Four decades of infrastructure delivery offer a rare perspective on what municipalities and industry will need in the decade ahead.

INNERKIP, ON, June 9, 2026 /CNW/ - After 40 years of building critical liquid storage infrastructure for municipalities and industry across Canada, Greatario says the biggest infrastructure challenge may still be ahead. Marking its 40th anniversary this year, Greatario is using the milestone not simply to celebrate longevity, but to reflect on what four decades of hands-on infrastructure delivery reveal about where the sector is headed.

"Forty years means generations of expertise, people who have spent careers solving tough infrastructure challenges and passing that knowledge forward. That kind of experience matters when projects are complex and communities are counting on the outcome," says Christopher Luney, President, Greatario Group of Companies. "We're proud of 40 years, but anniversaries aren't just about looking backward. They're a chance to ask what communities and industries will need next, and whether we're ready to meet that challenge."

As communities face aging infrastructure, accelerating growth, climate pressures, and rising expectations around resilience, the conversation around critical infrastructure is changing. Population shifts, suburban and rural expansion and increasing concerns around emergency preparedness, from fire protection to long-term water security, are reshaping what municipalities and industry need from infrastructure investments.

From potable water systems supporting growing communities to industrial liquid storage solutions powering essential operations, the company has seen the expectations, technology, safety standards, and complexity of infrastructure projects transform dramatically.

What hasn't changed is the importance of getting critical infrastructure right.

What 40 Years Reveals

Greatario's first major potable water storage tank, commissioned in Midhurst, Ontario in 1987 for the Township of Springwater, looked very different from the infrastructure projects the company delivers today, but it also revealed something enduring.

In 1986, Greatario introduced glass-fused-to-steel tank technology to the Canadian market, recognizing its potential to safely store clean drinking water for communities over the long term. Construction on the company's first potable water storage tank began that same year, culminating in a 984 m³ design-build project commissioned in 1987.

Nearly four decades later, that same tank continues to provide clean, safe drinking water to the community. Today, the company's National Services Division continues to inspect, maintain, and support the very assets it helped build decades ago.

Back then:

• Introducing glass-fused-to-steel technology to Canada was a bold shift in how potable water infrastructure could be delivered
• The focus was proving long-term durability, water quality performance, and construction excellence in a relatively new market
• Infrastructure innovation meant bringing proven global technology into Canadian communities with the field expertise to execute it successfully
• Most infrastructure assets were new, with far less emphasis on lifecycle maintenance and asset management planning

A modern project like Greatario's work in Squamish, British Columbia, reflects just how dramatically infrastructure expectations have evolved.

The project includes two glass-fused-to-steel potable water storage tanks with a combined capacity of more than 4,198 m³, critical infrastructure designed to support a growing community while blending thoughtfully into one of Canada's most visually distinctive landscapes. Complete with green factory-coated aluminum dome roofs, the tanks demonstrate how modern infrastructure must increasingly balance engineering performance, resilience, and community integration.

Today's projects involve:

• Greater technical complexity
• Stricter safety requirements
• Accelerated timelines
• Heightened environmental expectations
• Smarter asset planning

And yet, according to Greatario leadership, the fundamentals remain remarkably consistent.

"I've enjoyed more than 20 years at Greatario, and the pace of change in our industry has been remarkable," says Jeff Rodger, VP Sales & Marketing. "When I think about how much has changed in the two decades before I joined, and what the next 20 years may bring, it's clear infrastructure expectations will continue to evolve. Our responsibility is to evolve with them."

As Greatario marks 40 years in business, the company sees the milestone less as a finish line and more as a reaffirmation of the role experienced infrastructure builders must play in Canada's future. With long-tenured teams, decades of field expertise, coast-to-coast-to coast project experience in some of the country's most demanding environments, and advanced infrastructure solutions including custom-engineered liquid storage systems and glass-fused-to-steel tank technology, Greatario continues to evolve alongside the communities and industries it serves.

To explore how Canada's water infrastructure challenges and priorities have evolved over the past four decades, read the full article, 40 Years of Water Infrastructure in Canada: Built for Then. Built for Now. Built for What's Next, on Greatario's website.

About Greatario:

Greatario has been Canada's trusted leader in liquid storage solutions for nearly 40 years. With over 800 tanks built across the country, Greatario is committed to delivering high-quality, innovative storage solutions for municipal and industrial applications. Follow Greatario on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greatario/. 

SOURCE Greatario Industrial Storage Systems Ltd