Born in Sora, Italy, south of Rome, the three DeGasperis brothers—Alfredo (Fred), Angelo and Antonio (Tony)—today run Con-Drain Company Limited, a prominent Ontario sewer and watermain contractor having its head office in Concord, Ontario, on the outskirts of Toronto. With combined sales in excess of $250 million and employing over 500 people, the company has come a long way from its humble origins.

Fred, the first of the three brothers to arrive in Canada came in 1952 at the age of eighteen, and spent two years as a labourer and truck driver in a lumber yard. In 1954, with his brother Angelo's arrival in Canada, they started what is now known as Con-Drain with a used pick-up truck, a shovel and a wheelbarrow. Upon his arrival from Italy in 1960, Tony joined his two brothers and they guided the company through a period of steady growth. The quantum leap came in the late 60's where, on the western fringe of Toronto, Cadillac Fairview were developing their award winning new community of Erin Mills. Successfully negotiating the responsibility of prime contractor, Con-Drain installed all the storm and sanitary sewers, curbs and roads in the development.

Always receptive to new ideas and products, the company was one of the first to replace the old cable operated backhoes with the new generation of hydraulically powered machines that allowed greater flexibility and versatility.
 

1. "The DeGasperis Brothers" From left to right: Antonio (Tony), Alfredo (Fred) and Angelo. 2 The First Step in Building a City. Men and Machines at Work Installing a Main Sewer Line.

Keeping in step with the construction boom which Ontario enjoyed over the past decade has not only ensured Con-Drain continued growth but has allowed for the successful diversification of the company's interests in other forms of construction: formation of Metrus Industrial Parks Limited in 1972 to design, construct and manage industrial and commercial buildings; Con-Elco Ltd. in 1978 to specialize in the installation of underground electrical, telephone and street lighting systems; Con-Strada Construction Inc. in 1981 as a subcontractor to construct roads, curbs and sidewalks, and in the same year Metrus Management-Land Development to act as project managers in developing land from a raw state through to a serviced subdivision.

The success gained over the past 35 years came not merely by hard work, but by having a team of dedicated employees with the experience and confidence to tackle any project, no matter the size and complexity. Con-Drain is proud of their people and the success that they have achieved. Equally, Con-Drain is confident that its people and machines can perform with their usual competence and capability in all parts of the world.