Our History

James Francis Burns starts a concrete and excavation business in Calgary, Alberta. The new company uses work horses, hand shovels and a four wheeled dump wagon.

Mechanization arrives in the form of a truck that could haul gravel and tow a mixer to job sites.

14 year old J.F. Burns begins working full-time for his father. His duties eventually put him in charge of the crew, estimating, supervision and fee collection.

Jim Burns II receives a permit to excavate gravel from the Bow River and begins a new venture: J.F. Burns Sand & Gravel.

Jim Burns II purchases the business from his father and sets up the companies first office in Calgary.

Jim Burns II expands his operations by purchasing and opening up the new Manchester gravel pit.

Innovation continues with development of Western Canada’s first central mix plant: True Mix Concrete.

Asphalt operations begin with the creation of Pioneer paving.

Jim Burns II and partners form Southside Concrete Mix Ltd. At age 20, Jim Burns III becomes General Manager of J.F. Burns Sand & Gravel.

Joint ventures fuel growth with Carburn Aggregate and Enterprise Trucking & Loading.

On May 15th the company began a 24 day continual pour of concrete to build the Calgary Tower.

Five companies are amalgamated to form BURNCO Industries Ltd.

Jim Burns III purchases the remaining interests in BURNCO Industries Ltd. Growth continues with the acquisition of Pickering Rock Products and the creation of BURNCO Rock Products. The company expands within Alberta to Red Deer, Okotoks, Airdrie, Medicine Hat, Cochrane, and Lethbridge.

BURNCO moves out of Asphalt application and focuses on growing the asphalt supply side of the business.

Scott Burns begins his full-time career in the business, representing the 4th generation of family management at BURNCO.

BURNCO enters the retail market supplying do-it-yourself packaged products and landscaping materials for customers.

BURNCO begins operations in Edmonton, AB. Scott Burns leads the company into new opportunities with the purchase of precast concrete supplier, Key Concrete Ltd.

BURNCO expands its Alberta operations to include; Edmonton Centres, Leduc, Acheson, Ft. Saskatchewan, Calgary West and Ft. McMurray

A sister firm, Tricycle Lane is created and BURNCO begins to conduct its own real estate operations.

BURNCO operations commence in British Columbia, operating in the Metro Vancouver area, as well as the Okanagan and Shuswap Districts.

Scott Burns completes the purchase of BURNCO and continues to evolve the company, divesting the precast and packaging businesses while expanding into the aggregate business in BC as well as the purchase of Landscape Depot in the lower mainland.

BURNCO expands the ready mix business with the acquisition of Four Star Concrete and Construction.

BURNCO celebrates its 100th Anniversary on June 21, 2012. BURNCO creates an advisory board.

April 30, BURNCO purchases Taylor Bros. Concrete in Saskatoon, SK. BURNCO becomes international with BURNCO Texas LLC.

BURNCO is active on the Forrest Kerr Project in northwest B.C. The world’s largest run-of-the-river power project.

BURNCO Texas, Project Shoreline and the Rainbow Sand operation both commence.

Feb. 17, BURNCO purchases Bestway Concrete in Colorado. October, BURNCO re-organizes to address a changed market.

Oct. 4, Grand Opening of Project Shoreline. November, Oracle Cloud ERP and Project Bedrock go-live.

July 21, Tom Zais joins BURNCO as Chief Executive Officer.

April 22, BURNCO Moves into a new Head-Office in Calgary, AB.

June, BURNCO acquires Action Ready Mix, expanding the Colorado operation to the south including South Colorado Springs and Pueblo.

May 9, 2024, BURNCO acquires Hammerstone limestone quarry in Northern Alberta.

June 21, 2025, BURNCO celebrates its 113th Anniversary.