M E M B E R P R O F I L E
Tollestrup
Construction
One of the largest
construction companies
in southern Alberta
started with a single
non-hydraulic backhoe
By Jim Timlick
Much has changed in Alberta’s construction industry
since Glenn Fredrick Tollestrup founded Tollestrup
Construction back in 1940. Technological advanc-es
have improved the design and construction process, better
health and safety standards have greatly enhanced the well-being
of workers and streamlining has led to greater efficien-cies
for companies.
Despite the numerous changes that have occurred in
the industry during the intervening decades, Tollestrup
Construction remains – in some ways – very much the same
company as the one G.F. Tollestrup established with a single
non-hydraulic backhoe to excavate basements in the city
of Lethbridge.
It is still a family-owned business with third-generation
family member Martie Murphy serving as the company’s act-ing
CEO. Clients and employees still receive a handshake in
appreciation for their efforts, a tradition started back in the
day by G.F. Tollestrup. The company still adheres to the phi-losophy
that a happy worker is a productive one.
“We’ve had a lot of longevity and a lot of long-term
employees at the company,” said Chief Operating Officer
Jonathan Hamilton, who has been with Tollestrup since
2003. “A few years ago, we celebrated the 50-year anniver-sary
of two of our employees.”
Providing opportunities to grow
“One of the things that’s kept me and others here is the fam-ily
nature of the business. It’s a good place to work and as
much as it’s a family ownership they allow their people to
grow and flourish within the company,” said Hamilton.
There is probably no better example of that than Hamilton
himself. He joined Tollestrup 15 years ago as a concrete
labourer when he needed a summer job to help pay for col-lege.
Management quickly recognized he had an aptitude for
construction and approached him about going back to school
that fall to study civil engineering technology. He joined the
company in a full-time capacity shortly after graduation and
Photos: Tollestrup Construction
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