BUILT ON SYNERGIES
The entities within BM Group of Companies support and complement each other to deliver outstanding service, highly specialized skills, and exceptional quality control from start to finish. Milan Mann, President, discusses the pursuit to provide unparalleled synergies
Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Ben Weaver
SYNERGIES
The impact of BM Group of Companies (BMG), British Columbia’s most diverse and versatile construction family, dates back almost a century to 1929.
BMG has brought together a portfolio of 22 highly specialized and experience-rich companies across four key divisions – Materials
Supply, Construction Support Services, Structural Restoration and Waterproofing, and Real Estate Development.
The former consists of ready-mix supply, precast concrete, structural steel fabrication, and building supplies, whilst the Construction Support Services division ranges from
demolition abatement to temporary labor and training.
BMG’s Structural Restoration and Waterproofing division, meanwhile, includes roofing, above and below-grade waterproofing, traffic coating, post-tensioning, plaza restoration, and civil pipe rehabilitation.
Lastly, the group’s Real Estate Development division is both a developer and general contractor, exclusively servicing its own projects and holdings.
Within this division, BMG Real Estate is one of the fastest-growing real estate entities in Lower Mainland, where it has been proudly building communities for over 25 years, offering residential, commercial, and industrial expertise.
From land acquisition to welcoming homeowners, BMG Real Estate’s mission is to become the most consistent development company in the region.
“BMG strives to be of service to our clients’ projects and approach each one as a partner to its success,” outlines President, Milan Mann.
“While we may have a large scope, with our growing stable of companies, we provide substantial coverage, value, and peace of mind across the entirety of projects.”
“WE DON’T WANT TO GROW FOR THE SAKE OF GROWING; OUR PURSUIT IS DRIVEN BY OFFERING INCREASED VALUE THROUGH ACQUISITIONS OF LIKE-MINDED COMPANIES AND INCREASING OUR GEOGRAPHICAL FOOTPRINT VIA OPERATIONS OR REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS”
– MILAN MANN, PRESIDENT, BM GROUP OF COMPANIES
WALKER HOUSE
BMG’s synergy is grounded in a question the group often asks itself – how many ways can it approach a single project?
The similarity of processes within the group allows each company to complement and support the other, be it from the office or on site.
“We can move resources around to ensure a project’s success,”
assures Mann.
A demonstrable proof of concept is BMG Real Estate’s inaugural high-rise project, Walker House, a stunning mixed-use concrete tower that will soar 29 storeys above the North Delta skyline.
The 314-unit building is currently under construction, having broken ground in March 2024, and will be the commuter town’s tallest building,
offering unobstructed sweeping vistas of the Fraser River, surrounding mountains, and urban landscape.
Beyond transforming the skyline, Walker House will provide vital accommodation for the area’s increasing population. Indeed, the number of residents in Delta is projected to surge to 121,000 by 2041, with the majority of this growth happening in North Delta.
HOW WERE YOU RAISED IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?
Milan Mann, President: “My father, Balraj Mann, is a civil engineer who was also drafting house plans and developing single family homes, so construction was as routine as homework or basketball practice.
“At an early age, I grew an affinity for projects, being able to create spaces for people to live, work, and play in. Experiencing your fingerprint on a community and the feeling that provides is hard to beat.
“BMG as we now know it wasn’t established until 2011. Before this, our family business was exclusively a land developer. As the 2008 financial crisis hit, my father sought diversity to create stability for his family and solidified his first acquisition in 2011 with Polycrete Restorations, a company he consulted for in his days as an engineer.
“In parallel, as I evolved through high school, university, and my MBA, BMG followed suit. I established a permanent position with the group weeks after graduating from high school. BMG hasn’t looked back since, growing from two companies and 50 employees in 2011 to 22 companies and over 500 individuals choosing to work for us every day.
“Our growth is centred on industries we understand, allowing us to deepen relationships or create new ones.”
WHAT CHALLENGES ARE CURRENTLY FACING THE CANADIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?
Milan Mann, President: “Canada’s construction industry is suffering, which is no surprise given the current geo-political environment.
“For new construction, politics coupled with rising development cost charges – be it municipal or provincial fees burdening the viability of projects and in turn increasing the prices of homes –is slowing absorption in an already stagnant market.
“Maintenance of infrastructure, public projects, and general portfolios will continue to keep service providers relatively stable, but investment-based projects will suffer for the next 14 months, in my opinion.”
The project will therefore play an invaluable role in bringing essential housing density to the area, offering a diverse mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom suites ranging in size from 472 to 1,959 square feet (sqft).
Moreover, it has been thoughtfully designed with a strong emphasis on community, with an impressive 17,000 sqft of amenities – including an expansive rooftop, outdoor basketball court, state-of-the-art fitness facility, entertainment and coworking lounges, and private meeting rooms –serving as a social hub.
In addition to over 3,000 sqft of commercial space on the ground floor, Walker House will have a child daycare center, prioritizing access for residents and fostering family wellbeing within the community.
“Our internal services cover 20 percent of the project scope. These efficiencies, from pricing to accountability, can be exercised by our clients – we just need to do a better job communicating this to them,” he tells us.
The building also holds a special spot in the group’s history as it stands close to where Mann’s parents
purchased their first home together when they immigrated to Canada.
Alongside Walker House, he highlights BMG’s work on Phase 2 of the demolition of an iconic Vancouver Hotel.
GROWTH AND EXPANSION
BMG has a big focus on growth, especially of its bin rental services and ready-mix supply.
“Once you establish vertical integration, it is imperative to capitalize on this. That is why we have prioritized deepening control of relative supply chains,” Mann explains.
“As Dallas Watt Demo and Actes Environmental continue to scale, expanding our bin and truck fleets was the logical next step not only to keep up with our growth, but to serve projects we are working on before and after we complete our main scope.”
On ready-mix supply, Mann notes that raw materials, especially when importing, were a challenge and risk that was growing costly in terms of time and money.
Thus, the group has solidified its partnerships with cement and fly ash suppliers to provide consistency in its
“WHILE WE MAY HAVE A LARGE SCOPE, WITH OUR GROWING STABLE OF COMPANIES, WE PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL COVERAGE, VALUE, AND PEACE OF MIND ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF PROJECTS”
–
MILAN MANN, PRESIDENT, BM GROUP OF
COMPANIES
volumes and better serve projects and customers.
As a growing organization, expansion is also always at the forefront of BMG’s mind.
“We don’t want to grow for the sake of growing; our pursuit is driven by offering increased value through acquisitions of like-minded companies and increasing our geographical footprint via operations or real estate developments,” Mann sets out.
While the Canadian market is growing and relatively stable, BMG is increasing its familiarity with the US market and excited by how potential is welcomed and promoted.
The group is actively growing its Pacific Northwest-based structural restoration company, Contech
Services, Inc., and looking to establish a development presence close to its Seattle and Portland offices.
“Our priority is to continue to serve our clients and community. With lofty housing goals announced by the Canadian federal government, we are looking for opportunities for BMG to assist with these efforts,” concludes Mann.
Tel: 604 521 4300 info@BMGroupinternational.com www.BMGroupinternational.com
