EllisDon

EllisDon is an employee-owned construction services company that was founded and incorporated in 1951 in London, Ontario, Canada by brothers Don and David Ellis Smith. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, EllisDon's revenues are currently approximately $3.5 billion.

Don Smith was born March 23, 1924 in Provost, Alberta, to Donald Bennett and Florence Smith.

At age 27, Don quit a construction job to start his own company with his brother David Ellis Smith. On April 1, 1951, EllisDon was launched. Their first project was a small home renovation followed by Northdale Public School, a three-room schoolhouse located in London, Ontario. David left the company shortly after inception.

Between 1956 and 1968, EllisDon computerized its accounting and cost control systems, and operated a purchased tower crane – the first construction company in Canada to do both. In 1971, EllisDon launched a Corporate Safety Strategy to improve job site safety. Between 1974 and 1976, EllisDon expanded, establishing operations in Edmonton, Alberta and in Saudi Arabia. In 1978, and in the next three years that followed, EllisDon took on local projects that included the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario; Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta; a Bank of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario; and Peel Regional Police Headquarters and 22 Division in Brampton, Ontario.

Once EllisDon was awarded the Construction Management Contract for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre project in 1982, it moved on to build the Rogers Centre (formerly, the SkyDome). This project was completed in 1989, and was the world's first retractable rooftop stadium.