We’re thrilled to share some exciting national recognition: Acres Enterprises has been named a winner of the 2025 CIO Awards Canada, presented by IDC and CIO.com.
This award celebrates Canadian organizations that are using technology in innovative, people-first ways to create real business impact. Acres is proud to be recognized alongside an impressive group of organizations that are reshaping their industries through bold thinking, smart tools, and teamwork.
Our winning submission? The LiDAR Drone Program—a fully in-house initiative that’s transforming how we deliver construction across Western Canada.
Surveying from the Sky Down: Our LiDAR Drone Program
At its core, our LiDAR Drone Program solves an everyday problem in construction: how to survey large, rugged, often vegetated sites quickly, accurately, and safely. Traditional boots-on-the-ground surveying can be time-consuming, costly, and risky in tough terrain. Acres tackled that challenge head-on.
Using DJI Matrice 350 RTK drones equipped with Zenmuse L2 LiDAR sensors – and integrating them with Trimble Stratus and Trimble Earthworks – we’ve created a drone-enabled workflow that produces sub-1.0 cm survey accuracy, three times faster than traditional methods.
What once took weeks can now be done in a day or two, with usable deliverables generated within 24 hours. This includes 3D surface models, contour maps, cut/fill volumes, and more—all produced internally by our certified team.
And the results speak for themselves:
70% reduction in survey time
$10,000–$20,000 savings per large survey
Over 100 hectares surveyed per week
Fewer boots in hazardous terrain
This isn’t just about drones – it’s about better, safer, faster ways of working.
Built In-House, Grounded in Values
What sets this program apart is that it wasn’t outsourced or off-the-shelf. It was imagined, implemented, and scaled entirely within Acres – by our people.
We certified internal drone pilots, developed QA/QC standards, created new SOPs, trained CAD technicians and PMs, and embedded LiDAR into our machine control workflows. It’s now used on every major Acres project, from pre-bid through to final as-builts.
“This isn’t just a tech win—it’s a team win,” says Mike Broadway, VP of Technology and Innovation.
“At Acres, innovation always has a purpose – it’s about solving real challenges on the ground. Our LiDAR Drone Program is a perfect example of that. It’s made our work faster, safer, and more precise – and I couldn’t be prouder of the people who brought it to life.”
This program embodies our core values: Ambitious. Competent. Respectful. Engaged. Supportive. It reflects the kind of culture where people are empowered to ask, ‘What if we did this better?’
What’s Next?
We’ll be celebrating this award at the IDC CIO Summit Canada Gala on November 13, 2025, at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. Acres will be there, representing the construction industry and showcasing what it means to lead with both grit and vision.
Until then, we’ll keep building – with curiosity, care, and the confidence that comes from knowing we’re on the right path.
Explore the Innovation
Next-day deliverables are now possible with this approach. Our team can produce high-accuracy outputs – including point clouds, contour maps, surface models, cut/fill volume reports, and DXF files for CAD modeling – all within 24 hours of each flight. This enables real-time project visibility and faster, more proactive decision-making.
But it’s not just about speed and savings. Since the program is fully integrated and run by our own team, it’s helping us work smarter and safer. Our crews get real-time insights on-site, project planning is sharper, and machine control workflows are smoother.
Surveying steep, vegetated, or hazardous terrain is now done remotely, eliminating the need for crews to physically access high-risk areas. This reduces site exposure incidents and supports our proactive safety culture. It’s all part of how Acres is leading the charge in construction tech across Canada.
A Big Thank You
To our drone pilots, CAD specialists, PMs, surveyors, field teams, and every Acres team member who fuels our drive to do things differently – thank you. This win belongs to you.
Together, we’re not just building projects. We’re redefining what’s possible in construction.
View the full list of 2025 CIO Awards Canada winners here.