DRD Construction Celebrates 25 Years In Thunder Bay
by Scott A. Sumner
Thunder Bay Business
When you drive down Simpson Street and look behind the SASI Water building you will see the big blue building of DRD Services. The firm started May 1984 and has continued to grow since then with some 30 staff and a large amount of equipment to do the renovation work in
which they primarily specialize. “ It has been good. We have made changes and continued to add staff each year,” said Sue Dubinsky, who performs Contract Administration with DRD Construction Services. “ Interior and exterior retrofit is our speciality and we also do some
residential construction, usually for our commercial clients”
“ Currently we are doing the MMRCF lab renovations at the old cancer centre, a renovation retrofit type of job. The final phase should be done before Christmas which will attract tenants. It’s a $ 4 million project which involved asbestos removal work and demolition. It’s a omplicated job with intricate plumbing, electrical and HVAC associated with it. The job has been going well. DRD does asbestos abatement and we are qualified to do that work which means no delay for the client,” noted David House, Project Coordinator at DRD. “ It challenges our skill set with the many changes along the way.” Also key staff at DRD Construction Services are Dale Dubinsky, President and Mary Dubinsky who until recently was an auditor in an accounting firm and will take over Sue’s job shortly.
An exciting new project for the company has been the new McFit Fitness centre under construction at McIntyre Plaza on Memorial Avenue. Counsel Corporation, a Toronto based company own the mall. “ We took that space and gutted it down including all electrical, plumbing and flooring, reinsulated the walls, did a new exterior clad and band of masonry similar to the new Shoppers on site and placed all new glazing on the front,” noted House. “ We are doing the interior fit up for McFit. The facility has basic lockers, shower room, washrooms and the open exercise area. It is a 24 hour location that is central for their
clients. With Shoppers being one draw, McFit is the other draw in the mall.”
“ We used to do all the work for the previous owners of McIntyre Plaza and then chatted with the new owners. Since then we have worked really well hand in hand. They like our work and we meet their deadlines. They are a really nice company. We have done 6 leasehold
improvements for them and will do Phase 2 shortly involving redoing the facade for the rest of the mall so it ties in with McFit, updating the whole look,” said Sue Dubinsky. “ Thunder Bay is a beautiful place to be. We love it here. Thunder Bay has everything you need and is showing
a lot of promise right now. It is growing and we have been very busy as have most of the generals. There is a lot of new growth on the horizon and it all looks good for positive changes for Thunder Bay. We are really excited to be part of that. We do a lot of work for Ontario
Reality Group that has a lot on the go right now, as well as school boards and LU. There is a lot of new really, well educated expertise coming into our area.”
If you look at the type of work DRD is really known for it has to be the complex renovation work. “ The Brodie Street Library was a tricky job as we were putting a new elevator in the building and with the high water table it was difficult sinking the pit down 5 1/2 feet down. We
had an intricate amount of shoring and a vacuum truck on site there to suck the water and dirt out. It was a difficult job not a lot of people wanted to do and we were able to do it successfully. The library was open during the time which added to the difficulty.” stated Dave House
“ The lighthouse project renovation in the Thunder Bay Harbour was another challenging project for DRD. “ All of the men, tools, equipment and supplies had to be go by water to the lighthouse in the breakwall in the harbour. It is a heritage site that meant the interior and
exterior had to be restored to it’s original condition. That is the kind of work my husband Dale likes to take on. He always rises to the challenge. He has a vision and makes it happen. He has said you don’t have to be the biggest to be the best in this business.” smiles Sue
Dubinsky.
