Xylem enables customers to transport, treat, test, and efficiently use water in public utility, residential, and commercial building services, and in industrial and agricultural settings. It makes pumps and control systems used in management of wastewater and the collection and distribution of drinking water. It also offers smart metering, network technologies, and advanced data analytics for water, gas, and electric utilities. Xylem does business in more than 150 countries.

WSP Global Inc. is a global engineering and consulting company with headquarters in Montreal. It’s an aggressive, ambitious, and hugely successful growth-by-acquisition company. Stunningly, it has grown from just 1,600 employees when it went public in 2006 to 83,000 employees today. Annual revenues are currently $19 billion and the equity market value is $26 billion.

Linamar is a large Canadian-headquartered global auto parts manufacturer with 34,000 employees and 75 plants in 19 countries. In addition to vehicle components, which account for about 73% of its revenues, its other products include scissor lifts, telehandlers, booms, and very large agricultural equipment operation. Annual revenues are over $11 billion. Revenues are 50% from Canada, 23% from Europe, 20% from the US and Mexico combined, and 7% from Asia/Pacific.

Fortis is a regulated utility that focuses on electricity and natural gas distribution. Based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, it has operations in Canada, the US, and the Caribbean. The company had $73 billion in assets at the end of 2024. It has about 9,700 employees.

Houston-based Quanta Services is one of the most important contractors involved in building and maintaining North America’s electricity grid. The company’s workforce includes more than 50,000 linemen, engineers, and technical specialists, many certified to perform the most difficult and hazardous live-line work. This specialization creates a high barrier to entry and helps explain Quanta’s record $30-billion-plus backlog.