Family-Founded Retail Construction Company Continues to Grow and See Success

Craig Patterson
Craig Patterson
Now located in Toronto, Craig is a retail analyst and consultant at the Retail Council of Canada. He's also the Director of Applied Research at the University of Alberta School of Retailing in Edmonton. He has studied the Canadian retail landscape for the past 25 years and he holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws Degrees. He is also President & CEO of Vancouver-based Retail Insider Media Ltd.

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Alison EdenAlison Eden

Alison Eden

Mississauga, Ontario-based Pace Construction is one of Canada’s most highly respected retail, commercial and industrial construction companies. Now owned by Alison Eden, the family-founded company has a unique history, a remarkably positive reputation, and is one of Canada’s only construction companies to be owned by a woman. Pace Construction has been in business for 31 years and counting, and it has built over 5,000 stores to date. 

The company was founded by Miss. Eden’s father, Ainslie, in 1982 while Alison was just a teenager. Business was a family affair with her mother and father doing the drawings, and everyone pitching in to take retail concept to turnkey. Radio Shack was one of Pace’s first clients and since then, the company has grown to build retail spaces for some of the world’s leading brands. 


Client: AvedaClient: Aveda

Client: Aveda


Ms. Eden working. Ms. Eden working. 

Ms. Eden working. 


HBC/Saks in Toronto (interior millwork)HBC/Saks in Toronto (interior millwork)

HBC/Saks in Toronto (interior millwork)

Ms. Eden discovered that retail construction was her passion, and she eventually bought her fathers company. Alison bought Pace Construction from him in 2005. She says that she loves the business, and gets a “rush” from the construction process while being in the “thick of things”.


Client: Eileen FisherClient: Eileen Fisher

Client: Eileen Fisher

Ms. Eden noted that Pace continues to see success through old fashioned business practices — hard work, good customer service, and honesty. It’s slogan is, “Trust the Experts, Trust the team”. The company has a number of testimonials from satisfied customers, with comments such as: “Quality, timeliness, and dedication are qualities that help Alison succeed” and “You can always count on a professional job completed on time and on budget”. A particularly glowing reference from Ross Anicai said, “The definitions of professionalism, diligent work, business ethics and hard work have been rewritten after Alison’s Pace Construction joined the construction industry many years ago.” 


Charity is a component of the business, with Pace Construction supporting the Canadian Red Cross, World Accord, SickKids Hospital and Pugalug Pug Rescue

Pace Construction continues to do business Canada-wide with the help of project managers and site supervisors to ensure quality and workmanship. Pace offers general contracting, project management, installation, custom millwork fabrication, carpentry, painting, demolition, plumbing, electrical, custom A/V installation, architect and engineering services. You can reach them at: (905) 279-3336 or by email: info@pacecon.ca.

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: April 21, 2016



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