The founding of P&R Desjardins Construction Inc.

Born from a family of builders, Louis-Pacifique and Raymond-Marie Desjardins, two engineers at the beginning of their careers start up P&R Desjardins Construction Inc. in 1960. Hopes are high at the dawn of the Quiet Revolution.

Building a reputation

These new beginnings bring them to touch on a bit of everything in construction from residential, commercial and industrial renovations, to new constructions, expansions and the construction of entirely new buildings. They quickly recognize a promising niche in interior fittings in both commercial and institutional sectors.

With the arrival of Expo 67 in Montreal, it is a perfect time to attract attention. This is when they accomplish many notable projects in the Reine Élizabeth Hotel and Place Ville-Marie.

Menuiseries Mont-Royal Inc. is founded

For interiors, one of the most daunting aspects for a builder is the architectural woodworking and more specifically, wooden door frames that each architect or designer sees differently from one project to the next.

In 1974, they entrust the task of founding Menuiseries Mont-Royal Inc. to their associates, Gilles Desjardins and Jules Brizard. By doing so, they seek to attract “veterans in the craft” who had an eye for the industry’s culture. They have two main requirements for this team: a superior quality product and a timely delivery.

The Centre for Canadian Architecture

P&R Desjardins and MMR are given the ensemble of interior construction work, including the woodworking, of the Centre for Canadian Architecture’s new building. This is the ultimate recognition, placing them amongst the first in their ranks.

Marc Desjardins LL.L. takes over as President

It’s time for the changing of the guard. Marc Desjardins LL.L., along with a group of senior employees of the company, take the founders’ lead.

McCarthy Tétrault Avocats

P&R Desjardins obtains the contract to develop the new offices of the leader in the business and legal community in Canada. 150,000 square feet of offices on 7 floors, a complete floor dedicated to the reception and conference center. In addition to state-of-the-art teleconferencing equipment, the conference center features 25 multifunctional meeting rooms, private lounges and a trial simulation room. When the 150 lawyers and 200 staff members moved in, it was considered to be the largest office move since Caisse de dépôt and Placement du Canada.

Technological shift

MMR begins their technological shift by acquiring their first machining center (CNC).

Marc-Antoine Desjardins becomes CEO

Marc-Antoine Desjardins, equipped with a B. Arch, Msc A, is given the title of CEO, having just completed the construction of one of the largest legal firms in Montreal.

New state-of-the-art headquarters

The ensemble of the group’s offices and workshops is expropriated and everything has to be rebuilt in a new location. With the collaboration of the entire team, four months from the time the land was acquired to the move to 1777 Bégin in Ville Saint-Laurent, P&R Desjardins and MMR equip themselves with state of the art installations.

Teknion – The first platinum LEED commercial interiors project in Quebec

P&R Desjardins take on the construction of the first platinum level LEED certified project in Quebec for commercial interiors—the showroom of Montreal-based office furniture manufacturer, Teknion. In 2021, Teknion would once again entrust P&R Desjardins for its new location in Deloitte tower.

Renewal

P&R and MMR entrust Scott Roberts of Studio Helm, a talented, young designer, with the mission of reviewing their position in the market, and creating a forward-looking brand.

We surpass ourselves / Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

P&R and MMR embark on the largest project in their history: more than 166,000 sq feet completed in fives phases over three years.

Wind in the sails

P&R builds more than 1,000,000 sq feet in the Greater Montreal area. Among them : The Canadian headquarters of WSP (7 floors of 1600 René-Lévesque West); Great West Life (4 floors of 1350 René-Lévesque West); BDC (7 floors of 5 Place Ville-Marie); temporary campus for Sid Lee (2 floors of 1 Place Ville-Marie); State Street (1 floor of 1981 McGill College); Analysis Group (2 floors of the Deloitte Tower); and Publicis (2 floors of 358 Beaubien West).

At the cutting edge of technology

MMR continues to improve their advanced tooling with the acquisition of a 5-axis CNC machining center, allowing for even greater precision and flexibility.

The great confinement

During the break demanded by the public authorities, and with the help of teleworking, P&R finalize their management proposal to obtain a second major mandate from McCarthy Tétrault lawyers, consisting of the complete renovation of what was our great challenge in 2005.

The future

60 years is a significant milestone, but we must now take care of tomorrow! The next generation has arrived, full of new ideas. We will continue to tackle each project with innovation, while continuing to respect our traditions of collaboration and accessibility. That is what has always made us “the favorite” in our industry.