About BLU

The company is dedicated to providing established companies that are looking to expand their internal capital portfolios with a bridge between their internal Capital Development groups and the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction activities required to achieve their expansion goals.

We bring a wealth of experience in life cycle project development, gained through over 20 years of working with owners, EPC(M) contractors, and in the Direct Hire contracting environment. Our experience covers all aspects of project development, including early conceptual planning, successful commercial strategies, early investigation of location and community, and implementation of comprehensive program procedures and communications.

Our primary areas of expertise include:

Conceptual Project Planning
Commercial Development of project estimates, including owners’ costs, engineering, procurement, logistics, and construction
Community Relations Programs
Contracting strategies and market analysis development
Logistics
Risk mitigations
Execution

Our goal is to assist younger, growing companies that aim to expand their capital portfolios but lack the internal skills to navigate the complex process of development, contracting, and execution. We strive to ensure that internal corporate goals are clearly established, financial targets are set, and corporate objectives are aligned.

We serve as a bridge for companies to access the unfamiliar world of project development, particularly in the Heavy Industrial development sectors. Our experience spans across multiple sectors and encompasses the development of small, medium, and large capital development programs.

Executive Team

Jeff Lace

Jeff Lace is a senior capital project and program development leader with more than 30 years of domestic and international experience developing and delivering complex industrial, mining and infrastructure projects. His experience spans the full project lifecycle, from early project development and engineering through procurement, modular fabrication, logistics, construction, commissioning and operational ramp-up.

Jeff’s experience across Owner organizations, EPCM organizations and direct-hire contractors provides a unique perspective on the people, commercial drivers, interfaces and execution challenges that determine project outcomes. He combines strategic project leadership with practical execution experience, helping Owners translate business objectives into defined, executable and controlled capital projects.

His experience includes project and program development, execution strategy, capital cost and estimating, cost optimization, contracting and commercial strategy, constructability, modularization, logistics, project organization and construction execution. He has led multidisciplinary teams and contractors in complex and challenging operating environments, with a consistent focus on improving project certainty, reducing risk and achieving predictable execution.

Most recently, Jeff served as Program Director for a 50,000 TPY lithium carbonate expansion program in South America, leading development from conceptual planning and Front-End Engineering through detailed design, Asia-based procurement and modularization, and establishment of capital intensity targets. The program integrated engineering, international procurement, offsite fabrication, logistics and site execution around a schedule-driven and capital-efficient delivery strategy.

Jeff brings an Owner-focused perspective shaped by experience across the entire project delivery ecosystem, with a practical objective: help clients make better capital decisions, build stronger project organizations and move complex projects toward successful execution.

Haydee Lace

Haydee Lace is a Business and Project Management professional and Partner at BLU, with more than 20 years of international experience supporting complex capital projects across mining, construction and heavy industrial sectors. Her experience spans Owner, EPC/EPCM and contractor environments, with a particular focus on contracts, procurement, commercial coordination and project administration.

Haydee brings a strong commercial perspective to project teams, helping maintain alignment between contractual commitments, procurement activities and overall project objectives. She works closely with project, commercial, procurement and contractor teams to support effective decision-making, manage interfaces and help protect the Owner’s commercial position throughout project development and execution.

Born and raised in Peru, Haydee brings a deep understanding of Latin American operating environments and extensive experience working across diverse cultural and business settings. She is fluent in Spanish and English with additional Italian language skills, and has worked across Canada, the United States, Argentina, Peru and Asia on complex international projects, including programs with capital values exceeding USD $1 billion.

A significant part of Haydee’s experience is supporting community and stakeholder relations, particularly in connection with Indigenous communities and local populations in South America. Through established relationships and international networks, she provides access to organizations and leaders involved in community development, Indigenous representation and local stakeholder engagement. Her approach is grounded in respect, cultural understanding and meaningful communication—helping projects establish stronger relationships and navigate community considerations as part of the broader project strategy.

Haydee brings together commercial discipline, international experience and strong cultural and stakeholder awareness, providing BLU and its clients with a valuable perspective across the commercial, community and human interfaces that influence successful capital-project delivery.

Discover How We Reduce Risk & Compress Timelines

Blu has contributed to the successful delivery of man large capital projects, including front-end planning, detailed development of project execution strategies, and development and management of capital intensity programs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why BLU?

BLU gives Owners access to experienced project and construction leadership and the practical capability required to successfully develop and execute complex capital projects—without the cost and commitment of building a permanent organization around every project need.

What industries and sectors does BLU have experience in?

BLU has delivered complex capital projects across a broad range of heavy industrial sectors, including mining, minerals processing, lithium, oil & gas, petrochemical, power and infrastructure. Our international experience spans the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia, giving our clients access to proven project development and execution expertise gained across diverse operating environments and project delivery models.

What outcomes can BLU help achieve?

BLU provides better project definition, improved capital efficiency, greater cost and schedule certainty, reduced exposure and stronger Owner capability.

What types of Projects does BLU Support

BLU supports capital projects from early-stage development and feasibility through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and start-up. We can provide project leadership at any stage of the project lifecycle, whether the requirement is to establish a new project organization, strengthen an existing team, recover a project that is underperforming, or provide experienced leadership through a critical phase of execution.

What does BLU actually do?

BLU turns project strategy into executable projects.

When should a client engage BLU?

BLU can be engaged at any stage, but early involvement provides the greatest opportunity to influence project definition, execution strategy, cost, schedule and risk before significant capital is committed.

Does BLU replace our existing project team?

BLU strengthens the Owner rather than replacing it. Blu is capable of operating as an independent advisor, embedded project leadership, interim leadership or as an extension of the Owner’s current organization.

Can BLU help when a project is already experiencing problems

Yes. BLU can step into projects experiencing cost, schedule, organizational or execution challenges, independently assess the current state, identify known and emerging issues, establish the key project drivers and develop a practical path forward.

What size of project does BLU support?

BLU’s experience is particularly suited to complex capital projects where project definition, execution strategy, cost, schedule, construction and organizational alignment are critical to success. Our approach can be scaled to suit the size, complexity and stage of the project rather than being defined by a specific project value. complexity is more important than project value.

How does BLU help an Owner build internal project capability?

BLU can bring experienced leadership while helping the Owner establish the organization, governance, processes, decision authority and project controls needed to manage the project effectively.

What makes BLU different from a traditional consulting firm?

BLU combines Owner, EPC, EPCM and direct-hire contractor experience, giving us an understanding of the entire project ecosystem rather than only one participant’s perspective.