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DIRTT Environmental Solutions
DIRTT Environmental Solutions, co-founded by Mogens Smed, prefabricates commercial interiors using proprietary software, generating $152M in 2023 revenue.
DIRTT Environmental Solutions
Mogens Smed, Barrie Loberg, and Geoff Gosling launched DIRTT Environmental Solutions in Calgary in 2003, rooted in the conviction that commercial interiors should be reconfigurable, not demolished. The founding team drew on decades in office furniture and tenant improvement contracting to build a vertically integrated manufacturer that pre-assembles full interior environments in a factory setting, then installs them in weeks rather than months. DIRTT deploys its proprietary ICEreality software platform—an interactive design-to-manufacturing engine—enabling clients to visualize, price, and specify every component before a single wall is cut. The firm's product set spans demountable glass walls, raised-access flooring, pre-fabricated millwork, and integrated power and data systems, targeting corporate offices, healthcare environments, and educational institutions. Confirmed installations include major healthcare networks such as Kaiser Permanente and corporate headquarters for technology firms in Silicon Valley and Seattle. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Calgary and Savannah, Georgia, with additional showrooms and experience centers in Chicago and other North American markets. DIRTT went public on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2015 and subsequently listed on Nasdaq, disclosing a workforce of roughly 350 professionals and trailing twelve-month revenue of $152 million through late 2023. The firm weathered a prolonged proxy contest in 2022, with an activist shareholder group ultimately securing board representation and a new management slate that elevated Benjamin Urban to CEO. In May 2024, DIRTT reported first-quarter revenue of $33.6 million, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth after a post-pandemic trough. Unlike traditional general contractors who source disparate sub-trades for each project, DIRTT operates as a single-source manufacturer bundling design, engineering, and production under one roof. This vertical integration means the firm books revenue as a product manufacturer—not a service provider—giving it a fundamentally different margin profile and scalability path than labor-constrained construction firms.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
2003
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
Canada
City
Calgary
Corporate office
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Additional offices
Savannah, Georgia, United States · Chicago, Illinois, United States
Principals
Benjamin Urban
Chief Executive Officer
Mogens Smed
Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What does DIRTT actually manufacture?
DIRTT produces pre-engineered interior construction components—demountable glass and solid walls, raised-access flooring, modular power and data distribution, and custom millwork—all fabricated offsite in its Calgary and Savannah plants. The firm assembles these into complete interior environments and ships them flat-packed for rapid on-site installation, removing the sequencing bottlenecks that plague conventional tenant improvements. The system allows a floor plate to be reconfigured overnight rather than demolished and rebuilt.
What is the ICE software platform?
ICE is DIRTT's proprietary design-to-manufacturing engine that renders 3D interiors in real time while populating a detailed bill of materials and routing it to CNC-driven factory equipment. Clients, architects, and contractors can iterate on room layouts, finishes, and furniture within the software, and the platform instantly updates costs and lead times. This closes the gap between design intent and production instructions, eliminating the translation errors that typically cause change orders in commercial interiors.
What happened with the proxy contest at DIRTT?
In 2022, activist investor 22NW Fund waged a proxy contest seeking board seats and a strategic overhaul, arguing the company was undervalued relative to its manufacturing capabilities. The dissident slate ultimately won investor support, and the board was reconstituted with new independent directors. Benjamin Urban was subsequently elevated to CEO, replacing Kevin O'Meara, and the firm renewed its focus on commercial execution after several quarters of pandemic-related revenue contraction.
What end-markets does DIRTT serve?
DIRTT's primary verticals are corporate office interiors—where its reconfigurable walls appeal to tenants facing uncertain space needs—plus healthcare facilities, where infection control, noise reduction, and rapid retrofits are critical. The firm also serves education (university labs, K-12 classrooms) and government installations. In each market, the common thread is a built environment that must adapt frequently to changing programming requirements without major demolition.
Is DIRTT a construction firm or a manufacturer?
DIRTT is classified as a manufacturer. It books revenue upon shipment of prefabricated components, not upon project completion like a general contractor. Its factory workforce operates under lean-manufacturing principles, and its cost structure reflects capital equipment, raw material procurement, and direct labor rather than subcontracted trade management. This manufacturing identity produces gross margins and working-capital characteristics that differ substantively from service-based construction companies.
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