Ali Forghani’s career as a civil engineer began many years ago in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. The first inkling of his vocation was his penchant for making little houses with his friends using rocks, soil, and water in the backyard of his family’s home as a boy. Decades later, he would marvel at the contrast in the height, material, and overall architecture of buildings in Prince Edward Island and Tehran. The journey to Canada first began with visits to Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal but the winner was Charlottetown. Disarmed by the peace and quiet found in abundance on PEI, he and his wife were convinced that this was the best that Canada had to offer.
Ali’s Charlottetown-based business - Ali Construction - officially began in September 2019. To lay the groundwork for their operations, Ali and his wife walked around the city and stepped up to construction crews to introduce themselves. They did this alongside attending events organized by PEI Connectors and joining local organisations such as the Construction Association of PEI. “Little by little, here we are,” he says.
All of this hard work began to pay off when he was able to assemble a crew of subcontractors for framing, plumbing, electrical wiring and more. This crew began operations in 2020, the same year the COVID-19 pandemic first shuttered businesses and almost ground global economies to a halt. For a new business operated by a new immigrant to Canada, this was an especially difficult blow. Well-meaning advisers suggested that Ali let the crew go because it was costly to retain them without a clear sense of the conditions under which work would begin again. He refused. Costly as that decision was, he was justified by it. With pandemic restrictions easing and the PEI property market on an upward trajectory, Ali had two projects in the pipeline and a crew ready to work.
Today, Ali Construction is a fast-growing full-service construction company dedicated to building and renovating residential and commercial structures on the Island and beyond. Ali sees relationships as the oil that has greased the wheels of his business. These connections have helped him find success as an entrepreneur, but have also helped improve his English language skills. Ali’s high hopes for the future rest on the love of his family and the goodwill of Island residents who have supported him through the years.
Written by: Elizabeth Iwunwa
Photography: Greg Ellison, Ellison Media
