Brandon Bird

Brandon Bird knew he would need a solid foundation of skills before he could take over his family’s third-generation plumbing and heating company. While working there part time since 2002 in various roles, he registered for college and completed his Level 3 Plumber Apprentice Certificate in 2012 to prepare himself for future leadership.

As a licensed Red Seal plumber, Brandon worked his way up the ranks, always looking for ways to grow the business. This included overseeing the acquisition and amalgamation of John McKenzie Plumbing with Bird Mechanical Ltd. in 2014, allowing the company to offer more services and expand into new markets. In 2016, at just 28 years old, Brandon became the youngest CEO in the company’s history.

Today, he manages a team of 200 people, including 135 tradespeople. Under his guidance, the business has doubled its annual sales revenue to $56.4 million thanks to his new approaches to service, including the acquisition of R.G. MacDuff Contracting Ltd. in 2018, a civil contracting firm.

As CEO, Brandon oversees projects ranging from $5,000 to $20 million. Clients include Cape Breton Regional Health Centre, Queen’s University, Dalhousie University, Infrastructure Ontario and Cadillac Fairview.

In 2018, Brandon spearheaded the opening of Bird Mechanical’s Atlantic office in Halifax, Nova Scotia, adding 25 employees and expanding operations outside Ontario for the first time.

In 2021 Brandon also acquired a 50 per cent stake in Tin Knockers Custom Ltd., with an agreement to acquire the remaining shares over time. This further expanded his in-house trades to include sheet metal, CWB certified welders, structural steel and metal fabrication.