CJ D’Intino Engineering/Project Management Services Inc.

Carmen D'Intino is known for telling his clients the truth. "It's not always what they want to hear, but it's always truthful," says the President of C.J. D'Intino Engineering/Project Management Services Incorporated. "What an owner expects of an agent or a representative is that they relay as accurately as possible how the project is going."

 
His clients, which include Stora, Zutphen Contractors, Sable Offshore Energy, and Allsteel Coatings appreciate his candour – and spread the word. In fact, his company, in business since 1993, has never had to do any advertising. "That's basically where all of our business comes from - people contact us because they've heard from another owner that things went well."
 
D'Intino is proud of the fact that he's been able to do business in the place he calls home – Port Hastings, Cape Breton – and that he hasn't had to move out west to make a living. The professional engineer reports that his company has shown slow but steady growth over the last 15 years.
 
This growth is due to D'Intino's own initiative and willingness to try new things. Rather than sticking with straight engineering consulting, D'Intino branched out into project management and is now set to expand the business to include the preparation and evaluation of contractors' claims for extra work and delay.
 
The company's main mission is to provide engineering and project management solutions to owners and developers embarking upon capital projects. "The earlier we can start, the better," says D'Intino. "Ideally, we'd be with the project in its infancy so we can have the maximum effect on the planning process." This means that D'Intino and his colleagues would be able to bring their experience to the selection of the site and also manage the complete engineering and construction procurement process.
 
"We use our experience on other projects to help the owners achieve their vision," he says. "In many cases, the owners build so infrequently that they don't have a good appreciation of the process of project management. Because they don't do this everyday, then it's smart to hire somebody." D'Intino says that for many years, architects filled that role as the primary consultants. In recent years though, the idea of hiring a project manager has become recognized as a critical part of the success of the project.
One of D'Intino's most successful project management ventures to date has been the new $25 million Sciences Centre at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. D'Intino oversaw the design and construction of the four-storey, 104,000 square feet building that houses classrooms and research labs for the departments of chemistry, earth sciences, engineering, and physics.
"It's probably one of the most technologically up-to-date buildings in Nova Scotia," says D'Intino. "It's designed to support the contribution St. FX researchers are making to scientific discovery in Canada. From life safety systems to the high technology point of view, we went to great lengths to satisfy the needs of the users."
Other high profile projects have included the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, Stora's PM2 Project, and the state of the art Melford International Container Terminal, to be located on the Strait of the Canso.
 
"Our strongest asset is the experience that we bring to the table, our knowledge of the industry, and our friendships with colleagues," says D'Intino. "We believe in relationships. If we don't know the answer to a problem or a question, we certainly know someone who does and we can pick up the phone and find a solution." 
 
His thirty years of experience has mostly been in the northeastern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton market and D'Intino wouldn't want to work anywhere else. "This region, and Nova Scotia in general, have a lot of things to offer in terms of resources, location, and quality of life. It is an absolutely beautiful place to live if you've got a rewarding career. I'm lucky enough to have that and I'm sure other people could have it too."
 
D'Intino contends that there is still untapped potential in the region that may be solved by addressing infrastructure challenges, such as the availability of high speed internet. He would also like to see more development of the people resources in the region. "It's such a great place to live and work. People need to get the word out better. Most of the business owners here are highly educated and they recognize good value when they see it. I think that speaks well for the future."
 
D'Intino is also hopeful that Nova Scotia is beginning to hold onto its young people. "We've always had really good, well educated youth that have travelled off to find their fortune somewhere else. More and more, they are staying closer to home and that can only result in steady growth in this area in the future."