To: Concrete Alberta Board Re: Lifetime Achievement Award
I would like very much to thank those responsible for nominating me and accepting me for the Lifetime Achievement Award. When Mark Langen, a dedicated convention Association volunteer, first mentioned it to me several months ago I was quite surprised that I was one of two people in the entire concrete industry deserving of such an award. I spend quite some time contemplating whether I wanted to be a recipient. I have never been one to want or need to be the centre of attention.
After much deliberation and further encouragement, as well as, generous offer from Concrete Alberta to cover my convention expenses and the thoughts of a scenic drive to Jasper, I decided to accept.
Once I responded in the affirmative, I reflected on my career in the industry which spanned over 37 years. From the day I started working on July 8, 1980, shortly upon returning from a 2 month vacation in Europe, I became quickly immersed in the business and began to enjoy it immensely. It brought me incredible challenge and satisfaction. To this day I consider concrete to be the greatest and most diverse building material in the world. It is truly the foundation of most construction projects and often very much more. Just try to think of a world without concrete.
I must admit that I was treated like near royalty by everyone I met at the convention. It was great to see so many people I haven’t seen for many years including past fellow employees, suppliers, and competitors. Associations such as Concrete Alberta are valuable in bringing various companies together for a common good. I also enjoyed spending some time with fellow Lifetime recipient, Ed Kalis, who did a great job managing the Association for many years.
I am very impressed with the current state of Concrete Alberta. Dan Hanson, Paul Masson, Alicia Demchuk and Cheryl Grise deserve a big thank you for their efforts in helping make the Association a success.
The numerous sponsors are also extremely important in the success of the Association and convention.
In closing, thank you for all the kind words at the Friday evening ceremony, the golf, the guest speakers, all the food and beverage, accommodations and above all, the time to share many great memories with so many wonderful old friends and associates.
I was also pleased to be in attendance to witness the other well-deserving award recipients.
Sincerely, Wil Fedirko
Wil Fedirko's Bio
After graduating from the U of C with a degree in Civil Engineering, Wil came across a job opening for Quality Control Engineer at BURNCO. This sparked his interest because his 4th year research thesis was on super plasticized concrete. Paper in hand, he went to the interview and got offered the job on the spot. This started his 37 year career with BURNCO and contributions to the industry.
Wil’s career began during the building boom. He was eager to experience new avenues and never turned down an opportunity to advance. In his time at BURNCO, he looked after aggregate and asphalt testing, managed BURNCO’s Engineering Department and was the Operations Manager of the Aggregate Division looking after sales, just to name a few.
Wil continued to climb the corporate ladder. In 1987 he was promoted to Manager of Calgary Ready-Mix Operations and in two short years, was promoted to Manager of the Concrete Division and started working on the expansion of the business. He was soon promoted to Vice President of the Ready-Mix Division, and in 2010 was further promoted to Senior Vice President. In 2014, Wil became Chief Operating Officer where he was responsible for all BURNCO operations. He grew the US operations rapidly and within a few years the ready-mix supply in the US was on par with Canadian volumes.
Wil was not only dedicated to his career but volunteered his time and knowledge to the industry. He became involved with ARMCA as a board member and tech committee member, taught concrete tech courses, he became President of ARMCA and consequently was on the board of CRMCA, was a member of a CSA committee, was a board member and VP of Calgary Construction Association and was Director and Secretary Treasurer on the Western Independent Ready Mix Concrete Association.
Wil’s portfolio is extensive, with the following significant projects worth mentioning:
The BMO Tower base mass pour where he helped Lafarge with a 30 plus hour continuous supply in December 1981.
The Canada Olympic Park facilities including ski jumps, luge and bob sleigh tracks.
Numerous Fort McMurray oil sands projects including Firebag, Voyageur, Steepbank, and Fort Hills.
The Bow Tower which was the largest continuous pour in North America at the time.
And, the SE and SW ring road / Stoney Trail projects in Calgary.
In November 2017, Wil retired from BURNCO earning himself an impressive 37 years in the industry. He takes pride in being in the material supply industry where he had the opportunity to be involved in so many important projects and is grateful for his long and rewarding career.
