Stevens Group of Companies is a privately held third generation family business with its head office located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. B.D. Stevens and his namesake company, B.D. Stevens Limited, is the founder and founding company, respectively, of what has grown to become the Stevens Group of Companies today.
First Generation of Builders
After many years in the logging and timber industry, Burnett David Stevens made his foray into the construction industry in the 1930’s with the construction of residential units in the south end of the City of Halifax. His determination, integrity, and vision stood him well as his business flourished and became incorporated in 1953. With a solid background in house and apartment construction, the company continued to grow through the addition of commercial projects. Today, the namesake company, B.D. Stevens Limited, has continued the tradition of excellence and is an industry leader in General Contracting, Project Management and Design-Build services. “BD,” as he was widely known, also had a penchant for both founding and constructing Baptist Churches throughout Atlantic Canada.
Second Generation-Continued Growth and Diversification
BD’s son, Laurie Burnett Stevens, successfully transitioned the family construction business to the second generation. Starting work with the company in 1957, he also started his own company, L.B. Stevens Construction Limited, and grew the business over the years to become the Stevens Group of Companies. “LB,” as Laurie was known, always enjoyed the concrete and aggregate industries as well as the construction business. So it was not surprising that Gateway Materials Limited, an aggregate quarry started in the late 1960’s on Kearney Lake Road in Halifax, received considerable attention from Laurie as the business grew servicing local markets.
When LB purchased Dartmouth Ready Mix Ltd. in 1974, another area of keen interest for Laurie was ready to take off. Under his guidance, the business of the supply of ready mix concrete has grown from the original plant in Dartmouth, to 12 plants in two provinces today with a fleet of 90 ready mix trucks. The original Dartmouth Ready Mix name now operates as Quality Concrete with the familiar bright yellow and grey mixer trucks. Quality is the largest supplier of concrete in Atlantic Canada with locations all over Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
During this time of growth, Laurie relocated the Stevens Group of Companies in 1980 from the original homestead area of B.D. Stevens on Main Avenue in Fairview to a new Tilt-Up office building at their present location on 20 MacDonald Avenue in the Burnside Industrial Park, Dartmouth, NS. This project was the Group’s first Tilt-Up project. Since this inaugural attempt using Tilt-Up, the Group has continued to develop and grow the use of Tilt-Up construction techniques such that it is recognized as a leader in the growing sector of Tilt-Up construction.
The Group’s success with Tilt-Up is further widened by the tremendous growth and success of its sister company, Citadel Contractors Inc., who operate as a Tilt-Up specialist out of Apex, North Carolina. Citadel has received over seven awards from the TCA for outstanding use of Tilt-Up construction in its first five years of operations.
Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, the Stevens Group has been involved in various developments and real estate projects and to this day, still retains commercial properties for lease in the Halifax/Dartmouth area. The Group of Companies also operates Rosecrest Communities, which owns three long term care facilities, The Magnolia in Enfield, NS, the Ivy Meadows in Beaverbank, NS and the Sagewood in Lower Sackville, NS. Rosecrest operates the Magnolia and the Sagewood, and Ivy Meadows is operated by Northwood. All are recognized as leaders in the province in the long term care industry. The Ivy Meadows has been in operation since 1969. Sagewood and Magnolia have been operating since 2010.
Third Generation-Continued Growth and Entrepreneurship
The turn of the century saw the succession of the Group to the third generation. Continuing in the tradition of their father and grandfather, Thane and Scott Stevens, who have been with the companies since the 1980’s, have continued to grow the Group with the operation of Young Street Storage and Coastal Entrance Solutions, which is a hollow metal door and frame supplier as well as security and entry systems provider to the local construction industry.
Rodney Enterprises a specialist in Millwork and specialty construction installations is our newest member of the Group, adding to our diversity in construction expertise. This diversity in industry and the Group’s valued employee base, along with the added insights and passion of the Stevens family’s fourth generation, hold the key to continued success for the Group into the future.