Navacord Partners > Petrela Winter > About > Our History

Our History

Petrela, Winter & Associates was founded in 1979 by Herbert Petrela, who began his career as a surety underwriter with Chubb, in New York City, and moved on to become the head of bonding of The Guarantee Company of North America, the oldest Surety in Canada, and to this day one of the largest.

Most contractors dealt with generalist insurance brokers for their bonding, usually by default, since the same broker handled the contractor’s insurances and there were precious few brokerages with any surety expertise. Mr. Petrela recognized the value in having a qualified bond broker manage a contractor’s bonding affairs, and it was on this premise that he formed Petrela Winter.

Greg Petrela, Chairman, joined the firm in 1994, and expanded Petrela Winter’s services to incorporate insurance and risk management for contractors and developers. The firm has grown steadily under Greg’s leadership, while remaining true to its founding principle – maintaining an exclusive dedication to the construction and development communities.

Roy Ferreira, President & CEO, joined Petrela Winter in 2004, marking a notable chapter in the firm’s evolution and growth.

Petrela Winter joined the Navacord Group in 2015, to form one of the largest construction practices in the Canadian brokerage industry.

In 2017, long-time employees and seasoned bond advisors, Collingwood Brown, Chris Curry and Tim Gorman, joined the ownership group as Partners.

Petrela, Winter & Associates is the leading privately owned bond and construction insurance broker in Canada, and has earned the reputation as the broker of choice amongst informed contractors and developers.

Testimonials

PWA and the Univex Group of Companies have worked together and supported each other for many years, and the relationship is now well into the second generation of operations for both companies. PWA supports Univex in their Surety and Corporate as well as personal Insurance needs, but more importantly, PWA has been an important and trusted adviser and confidant for Univex as we navigate the ever changing construction industry.

PWA was a major influence over the Surety underwriters in the early days of the Design/Build form of delivery of projects, securing support for when two major P3 hospitals, each the largest to be constructed in one phase in Canada, were out for RFP at the same time.

Univex is extremely satisfied with the dealings that we have with PWA and are proud to call the group at PWA our friends.

—Michael Caletti, President, Univex Group of Companies

Frecon Construction has been a client of Petrela Winter for over 20 years, during which time I have come to view Petrela Winter not only as my surety and insurance broker, but as an advocate for my business. PWA has a breadth of business experience and their professionals are more than happy to provide guidance or even open doors with his other clients or even competitors to do what is best for my company. Petrela Winter is known as an industry leader in the surety industry but they have been much more to my business, they’ve been a partner.

—Dean Drevniok, Past Chair, OGCA & President, Frecon Construction Limited

Over the past 30 years, Pennecon has grown from regional roadbuilder to a leading national heavy civil and industrial contractor, with a vast array of private and public customers from coast to coast. Our projects are continually larger, technically challenging, and contractually complex, and so it is critical for our staff and business partners to be the most knowledgeable and progressive in the industry. Petrela, Winter & Associates’ team of highly skilled bonding professionals have assisted us in many ways, enabling our disciplined growth for over 20 years. Always up to the challenge, their credibility with the Surety community and their continuous support and guidance has been paramount to the success of our business.

—David Mitchell, P.ENG, CEO, Pennecon Limited

We have been with Petrela Winter and Associates for just over a year, and it has been a pleasure working with their Northern Ontario team. It was PWA’s extensive construction experience, their broad network of industry experts, and their consistently quick response time that encouraged us to make the change to their firm. I don’t imagine that maintaining a positive customer experience is an easy task in the insurance sector, but the PWA team make it happen at every stage, from simple COI requests to complicated claims and extensive renewals. I am grateful for the flawless transition to Petrela Winter and Associates, and I look forward to our ongoing relationship.

—Amanda Williams, VP Finance and Administration, Avery Construction

PWA is plugged into the construction industry and is at the forefront of the challenges we face each day. They have the ability to find solutions and make recommendations which are key to the operation of our business. Like Sherway, they are a recognized leader in their industry and we value their contribution as our company continues to grow and evolve. We would not hesitate to recommend Petrela, Winter & Associates to other construction companies that are interested in working with a group of professionals that truly understand their business and addresses their needs in a timely and professional manner.

—John Gawdunyk, President, Sherway Contracting (Windsor) Limited

Petrela, Winter & Associates have proven to be valued business partners to us for over 12 years. The construction business is full of opportunities and challenges, and we appreciate having specialists like PWA in our corner. While their competence and competitiveness in surety and construction insurance have been outstanding, it is their constant willingness to roll up their sleeves and offer their perspective, guidance, effort and assistance that makes them stand out. They are an invaluable part of our team, and contributor to our success. We highly recommend PWA.

—Raymondo Mollica, Sitting Chair, OGCA, & President, REMO General Contracting Ltd.

We are very proud to be associated with Petrela Winter for the last 13 years. Having Petrela Winter as our bonding experts, the company has grown steadily since. They have continuously supported us with our institutional contracts and have helped us to reach new heights in our business.

Our being in Ottawa-Gatineau and they’re being in Toronto has never been an obstacle, and we always feel they are on our side in every situation as required. Their expertise is extremely helpful in many aspects of our business. I like to think of Petrela Winter being more than our bonding experts, but as real partners!

—Raymond Brunet, Past Chair, CCA & President, Brunet & Associés Canada

As a leading National Construction Management and Development firm delivering custom and complex large scale projects for a discriminating client base, we have sophisticated risk management needs, and that’s why we have engaged Petrela Winter to be our surety and insurance advisors for the past 15+ years. PWA understands the construction business, and consistently finds innovative and pragmatic solutions to our evolving surety and insurance requirements. PWA is one of our trusted advisors and we consider them to be one of our important value-added partners. We recommend them without hesitation.

—Marco Mancini, Chairman, Urbacon

Black & McDonald is a recent client of Petrela Winter & Associates and made the switch to leverage PWA’s significant construction expertise and entrepreneurial mindset to provide responsive, practical and cost effective solutions for our growing business needs. The PWA team has been able to work seamlessly with our internal staff, who also appreciate the use of technology to automate numerous insurance and bonding requests and provide more visibility into our insurance and bonding programs. Thus far, we are very pleased with the transition and the level of service and value added insights we are obtaining.

Black & McDonald is a large multi trade construction company, operating across Canada, the United States and Bermuda. The company offers services across four product lines in construction, utilities, facilities management and technical services.

—Feaz Rahim, CFO, Black & McDonald Limited

PWA has been a valued member of our business team for many years. Their knowledgeable staff continues to provide consistent, timely and professional advice and service with respect to our surety bonding and business insurance needs. We would not hesitate to recommend PWA to others in the construction industry.

—Doug Newman, President, Newman Bros. Limited

The Cahill Group is a national contractor dealing with a wide variety of sophisticated clients with unique project security models and challenges, and PWA consistently has innovative solutions to these bonding/security issues. As a private construction company, PWA understands our entrepreneurial and unique approach to getting things done and finding the right solution that will work for both The Cahill Group and its clients. We absolutely view PWA as a partner. They offer immediate access to a wealth of experience and knowledge unparalleled in the industry.

—Dan Farrell, Chief Financial Officer, The Cahill Group

I wanted to pause a moment to send Petrela Winter a big thank you for the work you have done over the years. I carry a comfort level working with the Petrela Winter team over the past 15 years or so. Some years have required action and strategic thinking from Petrela Winter, and your team stepped up to the plate and rose to the challenge. PWA has become a deeper part of the brain trust for ZEC, and I am very proud to have them as part of my team, and thank you sincerely for the work that you have done.

—Johannes Ziebarth, President & CEO, Ziebarth Electrical Contractors Ltd.

Finn Way General Contractor is one of the largest general contracting organizations in Northwestern Ontario.

We made the decision to engage Petrela Winter as our bond and insurance broker partner to leverage their specialization in construction.

Their collaborative approach to problem solving, the knowledgeable and professional staff, and the dedication to customer service has been very well received throughout our organization.

We are very pleased with this partnership.

—Michael Karimi, P.Eng. Project Manager, Finn Way General Contractor

Over the 12 years that we’ve been with Petrela Winter as our bonding agent, Petrela Winter has always been a solid advocate for our firm. Due to PWA’s support, we’ve been able to expand our contracting business and to undertake larger and more complex projects. Petrela Winter has been proactive in obtaining the best rate for bonds available while maintaining strong relationships with bond providers.

We’ve found everyone we’ve worked with to be professional, knowledgeable, and personable. Kenalex is pleased to have this opportunity to express our complete satisfaction with the services of Petrela Winter and to highly recommend this firm.

—Sandy Graham, Past Chair, OGCA & President, Kenalex Construction Company Limited

We are thrilled with the service and relationship with Petrela, Winter & Associates. They understand and are plugged into the construction industry, and have done an excellent job in providing improved bonding terms, service and advice for the Salit Group of Companies across Canada, including seamless service and support of our growth and acquisition strategy. As Salit builds on its 115-year history of success, it’s important for us to maintain the very best internal and external team, and PWA is a key part of this team. We have and will continue to recommend Petrela, Winter & Associates to any business looking for a strong value-add broker partner and advocate.

—Wayne Gelb, Chief Financial Officer, Salit Steel & Salit Group of Companies

We have been represented by Petrela Winter for over 30 years, and we have and continue to receive the best terms in the industry for both bonding and insurance. Their dedication to the industry, knowledge base, and their understanding of the national market as a whole, sector by sector, and region by region has provided our firm with a significant competitive edge.

—Keith Dwyer, President, Easco Electric Limited

E.S. Fox Limited is a multi-trade fabricator and constructor specializing in the Industrial, Commercial, Institutional, and Nuclear industries. Servicing Ontario since 1934. For us, transitioning to a new surety and insurance partner was a major decision. We needed a firm that not only understood the complexities of our industry but also one that could provide expert guidance and a customized approach to our unique needs. Petrela Winter & Associates has exceeded our expectations.

From the moment we engaged with them, their team demonstrated a deep knowledge of construction and surety markets, while delivering exceptional service that is both proactive and responsive. Their commitment to ensuring that we have the best coverage and support has given us great confidence moving forward. We appreciate the personalized care, attention to detail, and professionalism that Petrela Winter brings to every aspect of our relationship.

We’re thrilled to have made the switch and look forward to many more years of successful collaboration.

—Cherie Willis, VP & CFO, E.S. Fox Limited

Olympic has been a client of Petrela Winter since Day 1, and we have witnessed the company’s growth from a Regional Surety provider to a National Surety and Construction Insurance leader, while still maintaining their personal hands-on approach, a difficult task magnificently executed. Petrela Winter’s combination of personal approach and National reach is unique to the industry today and they have been a real partner to us for 40 years. We would not be where we are today without their guidance and support.

—Carl Mallam, President, Olympic Construction Limited

The team at PWA are true construction experts in the construction insurance, bonding and advisory space. As industry leaders, Wellington Builders continue to align ourselves with the best partners and resources in the industry to allow for our continued growth and success.

—Jake Wellington, President, Wellington Builders Inc.

The staff at Petrela Winter feel like an extension of our team. We truly believe that they genuinely care about the success of our business and fully understand the needs of our company. They are extremely responsive, engaged and helpful with the day-to-day activities of our business. They ensure we have the coverage we require for our operations and never recommend we add coverage that is not required. Their knowledge of our industry is a valuable asset for our business and gives us the peace of mind we need.

—Vince De Cicco, President, Riverside Concrete Forming Ltd.

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36 York Mills Road, Suite 501
Toronto, Ontario
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