1967
Tony DeFord signs on to work for Ed Federation Transport
1968
The business is renamed to Federation & DeFord
1970
Tony DeFord buys Ed Federation Transport and becomes the sole owner of the company, operating out of his home
1970s
DeFord is involved in the development of the first phase of the new suburban community of Mill Woods
1974
The company moves to its new office at 110th Avenue and 164th Street
1975
DeFord's involvement in the North Town Centre (North Town Mall) development laid the groundwork for long-term success
1980s
DeFord receives a contract to excavate the site for West Edmonton Mall
DeFord digs out the route for Edmonton Transit's LRT line through downtown
1990
DeFord becomes involved in much larger projects, including the downtown Grant MacEwan University campus
1999
DeFord Contracting begins doing Paving work
2005
The River Cree Resort and Casino is erected on a site prepared by DeFord Contracting, securing major road and interchange work realigning 79 ave, Winterburn Road and the entrance to River Cree.
2006
Procurement of work and larger-scale jobs drives the need to increase the capacity of the Base works and Paving divisions. New paving, motor graders, loaders and compaction equipment are purchased.
Invitation from Caterpillar Inc. to tour their factory in Peoria, Illinois, where DeFord's new paver is being built. This includes a photo opportunity to sign the new paver as it rolls off the assembly line.
2007
DeFord Contracting Inc. celebrates 40 years in business, employing over 200 people and being recognized as a leader in the industry.
DeFord completes a heavy earthworks upgrade to better support their Excavation division.
Larger-scale projects and client relationships continue to blossom.
2009
Completed a major highway interchange project that realigned the City of Edmonton's Cloverbar landfill and Anthony Henday access.
2011
Secured major subdivision work with Qualico, building the Sienna community of Fort Saskatchewan.
2012
DeFord celebrates its 45th anniversary. Their reputation drives even more Paving growth, including the purchase of two new Caterpillar AP1055 pavers.
1 MILLION TONNES of asphalt are successfully placed by DeFord Contracting! That's about the same weight as FOURTY STATUES OF LIBERTY!
2013
A major expansion of DeFord's facilities, including major yard upgrades, commences. This work sees their office growing to over 20,000 sq ft, with the work concluding in 2014.
2016
Edmonton is recognized as one of the hardest-working cities. DeFord is featured as one of the hardest-working companies.
2017
DeFord turns half a century old!
2018
DeFord establishes its Concrete division, securing its effectiveness as a general contractor.
A major step in upgrading DeFord's tech utilization: adding GPS tracking to the sprawling fleet of equipment and vehicles.
2019
Completion of the internal DeFord Contracting app. iPads are acquired for all order procurement and company tasks.
2020
All hiring, tracking, time capture, ordering, stock levels and workforce notifications are moved to electronic platforms.
2021
DeFord's growth continues, despite the challenging economic times. This is due in part to its flexibility, workforce, equipment and wide variety of services.
The Concrete division doubles in capacity since its inception a mere three years prior.
One of the busiest construction seasons for DeFord concludes, doubling many of the previous years' production values. This is attributed mostly to their skilled workforce and the pride they all take in being an industry leader.
2022
DeFord celebrates 55 years of building a foundation of trust for the places where over a million people live, work and play.
