The History of Petrocom Construction

Petrocom was founded in 2005 by Matt Gifford, Wade Duiker, and Gerrit DeHaan, who shared a vision of building a company driven by expertise, integrity, and a commitment to excellence. They started with a phased approach – setting up a small office, hiring an accountant, and gradually adding field staff. Six months in, Rob Braund joined the leadership team when Petrocom secured a large project with one of his clients. Within those first six months, Petrocom grew from a four-person team to a thriving workforce of 30.

The company’s first-ever project was Hughes Petroleum on Roper Road. From there, Hughes Petroleum became Petrocom’s primary client, providing the majority of our work and revenue. Over time, as the company’s reach expanded, Petrocom formed partnerships with major industry players such as 7-Eleven, Imperial Oil, Husky Oil, and Petro Canada. This growth allowed us to expand operations into British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

A pivotal moment came in 2007 when Gerrit’s industry connections led to an alliance deal with Shell Canada. This partnership solidified Petrocom Construction as a trusted General Contractor, handling all of Shell’s work in Western Canada for several years.

Of course, success did not come without challenges. As a small and newly established company, Petrocom faced tough competition from larger, more established contractors. The team spent a year developing a high-level safety program and gaining the experience necessary to compete for major clients. However, the industry relationships the company’s founders had built over the years helped open the doors – clients who were familiar with their expertise and work ethic never hesitated to give them a chance.

As more work was secured, Petrocom also built strong relationships with several subtrades, earning a reputation for transparency, fairness, and honesty. Many of those early partners remain loyal to the company today, a testament to the unwavering values that have defined Petrocom from the beginning.

Reflecting on the past 20 years, we take great pride in how far we’ve come. With a dedicated team of over 40 employees, long-standing clients, and an impressive portfolio of projects across Western Canada, we remain true to the values that started it all. Every day, we are grateful for the work we do and the relationships we’ve built, and we look forward to another 20 years of growth, innovation, and excellence in the industry.