Beedie's past legacy sets a high standard for the company's future.

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(BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER) — Ask him about the company that his father, Keith, founded 60 years ago, and Ryan Beedie’s affection, admiration and pride becomes abundantly apparent.

“My dad started Beedie Construction in 1954, and was pretty well known in the residential realm for building the PNE Prize Homes in the early 1960s,” said Ryan Beedie, president of Beedie Development Group, since taking over from his father (who actively remains chairman and CEO) in 2001.

“He got into commercial and industrial a little later on, particularly after Vancouver’s housing market hit bottom in the early 1960s,” he added. “At first he was focused on construction, but eventually he decided to build projects that would let him retain ownership. So, he’d buy a site, build what the tenant wanted which made him the developer, contractor and the landlord, giving him control over the entire process.”

This was the pivotal shift that formed the foundation on which the company still stands today: a vertically integrated model addressing all aspects of development, including land acquisition, design, construction, financing and property management. Beedie says this not only kept costs lower than his father’s competitors, it garnered loyalty among his clients – and the same is true today.

“Our ability to provide this comprehensive range of services allows us to deliver unparalleled value to our clients,” he explained. “Whether you building requirement is large or small, a purchase or a lease, we are uniquely positioned to deliver a building solution that will allow your business to achieve its full potential.”

When it comes to industrial development, Beedie Development Group’s reputation as the “go-to brand” arguably really took off in the ’70s, when Keith designed and constructed manufacturing and warehouse space for BC Tel, HY Louie, Hyundai and many other companies. A key change took place in mid 1980s when Keith developed his first industrial park in Port Coquitlam. By incorporating large-scale land inventory, the company became fully integrated.

When Ryan joined the firm in 1994, he took his dad’s already impressive industrial legacy even further – helping to make Beedie Development Group the largest industrial landlord and developer in BC – and brought the company back to its residential roots.

“Since the launch of our Beedie Living division back in 2011, we’ve expanded our residential portfolio, bringing new high rise developments, including mixed-use towers, to Metrotown, West Coquitlam, Richmond and Vancouver.”

The company’s industrial division has also crossed the provincial border into
Alberta, to Calgary and Airdrie, with plans to expand to Edmonton soon. Through it all, several key elements – the keys to success, Beedie calls them – have remained constant.

“First, it’s our clients – we’re committed to our clients in every way imaginable through our Service Plus model and other offerings,” he said. “Second, it’s our people. I couldn’t be prouder of this team, their passion, their dedication and the initiative they show in giving back to the community. Lastly, simply, it’s what we do – what we’ve done for 60 years and what we hope to do even better for 60 more. If you ask my dad about retiring, he’ll say, ‘Why? This is what I love.’ This isn’t just a job or a company that builds stuff, it’s our life.”

MILESTONE:
Continually rising to new heights

1946: Keith Beedie bought a 50-foot lot in Marpole from the City of Vancouver for $190, marking his foray into the construction business. Nine years later, Beedie Construction Ltd. was born.

1994: Ryan Beedie joined the company and began overseeing the development of buildings and industrial parks. In the last half of the decade, Beedie Development Group constructed more than 60 buildings spanning the Lower Mainland.

2014: Beedie Development Group is the largest industrial landlord and developer in BC and has grown its residential division by launching Beedie Living – the group leading all future home building and mixed-use projects – in
2011.

“This isn’t just a job or a company that builds stuff, it’s our life.”