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Who we are

We are a company of over 200 strong comprised of multisector teams spanning real estate investment, environmental remediation, design, construction, and business development.

Valuing and investing in people—both internally and externally—is the foundation we work from.

Our real success is deeply rooted in people—the employees we work with, the communities we serve, and the stakeholders we engage.

Our people drive operations with their skills, dedication, and values that directly influence our trajectory.

They embody our mission, and their growth and wellbeing directly impact our progress. In parallel, the communities we work with bring insight, feedback and support that guide our organization’s purpose and ensure alignment with local needs.

Our Team

Leadership

Paul Veldman
Partner, Chief Executive Officer

John Veldman
Partner, Chief Operating Officer

Justus Veldman
Partner, Market Development

Corporate Development

Jason Collins
Corporate Development Officer

Sarina Ryan
Executive Administrator

Finance & Admin

Faith Heide
Finance Manager

Harlene Veldman
Accounting Manager

Sheri Philp
Senior Accountant

Jono Irwin
Financial Controller

James van den Brink
Director of Finance

Jan Mol
Financial Administrator

Janet Dunlop
Financial Administrator

Mary Braun
Financial Administrator

Franca Herbert
Financial Administrator

Sean Lindsay
Accountant

Mo Mouneimne
Analyst

Emma Zekveld
Administrative Assistant

Annalise Rittau
Administrative Assistant

Mergers & Acquisitions

Tom Waters
Director of Finance

Al Goodman
Asset Acquisition Advisor

Health & Safety and HR

Lee Lawrence
Director of Health & Safety and HR

Systems & I.T.

Mike West
I.T. and Networking

Marketing & Communications

Martti Lemieux
Director of Design & Communications

Olga Patronik
Executive Project Coordinator

Melissa Theoret
Integrated Design Lead

Mona Clements
Graphic Designer

Aaron McFerran
Media Production

Brent Swance
Media Production & Coordination

Environmental

Giancarlo Bortolon
Environmental Coordinator

Hospitality

Gillian Fraser
Hospitality Manager

Special Projects

Gurinder Girn
Executive Project Advisor

Emmanuel Polman
Vice President, Port Growth

Peter Whitby
JV General Manager

Darrin Spence
Indigenous Relations Advisor

Residential & Commercial Construction

Sarah Reynolds
Project Manager

Corey Durst
Sites Superintendent

Brayden Frey
Site Supervisor

Pre-Construction / Project Development

Hanna Domagala
Director of Land Development & Design

Residential Rentals

Erica Patenaude
Project Coordinator & Customer Relations

Sandra Warner
Site Supervisor

BMI Industrial

Richard King
General Manager

Jeremy Bullen
Engineering Manager

Casey Baker
Operations Manager

Mark Schmidt
Project Manager

Steve Gallan
Site Superintendent

Samantha Cameron
Special Projects Coordinator

Ed Veldman
Civil Foreman

Blake Stubbs
Civil Lead Hand

Sydney Thomasen
Assistant Operations Coordinator

Nathaniel LaFontaine
Civil Labourer

Nick Jones
Mechanical Labourer

Adam Bell
Mechanical Labourer

U.S. Operations

Justin Thomson
Construction Manager

Mark Bessette
Operations, Sales & Marketing Consultant

Ken Wood
Team & Sales Leader

David K. Horr
Site Security

Jamis Wolfe
ETP and Mechanical

Joe Helton
Electrical

Northern Operations

Mitch Lepage
Director of Operations

Kaitlin Koteles
Operations Manager

Jesse Oatman
Site Supervisor

Mike Koteles
Project Lead (Grounds)

Dave Boutin
Project Lead (Buildings)

Chris Greenstead
Project Manager

Jennifer Cadeau
Bridge Administrator

Shelley Jessup
Bridge Supervisor

Dean Koski
Site Supervisor

Warren Thompson
Crew Leader

Dirk Crans
Labourer

Joe Maki
Labourer

Tony Hohmeyer
Labourer

Niagara Operations

David Deleeuw
Director of Operations

Donato Risi
Site Supervisor

Joost van Campen
Project Manager

Fred Parsons
I.T. Manager

Diego Bannos
Labour Supervisor

James Krieger
Labourer

Red Rock Developments

Peter Dey
Construction Manager

Emily Crack
Office Administrator

South-Western Operations

Bert van Ittersum
Labourer

Our Approach

Betterment Mobilization Impact Betterment Mobilization Impact Betterment Mobilization Impact Betterment Mobilization Impact

Our Mission

Betterment

Betterment reflects our commitment to shared gains through the creation of community, economic, and environmental value.

Our mission is to reimagine, repurpose, and revitalize the built environment as an investment in people and place.

Our Vision

Mobilization

Our vision is to accelerate the transition of linear economies to circular economies that advance community and environmental well-being.

Mobilization represents our active efforts to reimagine legacy infrastructure and real estate.

Our Values

Impact

Impact emphasizes the positive outcomes and lasting change that we create through the values we hold.

  • Rebuild
  • Revitalize
  • Create jobs
  • Connect communities
  • Environmental stewardship

Our Background

It started with three brothers and a truck.

Based in Tillsonburg Ontario, The BMI Group grew out of the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market with a truck, two wheelbarrows and three brothers growing and selling potted plants. This small 2001 enterprise grew into Courtland Professional Property Management (CPPM), now one of the largest property management companies in Southwestern Ontario.

It was through a CPPM contract with Toyota to manage the recycling of scrap metals that the Veldman brothers entered the resource recovery market and subsequent purchase of their first retired paper mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Today the BMI Group is the largest holder of end-of-use paper mills in Ontario with industrial infrastructure properties in Iroquois Falls, Fort Frances, the Niagara region, Sault Ste. Marie, and Red Rock Ontario.

History

2001

BMI Beginnings

John, Justus, and Paul Veldman begin a small business at the St. Jacobs Farmers Market near Waterloo, ON.

2012

St. Mary’s Paper, Sault Ste. Marie

BMI acquires St. Mary’s Paper, their first mill, in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

2014

Norampac Mill, Red Rock

BMI acquires their second mill, Norampac in Red Rock, ON.

2014

Entrepreneur of the Year

Justus Veldman wins the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his revitalization efforts and vision for Sault Ste. Marie.

2015

Premier's Award

Justus Veldman wins Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, for the Mill Market farmers market in Sault Ste. Marie.

2016

Resolute Paper Mill, Iroquois Falls

BMI acquires their third mill. Resolute Paper in Iroquois Falls, ON.

2017

Bradshaw Lofts, Stratford

BMI acquires Bradshaw Lofts from the Bradshaw family in Stratford, ON.

2017

Perth County Inn

BMI launches their first hospitality project at the Perth County Inn, Stratford, ON.

2018

Resolute Paper Mill, Fort Frances

BMI acquires their fourth mill, Resolute Paper in Fort Frances, ON.

2021

James Anderson Award

Paul Veldman wins the James Anderson Award for preserving Stratford’s Built Heritage with the Bradshaw Lofts.

2021

Bioveld 1

BMI acquires their fifth mill in Thorold, ON and opens as Bioveld, a cleantech industrial hub.

2021

International Bridge, Fort Frances

BMI acquires their first bridge in Fort Frances, ON.

2022

Lot 44

BMI acquires and renovates Lot 44, a mixed commercial/residential space in Stratford, ON.

2022

Knox Church

BMI acquires Knox Church in Stratford and launches it as Copperlight, an event and performance venue.

2023

Builders Block

BMI closes on the historic Krug Furniture Factory in Stratford with plans to convert it into residential neighbourhood, Builders Block.

2024

Queens Inn & Boarshead Pub

BMI acquires the historic Queens Inn and adjacent Boarshead Pub in Stratford, ON.

2024

Brownie Award

BMI wins Brownie Award for its work at the Thorold Multimodal Hub, recognized for its successful reimagining of a legacy industrial site for modern industrial uses.

2024

Quebec Lodge

BMI acquires the Quebec Lodge in Red Rock, ON and launches it as The Lodge at Red Rock, a rustic luxury hunting and fishing lodge.

2024

Finalist of Niagara Business Awards

BMI is a finalist in the Niagara Business Achievement Awards for it’s continued environmental remediation work in Thorold, ON.

2024

Asahi Kasei, Port Colborne

Asahi Kasei acquires 200 acres of BMI’s Port Colborne lands to build a $1.6B lithium-ion battery separator plant.

Where to Find Us

Red Rock

  • Critical Mineral and Materials Corridor Initiative, Multimodal
  • The Lodge at Red Rock Hospitality
  • Red Rock Mill Development Industrial, Infrastructure
  • Building for Better Red Rock Residential

Tillsonburg

  • BMI Industrial Venture
  • Station District Commercial, Residential
  • Samen Investeren & Business EQ Partnership
  • O'Clay Foods Venture
  • Courtland Landscaping Venture
  • Courtland Logistics Venture
  • Velox Wireless Venture
  • Royal Bull Mint Venture

Stratford

  • Queens Cue & Boarshead Pub Hospitality
  • Building for Better Stratford Commercial, Residential, Hospitality
  • Hillside Homes Residential
  • Builders Block Residential
  • Bradshaw Towns Residential
  • The Bradshaw Lofts Hospitality, Residential
  • Mornington Flats Residential
  • Lot 44 Commercial, Residential, Hospitality
  • Copperlight Venture

Port Huron, Michigan

  • Port Huron Multimodal Hub Multimodal, Industrial

Fort Frances

  • Aazhogan Partnership, Venture, Infrastructure
  • The Fort Industrial, Residential, Commercial

Thorold-Niagara

  • Niagara Port Services Venture, Multimodal
  • Niagara Ports Partnership, Venture
  • Bioveld Energy Ventures Venture
  • Bioveld Industrial, Multimodal, Infrastructure

Iroquois Falls

  • Abitibi Trestle Bridge Infrastructure
  • Abitibi Connex Infrastructure, Industrial, Multimodal

Sault Ste. Marie

  • Mill One Hospitality

Port Colborne

  • 140 Industrial Lands Industrial

Invest in better

Working Together

We’re ambitious in what we do and adaptive in how we work.

Get in touch