineering Ltd. is structural engineer on the project.

Subtrades include D’Orazio Infrastructure Group Ltd. (earthworks); Spencer Steel (structural steel); Plan Group (electrical); and Clima Mechanical Contractors.

Work progresses at 3115 Harvester Road on the new office building for Sunlife Assurance Company of Canada in Burlington, Ont. The LEED candidate design/build project by Cooper Construction Ltd. is a four-storey, 77,000-square-foot office and is scheduled for completion in October this year.

The Sunlife Financial office was designed by Ware Malcomb Toronto. Consultants are SWS Engineering Inc. (structural) and Rybka, Smith & Ginsler (mechanical). Subtrades include: Shannon Steel (structural steel); Smith Brothers (drywall/acoustics); Systm Electrical (electrical); Clima Mechanical (HVAC); Mar-Mat Door & Hardware; and Barrie Glass & Mirror (glazing).

KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON, July 22 /CNW/ - With youthful demographics, strong educational institutions, and its diversified industrial mix, the area encompassing the Waterloo Region and Guelph should perform well as the broader North American economy remains slow, according to a new report from the BMO Capital Markets Economics Department.

“Waterloo-Guelph has developed a reputation for innovation,” said Dr. Sherry Cooper, Chief Economist, BMO Capital Markets. “Its entrepreneurial spirit has allowed it to reinvent itself over the years. Old companies close their doors, but new ones are continually opening up.

“Waterloo-Guelph is leading the charge from the old economy based on traditional manufacturing to the new economy based on high technology manufacturing and services,” stated Dr. Cooper.

The Waterloo Region (which includes Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge) and Guelph have endured a couple of challenging years. The local economy has grappled with the surge in the Canadian dollar, a pronounced drop in U.S. auto demand, and record energy prices. Along with rising competition from China, these forces have all weighed heavily on the Region’s manufacturing base.

Even so, the area’s economy still enjoys solid underpinnings, with unemployment below and incomes above the provincial and national benchmarks.

“Through the second half of this year and into 2009, the area’s economy will continue to face the challenges of a high Canadian dollar and weak U.S. demand,” according to Dr. Cooper. “Nonetheless, the economy should see the start of a turnaround next year, and then enter a period of strong growth by 2010. We expect real GDP growth of 0.5 per cent in 2008, but closer to 2 per cent next year.

“Once the current weakness passes, we expect growth in Waterloo-Guelph to exceed both the Ontario and Canadian rates over the 2009-12 period,” she said.

Source

Design/build construction and leasing on its own properties is the new shape for Cooper Construction business.

Toronto, ON July 17th, 2008 -  Cooper Construction of Toronto, ON, have launched a new website (www.coopercon.com) that reflects the evolution of the company’s business.

Since the previous site was launched nearly five years ago, Cooper has greatly expanded its commercial/industrial real estate development business, stated Bill Cooper, Jr, manager for the website-development project.

“We needed to give our property development business front-row prominence on our new website”, Cooper said, “Right up there with our core design/build expertise. For example, our current 178-acre Hanlon Business Park development in Guelph is a hot property, and we wanted the information to be immediately available.”

Quickly accommodating the online visitors’ varying information needs drove the entire design and architecture of the new website, Cooper said. Working with SitePosition, Cooper incorporated the most up-to-date, user-friendly features and navigation.

“Our visitors control what they want to find on our site”, said Cooper. “Our goal was to get them to their specific interest with a single click from anywhere on the site.

“Now a visitor interested in our design/build capabilities, leasing opportunities, construction management, property management or project galleries has immediate access to the information they need. This is a major advance from our previous website, and we’re receiving very positive feedback on the site’s usability from our customers and visitors.”

About Cooper Construction

Cooper Construction is a third-generation family-owned Canadian best-practices company in design-build construction, commercial real estate development and leasing, construction management, and property management.

For more information, please contact Bill Cooper, Jr, at 905-829-0444 ext. 222.

The 178-acre site is divided by Hanlon Expressway. Phase 1 construction is focused on 120,500 s.f. Building A, the first of three buildings planned for Phase 1 of Hanlon Business Park East (see site plan).

“There are sound business reasons for considering Hanlon Business Park,” stated Bill Cooper, Jr., leasing manager for the project. “Development charges in Guelph are about sixty percent lower than in Milton and other GTA municipalities, and land prices are about sixty percent less than in Mississauga, for example.”

Cooper described the project as “Ideally located,” with easy access to Highway 401, other 400 series highways, Toronto Airport, the Expressway Intermodal Rail Terminal, and all major border crossing points.

“This is a green development,” Cooper said, “with opportunities from 15,000 s.f. up. We will design/build to the individual business needs.”

About Cooper Construction
Cooper Construction is a third-generation family-owned Canadian best-practices company in commercial real estate development and leasing, design-build construction, construction management, and property management.

For more information on Hanlon Business Park, please contact Bill Cooper, Jr., at 905-829-0444 ext. 222.

Cooper Construction Ltd. has completion of Hanlon Business Park design-build project scheduled for September 2008.

Designed by Allen & Sherriff Architects Inc., the building encompasses about 120,500 square feet of space.

Consultants are Dorlan Engineering (structural); Brumar Engineering Ltd. (mechanical); Manuel Jordao & Associates Inc. (electrical); and Peil Planning & Engineering Initiatives Ltd. (site services).

Subtrades include XTG Forming; Maiella Contracting (site services); EE Seegmiller (earthworks); Cambridge Concrete; Telco Steel Works (structural steel); Gage Metal (roof deck and siding); Precon Inc; Res Precast; and Noram Enterprises (glazing).

On completion of the AMB Airport Road Distribution Centre, Cooper will assume Property Management responsibility for the 1.12-million s.f. property.

AMB expands presence in key North American distribution market

SAN FRANCISCO, October 10, 2007 - AMB Property Corporation(r)
(NYSE:AMB), a leading global developer and owner of industrial real estate, today announced that it has pre-leased 525,000 square feet (48,000 square meters) of distribution space at a new 1.1 million square foot (104,300 square meter) development property in the airport submarket of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

“The property’s proximity to the airport, the Trans-Canada Highway, and major intermodal rail yards provides convenient access to the GTA, and to significant portions of the Canadian consumer base and U.S. population,” said Gene Reilly, AMB’s president, The Americas.

“With AMB Airport Road Distribution Centre, we are growing our presence in one of North America’s strongest distribution markets. Market dynamics are compelling and developable land sites that can accommodate a facility of this size are rare,” commented Jay Cornforth, AMB’s managing director, East Region. “We are pleased to welcome Vitran Logistics to the facility.”

Vitran Logistics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vitran Corporation Inc., a leading North American less-than-truckload (LTL) and supply chain services provider, will use AMB Airport Road Distribution Centre to expand operations for an existing client. “Vitran Logistics was attracted to AMB Airport Road Distribution Centre’s central location and access to nearby major transportation nodes,” said Mike Glodziak, Vitran’s president, Canadian and U.S. Logistics. “Additionally, the facility meets our requirements for superior functional design, security and operational efficiency, as well as proximity to an excellent labor pool.”

AMB’s Toronto market portfolio now totals more than 2.7 million square feet (250,800 square meters) of operating and under development properties. AMB’s North America portfolio totaled more than 116.3 million square feet (10.8 million square meters) of operating and under development properties as of June 30, 2007.

AMB Property Corporation®. Local partner to global trade™.
AMB Property Corporation is a leading global developer and owner of industrial real estate, focused on major hub and gateway distribution markets throughout North America, Europe and Asia. As of June 30, 2007, AMB owned, or had investments in, on a consolidated basis or through unconsolidated joint ventures, properties and development projects expected to total approximately 136.7 million square feet (12.7 million square meters) in 44 markets within 13 countries. AMB invests in properties located predominantly in the infill submarkets of its targeted markets. The company’s portfolio is comprised of High Throughput Distribution® facilities-industrial properties built for speed and located near airports, seaports and ground transportation systems.

(10.08.07) Strategically located fronting the Hanlon Expressway, just four minutes from Highway 401, Hanlon Business Park West is ready for construction. With development charges as much as 60% below GTA levels, and land prices up to 50% less, the readily accessible location has already been chosen by companies such as Tim Hortons, Sleemans and Linamar.

Construction begins in August, with Building A. The 135,524 sf building will have 24-ft ceiling clearance, and precast exterior cladding. Units will be from 15,000 sf. Rates from $5.50 psf.

Building B will have immediate access to Hanlon Expressway, with 189,920 sf divisible from 60,000 sf, 28-foot ceiling clearance, and precast exterior cladding. Rates to be confirmed.

Hanlon Business Park West is a “green development”, unaffected by Greenbelt restrictions. This fully serviced location avoids the GTA traffic gridlock and offers unparalleled access to major transportation corridors and American markets—with easy access to The Expressway Intermodal Rail Terminal, and close proximity to all border crossings.

For details regarding Hanlon Business Park, please call Bill Cooper Jr, at 905.829.0444, Ext. 222

Download the specifications sheet here

This is the first of two similar buildings on the 13-acre site fronting the QEW and 403 major highways. Foundations and building services for this Class A seven-storey office building are complete, and structural concrete frame construction is progressing well to the second floor.

With large open spans and a two-storey atrium, this building will be finished to the highest standards of materials and design. Offering 155,000 s.f. of office space on seven floors, the office space could be occupied as early as Spring 2007.

Structural steel progresses well on this 12-acre site which will house the 365,000 s.f. distribution center for The Hopewell Development Corporation. Site services, site grading and building pad are near completion.

The facility has been designed and built to the latest industrial standards, with heavy duty floors and full pre-cast concrete walls. Lighting and ESFR sprinkler systems are designed for a variety of warehousing uses. The presence of the building is enhanced with striking architectural and glazing features.

The facility offers flexibility for various sized units, with ample dock doors and two drive-in ramps. Completion of the base building is scheduled for November 2006, with space available for tenants thereafter.

The stunning building for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 793, was completed in August 2005, with 20,000 s.f. of Class A office space on two floors, and a 10,000 s.f. 700-seat reception and function hall.

The two storey open atrium is an impressive sight, with full-height sloped and curved glazed entrance walls, a water feature, and sightlines through to the glazed second floor clerestorey arched roof. The building also houses the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, which has a purpose-built training yard with space to run up to 10 cranes simultaneously. Two permanent tower cranes are also housed at the training institute.

Cooper Construction is pleased to announce completion of this project to a very tight schedule. From initial negotiations with the tenant in June 2005, we started clearing the 13.5 acre site of trees to complete the 265,000 s.f. industrial facility, including 10,000 s.f. of design and administration offices, for February 1st 2006. Tenant installation of equipment commenced ahead of base building hand-over.

The building is designed to function as a traditional 30’ clear height warehouse, with ESFR sprinkler systems and industrial concrete floors. It also functions as a manufacturing facility. The layout of the 9-ft. wide dock doors and 14 ft wide drive in doors is specialized to this just-in-time supplier of complex automotive sub- assemblies.

The street presence is enhanced with architectural pre-cast concrete wall panels, glazing and metal panels. The standby electrical generator ensures that the facility can continue providing just-in-time deliveries, even if the power goes down.

With room for further expansion, and parking for over 200 cars, this building is a winning present-and-future solution for our client.

We welcome your inquiries about investment or design/build opportunities on properties we are presently developing in Milton and Guelph. Please click here to contact us direct…

The sale is expected to close in March, 2006.

We wish to acknowledge the professional contributions of Trevor Blakely and Keith Jameson of BMO Nesbitt Burns, in successfully concluding this significant investment property transaction.

Other Cooper Construction design/build sale projects recently completed include a 373,000 s.f. warehouse distribution facility for AMB REIT in Milton.

We welcome your inquiries about investment or design/build opportunities on properties which we are presently developing in Milton and Guelph. Please click here to contact us directly…

You don’t have to look far to see the fruits of Cooper Construction’s labours. From Halton’s police and regional headquarters and the new Budds’ buildings at Bronte Road, to CTV’s expanded studio in Scarborough, scores of McMaster University buildings and some of Hamilton’s oldest buildings, they’re all Cooper-made.

Comfortably at the helm of his family’s third-generation business, William Press Cooper is no longer in a rush to make his mark. In fact, as the company celebrates its 100th anniversary, the milestone has sparked in Cooper not only the desire to review the company’s history, but also his family genealogy.

At 65, Cooper confesses that while he no longer hits the ski slopes, golf links or tennis courts with the same verve as when his three children were young, he has developed an interest in family history.

To that end he joins heads occasionally with a University of Toronto adjunct professor — of Middle and Near Eastern Biblical/Hebrew and Medieval Arabic - to track down the past and clues about his forebears. “Right now we’re back to the mid-1700s,” said Cooper, a down-to-earth man with friendly, clear blue eyes.

He’s quick to don his suit jacket for a photo, however, in the president’s office of Cooper Construction headquarters on Bristol Circle, he simply wears his crisp white shirt - and tie. “I prefer Bill, just plain Bill,” he says, with a casual demeanor that belies obvious family tradition.

Cooper Construction Limited was founded in 1905 by Cooper’s grandfather, William Henry (W.H.), Cooper.

Not only was the company business passed on to subsequent generations, so was the name William. William Henry’s son was Ralph William (R.W.) Cooper, who took over the family business and then passed it on to his son, William Press (W.P.) when he was unexpectedly sidelined, hospitalized for more than a year, and left somewhat paralyzed by a debilitating disease.

Cooper’s middle name, Press, is actually the surname of his grandmother’s father, Richard Press, who was a carpenter, builder and lumber supplier, at the time Cooper’s grandfather established Cooper Construction.

Much of the company and family history is outlined in a commemorative book penned by Lois-Anne Brebner and designed and produced by Fraiman Design Inc. for the 100th anniversary.

Cooper’s grandfather was a mason who didn’t have the opportunity of higher education, yet he had a dream — and made it a reality.

Cooper Construction broke ground in 1905 without any fanfare, and by 1908 it had built the architecturally-rich Landed Banking & Loan Company in Hamilton.

“W.H. Cooper quickly earned a sterling reputation as a businessman and model citizen, serving in leadership roles in his church and community,” states the commemorative book. Cooper’s grandfather proved to be a lifelong advocate of McMaster University, the YMCA of Hamilton and the Hamilton General Hospital.

Cooper’s father joined the family firm in the late 1920s and again his business efforts were augmented by those that included church, finance, sports, education and health.

His passion for the Canadian Football League, saw him build the Canadian Football Hall of Fame at cost in the 1970s. He also served as Chair of the Canadian Football Council in its inaugural year in 1956, and was, in 1992, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

It was in the 1970s, that Cooper, at the age of 24 and fresh from the engineering program at the University of New Brunswick, was called upon to take over the family business when his father fell ill. His father’s illness was tough for the family — Cooper’s mom Evelyn and his twin sister, Barbara, and older sister Kae.

“The company had a very good management team which supported me when I came into the office,” said Cooper. He’d been with the company for less than two years — and suddenly the plan for him to work in various aspects of the business fell apart and he was thrust into the lead. Cooper admitted it is really after seven or eight years that you’re “fully able to get your hands around things.”

Cooper said he was in his thirties when he established a firm grasp. His father, though physically challenged, still possessed a very good mind and was able to offer sound business mentoring. And the question of stepping into his father’s shoes was never in question for Cooper.

“There was no real pressure that the business had to be continued by the next generation. I’d never really thought that much about anything else,” he admitted, noting he’d worked summers for the company and studying engineering “seemed a natural to me.”

Asked about how it felt to be at the helm unexpectedly at such an early age, Cooper said, “I didn’t think of it. I was too young and too stupid to understand. You just put your head down and go.”

His father died at the age of 86 and his mom, not long after.

Cooper and his wife Gillian, “Gill,” (they were married in 1967) have three children, Jennifer, 35, Diana, 34, and Bill Jr., 32.

As neither of his daughters, like their aunts before them, are involved in the business, it was Bill Jr. who worked for a couple of years at the firm. He’s now working in the commercial real-estate field.

Cooper quickly asserts there’s no pressure for Bill Jr. to assume the company leadership, so it’s a decision he’ll leave to his son over the ensuing years.

Cooper said you need to be happy getting out of bed in the morning and going to work and admitted, “I’m not set on preserving the company in the family. If he’s not interested, that’s fine, things don’t last forever.”

While his grandfather made the leap from home-building to industrial/commercial building, so, too, did Cooper take the company in a new direction.

Under his grandfather and father’s stewardship, Cooper Construction built a solid reputation and lasting business relationships — some lasting nearly 80 years. “Repeat business is a hallmark of Cooper Construction,” reads the commemorative book. Some of those lasting relationships included the Hoover Company Limited, Canadian Westinghouse, Canadian Canners, the YMCA and McMaster University.

As Cooper assumed the leadership of Cooper Construction, he never lost sight of his predecessors’ commitment to quality and integrity or the family tradition of community service. He did, however, steer the company through some very turbulent waters — the recession of the 1970s, the real estate collapse of the 1980s and the need to downsize to right-size the company in the 1990s.

It was through those tough times that the third-generation Cooper made the decision to take the company in a new direction — the head office moved closer to the Toronto market and into the real estate, development, design/build areas — while maintaining its role as a general contractor.

While Cooper recalls the slow days where there was no rush to get to the office because the telephone wasn’t ringing off the hook, he looked to a change of venue and change of direction as a means of combating such downturns in future.

Cooper stuck with the decision despite the later collapse of the real estate market. “We were able fortunately to struggle through. A lot of companies didn’t. It took four or five years to get back on our feet,” said Cooper. He is adamant that the move into the real estate/development, design/build market has enabled Cooper to “control our own destiny a lot more.”

It was during the downsizing years that Cooper’s head office moved to Oakville, but the fit has proved good. Much of the market demand is now here. Cooper has landholdings in Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Guelph.

Cooper said much of the 35 acres of industrial land it purchased as surplus from Procor is now developed. So, too, are Cooper’s extensive holdings in the Winston Business Park near Dundas Street and Winston Churchill Boulevard.

In Cooper’s estimation the wave of growth “is just about gone” through Oakville. He notes the land north of Dundas and north toward Hwy. 407 will be several decades in development.

Cooper’s preference is to buy smaller parcels of land that is either serviced or ready for servicing. He noted, however, many American firms are coming north to buy large blocks of land, even building large warehouses on speculation.

Transportation is key to the industrial sector, which makes Milton’s proximity to Hwy. 401 and Hwy. 407 a key to its future growth.

Like fashion, business trends change, as do building needs and even designs. Cooper said today’s architectural trends are reminiscent of the 1950s. “Every building is unique. No two are the same. Every project has its own sets of problems, hopefully none that are overwhelming. We’ve been pretty fortunate,” said Cooper.

Learning about people is a big part of the construction, and real estate fields, as it’s fundamental to learn about how someone does their business in order to understand their needs.

He admitted, however, he feels his greatest responsibility is to his employees — people who work hard on behalf of his company and his family.

And on the subject of family, it was an old photo of his great grandfather in military dress and bearing medals that led Cooper into research and the discovery that his great grandfather had fought in the Indian Wars, and Crimean War, where he was injured. Research indicates he was nursed at one of the very first field hospitals established by Florence Nightingale.

For the second year, Cooper is chair of the United Way of Oakville’s fundraising campaign. His other community involvement over the years includes directorships on boards for CTV Inc., Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Clarica Life Assurance Company, Cogeco Cable Inc., Laidlaw Inc., Stelco Inc., McMaster University, YMCA of Hamilton, and Hospital for Sick Children.

With no immediate plans to retire … “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself,” and a business plan that’s steady as she goes, Cooper says, “Life is interesting, it’s really what you make of it.”

If there’s one name people connect to construction in Hamilton, it’s Pigott. There’s the 1928 Pigott building, the city’s first skyscraper and still the prettiest. Where King West meets the highway, there’s the Cathedral of Christ the King. J.M. Pigott got a personal thank you from the Pope for that one. So important is the Pigott name, the Art Gallery of Hamilton staged a show this fall on the company’s works.

But there’s another outfit worthy of a show some day soon. And while the Pigott company slipped away 15 years ago, Cooper Construction is still around. This year is Cooper’s centennial.

Consider this list of constructed-by-Cooper structures in Hamilton: The 1908 Landed Banking & Loan, that columned temple at Main and James; the 1933 art moderne TH & B station, now the Hamilton GO Centre; the 1953 Hamilton Harbour Commissioners building in the North End; the Medical Arts building on James South; the YMCA and YWCA downtown; the Hamilton Board of Education headquarters across from City Hall; the Royal Botanical Gardens, both the original in 1958 and the new look addition 20 years later; the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, built at cost in 1972; the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, 1929; St. Peter’s hospital, 1973; the engineering building at McMaster, 1958, one of 24 Cooper projects there over 35 years.

There are pictures of all these structures, plus many more, in a book just out to mark Cooper’s 100 years. It’s the work of Bill Cooper, president of the company, grandson of its founder. But we don’t find him in Hamilton.

His corner office is in an industrial park on the Oakville/ Mississauga border. The buildings here, constructed by Cooper, are of the cookie-cutter school. Cooper looks at that picture of the Landed Banking building, the first big project his grandfather built and just shakes his head. “We couldn’t afford to build that today. The stone alone could cost $4 million.”

In the beginning, there was W.H. Cooper, a brick mason who got his start by building houses for the carriage trade, up on Ravenscliffe and Turner and Bay South. In 1905, he formed the company that moved him into industrial construction.

W.H. was a man of high discipline. No cigars or alcohol at his house, a big brick place on Delaware at St. Clair. He was a Methodist, from which came the United Church. Religion mattered in those days. Protestants weren’t in the running for Catholic projects, be it a cathedral or a grade school. J.M. Pigott, however, was a staunch Catholic. W. H. built about a dozen Protestant churches in this town, including Melrose United on Locke Street in 1928.

A few years later, he had son R.W. working as superintendent on the big Sunday school extension to Melrose. It was a five and a half day work week then. So R. W. had to work the morning of June 18, 1932. At noon he hurried home, changed and got married. Out of that marriage came two daughters and a son.

Bill was born on the last day of the 1930s. He never considered another career. And he was with his father on that afternoon in November 1964. “Oddest thing,” his father said. “I’m having difficulty holding onto my pen.”
At the dinner table that night, he could hardly hold onto his fork and in the night, he collapsed. He couldn’t move, couldn’t blink. He was paralysed, head to toe. It turned out to be Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare nerve disorder. He eventually made a good recovery. He remained sharp, but the job became hard for him physically.

So at age 24, son Bill took over. Some 40 years later, he’s still in charge. In 1980, he moved the Cooper office towards Toronto. He had decided that just putting up buildings for someone else was not the best way to go.

The company got into assembling land, finding clients who would like to locate there, then designing and erecting buildings to meet their needs. Near Winston Churchill and Highway 5 they have done 35 projects on 50 hectares of empty land, building facilities for companies like Cadbury, Royal Bank, Moen, Home Depot. That land is full and Cooper has purchased more in Milton and Guelph.

Bill Cooper is 65. He has two daughters and a son, but they’re not inclined to carry on the family business. Cooper is not yet making retirement plans, but when he does, the dynasty could end.

In 1950, the Cooper company built a headquarters across from the TH&B. On the second floor, Bill Cooper’s father had a corner office, complete with dark paneling and mahogany desk. He died in 1994. “I let my father use his office for four or five years after he died,” Cooper says. He eventually leased out that space and not long ago, he finally sold the building.

The company with so much history in Hamilton finds its future on open fields beyond this old factory town.

Omron asked us to design and construct a new facility which would protect the environment and minimize the environmental impact of its operations. Compared with similar but conventionally constructed buildings, the new Omron manufacturing facility provides significant reductions in resource consumption and environmental impact.

Our guide in designing the building was LEED™ Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations, Version 1.0 — adapted for Canadian climates, construction practices and regulations, from the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED™).

LEED™ Canada provides a set of criteria that evaluate project performance from a whole-building, whole-life perspective — providing a common understanding for what constitutes a “green building” in the Canadian context.

LEED™ Canada’s Rating System recognizes leading-edge buildings that incorporate design, construction and operational practices such that advantages in health, quality and performance are achieved, in combination with reduced environmental impacts.

Building occupants, purchasers and lessors are assured of superior building performance by an independent review and audit of the projects’ construction documents, conducted by experienced design professionals, following a well-defined and transparent methodology.

This is done by awarding points for meeting specific performance criteria that outperform typical standard practice. Improved building performance is certified with ratings, based on the total number of points earned by a project.

With four possible levels of certification, LEED™ is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of green building strategies that best fit the constraints and goals of particular projects.

For Omron, we were able to reduce energy consumption by 37% and water consumption by 45%; we recycled 75% of the construction waste; we used building materials with 28% recyclable content and achieved a 36% reduction in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) by using low-emitting building materials.

This facility is one of the first LEED™-Canada certified industrial buildings and we welcome your inquiries to learn more about our LEED™-Canada expertise and technology. For more information, please call Don Gordon at 905.829.0444, Ext. 231

We wish to acknowledge the professional contribution of Chris Ennis of J.J. Barnicke Ltd. in successfully concluding this significant design / build lease transaction.

The project utilizes our last remaining site on Speers Road from the original block which comprised 35 developable acres.

Other Cooper Construction projects recently completed, or presently under construction on this same block, include a food processing facility; a steel fabrication facility; and a head office and training facility.

We welcome your inquiries about design / build opportunities on other properties which we are presently developing in Milton and Guelph.

Cooper Construction is the general contractor on the project for the building, comprised of a 15,000 s.f. two-storey office and a 41,900 s.f. production/warehouse area.

Trades include:

- Foundations - Lockwall Forming Ltd.
- Structural steel - Etobicoke Iron
- Steel deck - Vixman Construction
- Flexwall precast (in photo) - Precon Inc.
- Architectural precast - Res Precast Inc.
- Roofing - Nedlaw Roofing.

Work is scheduled for mid-December completion.