TBT Engineering Limited (TBTE), began in 1995 as a small materials testing lab with just two lab technicians in Thunder Bay, and 30 years later, it has grown into an award-winning, employee-owned engineering firm, with a core workforce of 150 employees. This week, the company has announced two strategic moves aimed at reinforcing its growth, enhancing its services and growing its provincial footprint.
Scott Peterson, TBTE president, told The Chronicle-Journal that their first initiative is a merger with Kenora’s LBE Group Inc., which will bring 15 more professionals into the TBTE team, strengthening its structural, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering expertise.
“Secondly, our expansion into Ottawa will expand TBTE’s capabilities in environmental and geotechnical engineering while bringing on new expertise in the fields of hydrogeological services and geoenvironmental instrumentation and monitoring,” he said.
Since their beginning, Peterson says their “vision and drive” has always been to highlight the expertise and innovation that exists within Ontario.
“These expansion initiatives will increase TBTE’s ability to deliver high-quality engineering solutions throughout Ontario at a time when Ontario-driven solutions will be more important than ever,” he said.
The two moves build on TBTE’s successful acquisition of Profor Engineering in 2015, Sostratus Engineering in 2016 and EXP’s Northwestern Ontario Geomatics Operations in 2017.
“The expansion into Collingwood in 2023 opened the path forward into the southern Ontario market and the new office that just opened in Ottawa demonstrates our interest in further growth opportunities throughout the province,” Peterson added. “Investing in new locations, people, and expertise is the natural next step in our journey.”
Peterson called it a “critical time” for Ontario developments, which he says will be relying on improved productivity and effectiveness in the development of new infrastructure and industries to meet current market challenges.
Considered a “provincial firm,” TBTE now has the ability to serve clients across a broader geographic area and through additional service lines making the one-stop-shop experience even more enhanced for current and future clients.
“We’ve made it a priority to grow in a way that keeps us connected to the North because that’s where our story started, but we recognize the opportunity to grow into new markets at this critically important time in our history as a company and a nation,” he said.
Peterson added TBTE remains dedicated to supporting its First Nation partners and clients across various sectors including mining, energy, and infrastructure projects as well as land development, institutional, commercial and industrial initiatives.
