A major project can appear to be on track until a cost estimate comes in higher than expected or a delay starts affecting the work scheduled after it. For 40 years, Sarnia-based CMS Inc. has helped industrial clients identify those issues early, understand what they mean for the project, and decide what to do next.
Founded in 1986 in Sarnia, Ontario, CMS started as a privately held project-controls firm focused on scheduling and cost control for turnarounds at local industrial facilities. As client needs expanded, the company grew its services to include estimating, planning, and cost reporting, supporting major projects and turnarounds throughout the Sarnia-Lambton region and across Canada and the United States.
Aaron Buntrock joined CMS as a scheduler in 2000, when the company had only about three employees. At the time, CMS was turning away work because its small team lacked the capacity to take on more, which led the company to train additional staff and pursue larger projects. Buntrock has now served as president for about 10 years. Today the company employs roughly 13–15 people and reached a high of 25 employees before the pandemic.
Much of what CMS does happens behind the scenes. Its project controls professionals track costs and schedules against the original plan, look for signs that something is going off course and help clients understand their options. Buntrock compares the work to checking a project’s health.
“We could tell you if the project is sick or if it’s healthy,” he said. If there is a problem, CMS helps the client work out how to get the project back on track.
That work can begin before a project gets underway. Buntrock gave the example of a client who receives an estimate from a contractor but wants an independent check before committing to the work. If CMS arrives at a different number, the teams sit down together to find out why, whether it comes down to the scope of work, an assumption in the estimate or a cost that needs a closer look. It gives the client a chance to resolve those questions before making a major decision. Clear and honest communication is the key.
CMS also works alongside client teams as projects move forward. Buntrock said his employees understand both cost and scheduling, which helps them see how a change in one area could affect the other. Each client has its own way of working, so part of the job is building a clear picture of the project with the people managing it and finding where a process could be improved.
Sarnia-Lambton has been central to CMS’s growth. The company started close to the region’s industrial facilities and built relationships with local clients over time. Buntrock said referrals and repeat work have mattered far more to the business than advertising, and that each completed project gives a client another reason to call.
“In our world, you’re only as good as your last project,” he said.
One of CMS’s longstanding relationships is with the Shell Sarnia Manufacturing Centre, where it has supported project controls since 2009. Buntrock pointed to that work as an example of what can happen when a company and its client keep improving a process over many years.
In 2024, the Shell Sarnia Manufacturing Centre Projects team, working with CMS and other contract partners, received the Best Site Award from Independent Project Analysis’ International Benchmarking Consortia. CMS also received a “Best Practical” classification for project controls in the site’s 2023 benchmark study. CMS provides more detail about the recognition in its case study.
CMS is proud of that recognition, but he was just as eager to talk about his employees who have helped CMS reach this milestone. Several have been with the company for more than a decade, staying through changing workloads, the pandemic, and shifts in the economy. Their experience is especially valuable as CMS looks to bring newer people into a field where much of the learning happens on the job. Buntrock stated that “CMS is nothing without it’s people.”
“I can’t do this alone,” Buntrock said. He credits the team with looking after the business and its clients, just as he has tried to look after them.
As CMS marks its 40th anniversary, Buntrock wants to build on its work in Sarnia-Lambton while taking on more projects elsewhere. He hopes to grow the team over the next five to 10 years, including hiring junior staff who can learn from the people already at CMS.
The company has changed considerably since Buntrock joined, but the work he described still comes down to giving clients a clear understanding of where a project stands. The earlier they can see a problem, the more time they have to do something about it. “CMS treats our client’s money like it’s our own.”
Learn more about CMS Inc. at cms-inc.ca
