At Toronto Zenith, we understand infrastructure. For over 60 years, our company has been building better pathways to connect you to what matters most. Toronto Zenith is a seasoned General Contractor with decades of experience in major infrastructure work. Learn more about our history and brand. https://www.torontozenith.com/

2. Toronto Zenith was started by Vito Paganelli, a young man who left Rome, Italy after the Second World War and
immigrated to Toronto, Canada. Full of hope and a burning desire to succeed, Vito moved his entire family to start
a new life in a new country. Upon his arrival, Vito immediately fell in love with Toronto and saw the potential to be
a builder in a young city that was growing. In 1959, Vito started a new construction business, and because he was
so proud of his new city and all its potential, he named his company Toronto Zenith – with the word “Zenith”
meaning the pinnacle or the best. The company started out in the concrete floor and drain business and then
eventually specialized in residential concrete forming. Vito worked hard and believed that his handshake signified
his word and contract.
As the City of Toronto grew, Toronto Zenith continued to evolve through the 70’s and 80’s. It was during this
period that Vito’s son, Raphael (Ralph) Paganelli, purchased his father’s company and developed a reputation as a
highly respected structural concrete expert. Ralph, a Professional Engineer, always stressed hard work, innovation,
and ethics as he built concrete foundations, bridge structures, culverts and concrete reservoirs throughout the
Greater Toronto Area. As the city expanded, so did Toronto Zenith’s reputation and portfolio of projects.
History: The Toronto Zenith Story – Since 1959

3. In the late 80’s, Aldo Paganelli (Ralph’s son) joined Toronto Zenith and then eventually purchased the company in
2002. At the time of the purchase, Tim Follwell (an estimator at Toronto Zenith), accepted an offer to join as an
executive and minority partner to help execute Aldo’s vision for the next evolution of Toronto Zenith. The plan was
to move the company away from its beginnings as a small family run subcontractor towards a growth-oriented
Heavy Civil General Contractor. This newly imagined company, focused on the future but proud of its past, was
now ready to tackle Canada’s growing infrastructure deficit.
Toronto Zenith has grown and evolved significantly as an organization since it started on this new path in 2002.
The company has expanded its footprint throughout Ontario and built a strong balance sheet by re-investing
retained earnings and injecting new capital from outside the company. To prepare for future growth and
expansion, Toronto Zenith has also changed its organizational structure by adding a Board of Directors and a new
executive level of management.
History: The Toronto Zenith Story – Since 1959

4. Toronto Zenith’s executive management team now includes the following individuals:
Brian joined Toronto Zenith in 2010 after a career at the Ministry of Transportation and one of Canada’s largest
contracting firms. Asher was recruited as Director of Finance from Deloitte in 2014.
As an exciting future now enfolds for Toronto Zenith, we are committed to building a highly talented team, both
from within and outside the organization, to continue with our growth plans and to realize our true value as an
enterprise.
History: The Toronto Zenith Story – Since 1959

5. Our Word is Concrete: Our Brand
In 2006, Toronto Zenith registered a trademark for “Our Word Is Concrete” to symbolize our history, beliefs and
core values. After 60 years, the value that has spanned the decades is a belief in the importance placed on
integrity. The idea is that business is all about promises and commitment – Be it our spoken word, a handshake or
a complex legal contract.
At Toronto Zenith, we say what we’ll do, and we do what we say. That will always be our way.
With Toronto Zenith now set on its current growth path, the guiding principles that are embodied in our trademark
“Our Word Is Concrete” have become even more important. As the quantity, size and complexity of our projects
increase, so does the impact of the promises we make.

6. Presidentand
CEO
Board of
Directors
Chief Estimator
Estimating
Department
SeniorVice President,
Operationsand Procurement
Vice President,
Construction
Vice President,
Finance
Accounting & Administration
Department
Construction
Managers
Project ManagementTeam
Includes Project Managers, Superintendants,
and Project/Field Coordinators
UnionizedSeasonal Workforce
Includes Foremen, Construction Crews and
Operators
Construction
Manager, Safety
The Enterprise is the
People: Organizational
Structure 2019