How do contractors evaluate company competitiveness and market attractiveness? The case of Toronto contractors

The Canadian construction industry has sustained a healthy growth rate over the last 10 years. This could make the Canadian market attractive to foreign competitors. Moreover, Canadian companies possess enough expertise and resources to be able to effectively compete in the global market. This highlights the increased importance of developing marketing strategies for Canadian companies. This research study provides an understanding of how Toronto construction companies evaluate market attractiveness and company competitiveness. Such evaluation is the first step towards building effective marketing strategies. The research included an analysis of the main indicators of the Toronto market over the last 10 years and one-on-one interviews with 39 experts. The research deployed the analytical hierarchy process to identify the most important factors that can be used for measuring company competitiveness and market attractiveness. The most important factors that influence company competitiveness include customer satisfaction, cost efficiency, and safety record. Factors with the highest impact on market attractiveness are sustainable profitability (return on investment), supply of finance, and overall economic conditions.