As a teenager, Bill Bennington never realized the mission work he was completing would ultimately shape the course of his career and lead him to his current role as national quality manager. Bennington remembers repairing homes for underserved communities throughout the Appalachians. One memory stands out for him. “I recall replacing a roof for an older gentleman in South Carolina. He sat under a tree and cried as he watched us work.” The homeowner’s overwhelming appreciation motivated Bennington to pursue a career in construction where he is now able to bring value to clients on a much larger scale.
Bennington is on a mission not only to enhance PCL Construction’s leading quality program but also to set standards and improve processes for clients throughout the industry.
Bennington began his career with PCL in 2005 after graduating from Ohio State University with a degree in construction management. Hired as a field engineer, he rose through the ranks and gained experience working for aviation, hospitality, entertainment and industrial clients. During this time, his appreciation grew for the unique quality needs of clients in various market sectors.
While his early career was spent in the field, Bennington was eventually promoted to virtual design and construction manager. Working in these very different roles has contributed to his current success as national quality manager. With a passion for innovation and technology, he ensures PCL is utilizing cutting-edge technology that enables project teams to be more efficient and reduce rework. His field experience enables him to relate to and communicate new technologies to project teams.
With his solution-provider mindset, Bennington focuses on enhancing operational excellence and is responsible for leading the implementation of PCL’s quality management program, sharing best practices, and discovering new ways to improve the execution of projects.
As a two-time recipient of the company’s internal Innovation Award, he is continually seeking ways to deliver construction work and services more effectively and efficiently. “PCL works to provide a consistent, high-quality project for our clients, and the quality process is no different,” says Bennington.
Working with project teams is the most rewarding part of Bennington’s position. “As a 100% employee-owned company, there’s a culture of ownership and sense of shared success. Our teams are continually finding ways to better deliver projects and share lessons learned throughout the company. They are dedicated, caring and committed to doing things right, or as we say at PCL, ‘build it right, build it once’.”
Much of his time is dedicated to the front end of projects, helping teams identify potential quality risks and develop mitigation plans. He facilitates owner expectation meetings where clients have an opportunity to communicate their needs and expectations regarding quality.
Traveling the country, Bennington performs assessments to ensure that PCL’s quality program is being properly implemented. Assessing several projects from each office throughout the year allows him to ensure a consistent product and experience for clients and subcontractors. “PCL has repeat clients that build throughout North America. Knowing they can depend on the same level of quality and a smooth process regardless of where they build is key to their success and ours,” says Bennington.
Bennington serves as president of the Construction Quality Executives Council (CQEC), an organization focused on improving quality in the industry. The council is comprised of quality executives from 50 forward-thinking companies representing over $80 billion worth of work annually.
Dedicated to improving quality throughout the industry, Bennington regularly shares his insights at conferences and speaking engagements throughout North America for organizations including Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA), Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), Autodesk University, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), Building Transformations, and the Advancing Construction Quality conference.
With Bennington’s help, project teams better deliver a quality product which reduces rework, maintains the schedule, boosts morale, and benefits our clients and the industry alike.