CGC Wheatland: Delivering an Advanced Manufacturing Facility at Scale

Our One Ledcor team recently completed CGC Wheatland in Alberta, one of the most advanced wallboard manufacturing plants in Canada. Built on a 215-acre greenfield site, the facility combines raw material processing, board production, and storage systems that support continuous 24-hour operations.

Our project teams worked under a coordinated execution plan, aligning civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and process elements to enable seamless integration between building infrastructure and the specialized manufacturing systems.

Organized Planning for Complex Operations

During preconstruction, Ledcor partnered closely with USG to optimize site layout and production flow across multiple interconnected buildings, producing a strategy focused on constructability and operational efficiency. Long-lead materials—including structural steel and critical process equipment—were identified early and incorporated into the master schedule, reducing supply chain risk and helping maintain project momentum.

Site Development and Supporting Infrastructure

A broad range of civil works was completed through parallel workstreams to keep the large project on schedule. This included construction of new rail infrastructure connecting directly to the CPKC main line, which was carefully sequenced alongside major building works. Additionally, off-site utility tie-ins and roadway upgrades required collaboration with multiple stakeholders, enabling safe execution while minimizing disruption to surrounding infrastructure.

Building Construction

The 220,000 square foot primary manufacturing building was constructed using components selected for durability and long-term performance. Structural steel erection, foundation placement, and early mechanical works were sequenced to maintain access for major equipment deliveries.

Early enclosure of the building protected sensitive equipment and allowed work to continue through winter conditions, preserving productivity and schedule.

Additionally, a rail loadout building was constructed to support raw material intake and connects via a conveyor system to a separate 50,000-square-foot fabric storage and handling building.

Equipment Integration

A crucial aspect of the project was the inclusion of owner-supplied process equipment. Approximately 300 sea containers of specialized equipment were delivered from overseas and assembled on site. This included a large dryer kiln with over 4,000 rollers and six high-capacity fans ducted to a heat exchanger. The team also installed a calcining mill, supported by an extensive network of conveyors, crushers, cooling equipment, chutes, and approximately two kilometres of piping.

Incorporating these systems into the building structure required alignment across disciplines for performance and commissioning readiness.

Embedded Sustainability

The plant was designed to be as efficient as possible. An on-site solar field generates clean electricity, while the high-efficiency kiln captures and recirculates water from the production process. Manufacturing by-products are also recycled back into operations, supporting near-zero waste.

Delivering a New Standard

CGC Wheatland demonstrates the value of a unified approach to industrial development, where planning, construction, and equipment integration are aligned to deliver a facility that is ready to perform from day one.