By Barb Feldman
COVER STORY
Kichton Contracting Ltd. was founded in 1963 by
Michael Kichton Sr., when he began doing small
civil construction jobs for general contractors and
residential developers in the Edmonton area. Fred
Kichton, who after his uncle’s death continued the company
along with his cousin Michael Jr., became the company’s
sole owner in 2000. In 2007, Fred sold minority shares to his
brother Richard and to key employees Laurie Conrad, Russ
Giselbrecht and Chris Dirks, who, along with Richard, is now
a company vice-president.
“Fred, Richard and I worked together through the early
years to build and grow Kichton as an earthworks company,
with about 12 pieces of earthworks equipment and 20
people,” said Dirks. Since that time, the company has grown
10 to 20 per cent annually, gaining extensive experience in
oilfield construction, underground utilities and foundations,
piling, shoring and anchors as well as civil industrial and
commercial earthworks. Kichton Contracting works from
the Montana border all the way up through Alberta, and
from Saskatoon and Regina to northern British Columbia.
Fred, although no longer a shareholder, remains Kichton
Contracting’s president and its mentor, “sharing his guidance
and a wealth of knowledge,” said Dirks.
Edmonton’s 28-storey Epcor Tower
Now with its head office in Acheson, Alta., a second location
in Lloydminster, Sask., 450 employees and a fleet of more than
500 pieces of equipment, Kichton Contracting is still growing.
“One major project got us rolling in 2008,” said Dirks.
This project was Edmonton’s 28-storey Epcor Tower,
which, when it was finished in 2011, was the city’s first office
tower to be built in 17 years.
“We were awarded that project by Ledcor Construction
due to some innovative ideas, and when competitors were
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KICHTON CONTRACTING LTD.
The Edmonton Mechanized River Valley Experience
project; photo shows the construction of a
“funicular” from Hotel MacDonald to the River Valley.
Right: Placing large cages in Peace
River to stabilize a slide
PILING CANADA 21