Ontario Construction News staff writer
SafetyCo Partners, a new national occupational health and safety company, aims to change the face of safety consulting in Canada and address several current health and safety industry challenges by bringing leading experts and consultants under a single platform to offer more consolidated, transparent, and inclusive services for the construction sector.
SafetyCo this week announced an investment in and partnership with leading Ontario consultancy, Safety Design Strategies (SDS)
“Our construction and industrial clients are facing multiple challenges right now, foremost being the shortage of skilled tradespeople. We knew we needed to grow in order to continue to support our clients as well as expand training for new and upcoming workers,” said Bill Glover, president and founder of SDS.
SafetyCo’s partnership model and platform offering will provide scaling opportunities for private market consultants through shared back-office functions and software, business optimization through data analytics, and access to a growth network. It is also providing a more competitive and efficient offering for ICI, automotive, energy, healthcare and education sector clients to better address the skilled labour shortage and support the future growth of their industries.
Services will provide a competitive advantage to clients in the industrial, infrastructure, construction, and education sectors who value safety best practice as part of a leading business culture. With an initial investment and partnership in Toronto industry leader, SDS, SafetyCo is focused on rapid growth and taking a leading market position in a presently siloed industry.
“With the increased importance around safety as a core business driver, we see a see a strong opportunity to integrate a historically fragmented industry and make it more inclusive to better serve the client base,” said Mark Ferrier, co-founder of private equity firm &Capital.
“Safety consulting businesses have typically either been region-based or single-service-based. With the increased importance around safety as a core business driver and the corporate focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles, we see a strong opportunity to integrate a historically fragmented industry and make it more inclusive to better serve the client base,” Ferrier said in a statement.
Founded in 2007, SDS is a leading firm focused on safety consulting, inspection, confined space rescue, and training, working with clients to ensure compliance with Ministry of Labour requirements. SDS brings 26 employees to the SafetyCo team, as well as key client relationships, including Fortune 500 companies, crown corporations, and government entities. Through its partnership with SafetyCo, SDS will continue to drive its mission of helping clients build strong safety cultures while accelerating business growth.
SafetyCo is a customer-focused company bringing safety services to better serve the demands of its clients, which typically include both public and private sector organizations in the industrial development, infrastructure, education, and commercial and residential real estate sectors.
Partnering with SafetyCo offers value-added services for health and safety industry entrepreneurs and management teams, including shared back-office functions and software, cross-selling opportunities, business optimization through data analytics, and access to a growth network; ultimately allowing entrepreneurs to focus their energy on doing more of the work they enjoy.
“I’ve been in the safety consulting business for over 15 years and have witnessed the challenges and fragmentation that exists. I believe there is a huge opportunity to provide better and more consolidated services, and I see a growing need over the next 10 years as the demand for trained workers increases,” said Bill Glover, President of Safety Design Strategies.
“I have been looking for the right partner to help SDS meet the growing demand for safety services. I’m excited about the resources and passion the &Capital team brings to the table. I look forward to seeing the value we can unlock together in this multi-decade growth opportunity, and to delivering services that translate into safer work environments for our growing client base.”