A Message from the V.P. and General Manager of Reed Construction Data, Canada

DCN ARCHIVES

January 15, 2009

Years from now, 2008 will be remembered as one of the most interesting and volatile economic periods in Canadian history. Now, as we in the business community look ahead to 2009, we do so with tremendous anxiety about what lies ahead for Canada’s construction economy.

Uncertainty is creating unparalled challenges for Canada’s business leaders as we close out our planning for 2009. In times like these, we need, more than ever, to have access to reliable, up-to-the-minute market intelligence. Information and knowledge give people the power they need to make good decisions and to navigate through tough economic times.

Mark Casaletto

V.P. and General Manager,

Reed Construction Data, Canada

The Leaders, at its very core, is an information source for the Canadian construction industry. In 2009, we expect that the information contained within it will be accessed and available to over 300,000 people monthly, on average, through the print editions of the Journal of Commerce and Daily Commercial News, distribution at industry events, through our partners and by visitors to our websites.

Last year, I ended my message with the words “Let the debate begin.” I must admit that, while I anticipated that The Leaders 2007 Edition would spark discussion, I had absolutely no idea just how lively that debate would become.

Since then, I have travelled the country and met with general contractors in almost every province. The feedback on the publication’s look, content, feel and, most importantly, presentation of the data, was tremendous. So, as we did in 2007, we do in 2008. You spoke, we listened.

That change that will be most apparent in this edition of The Leaders is the revised methodology used to rank the participating firms. We continued to rely on our data to point us to the most active general contractors, but we took a major step forward and ambitiously sent out an in-depth survey to solicit more information from the firms listed.

Data was also collected on a wider range of topics, including revenue performance, number of staff and levels of construction activity within the key sectors across Canada.

We also developed a distinctive logo that allows readers to instantly recognize the most active firms in the Canadian construction industry. Our expectation is that the Leaders logo will become forever linked with Canada’s top contracting firms.

In the end, this update to The Leaders is all about you, the reader. You spoke, we listened — and we will continue to listen as The Leaders evolves, based on the guidance of the industry. That willingness to listen is a commitment of which we are proud. It is also one of our core values.

In the future, we intend to continue to make The Leaders the most sought-after annual ranking of Canada’s most active general contractors. We welcome your feedback; please let us know what you think.

Meanwhile, let the debate begin...again!

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