When it comes to asphalt and paving contractors, it is not uncommon to discover that companies often develop their business strategy only to leave it in cut-and-paste mode for much of their time in business. Speaking with Sal Karim, head of the residential division at Stasi Brothers in Westbury, Long Island, New York, however, I discovered the most passionate paving team I have encountered in my eight years of speaking with North American industry leaders. Here, genuine passion for the craft—and the people it serves—leads the way.
During our conversation, one thing was certainly clear. Stasi Brothers is a team driven to do their best daily rather than make a quick buck.
As a resourceful family business with sufficient manpower to execute every job properly the first time, this is also a place where staff retention is as high a priority as customer retention. Self-performing around 80 percent of its work within a 10-mile radius of its office on Maple Avenue, Stasi Brothers takes its responsibility as a contractor to heart in every possible way. The evidence of this sentiment is impossible to miss on a quick tour of its offices. A beautiful wood and brass plaque displays the names of long-time staff members in reception, while a lovely collection of frames displays historic photographs of significant moments. There is even a framed, handwritten invoice from decades ago—a recent gift from a kind customer who reached out to refresh a previous installation.
The company’s creativity is as impressive as its legacy. As one enters the boardroom, you are welcomed by a retired asphalt roller that forms the base for a large, clear glass tabletop. This is flanked by a vintage MACK truck face transformed into a beverage fridge and drawer storage unit—all set up for comfortable, productive meetings.
Back in his office, it quickly becomes evident that this is not a gig Sal simply plays for a living. On the contrary, his undeniable commitment to the company and the work rings clear and true throughout our conversation. “We have a reputation for great work, and reliability, and getting things done. That’s huge for us,” he says.
The company’s history is one of adventure, hardship, and perseverance. Waving his home province of Naples, Italy goodbye in search of greater opportunities, Saverio Stasi could not have imagined the success he would establish in the United States when he left behind everything familiar on that fated day in 1960. Brave and enterprising, the young brick mason finally landed in Westbury, New York, where he founded a landscaping firm after deciding to set down roots.
Saverio did not only find his fortune here, however; he also discovered good people who helped him build his business, establishing a firm with a reputation for serving its community and a warm, multi-generational presence that says, “We care.” By 1964, he was offering masonry and asphalt driveways in addition to his other services. The ’80s saw the company expanding into local public works, which led to a rapid expansion that took it from a handful of staff to a team of 20.
Today, the company employs more than 100 people in the summer. Ripping and site preparation teams handle pre-installations while two paving crews do commercial and residential paving. Two concrete crews take care of concrete paving and repairs, and three masonry teams handle bricklaying on construction projects. Then there is a striping team, alongside a trucking department comprising dozens of vehicles. A regular snow clearing service serves many of Westbury’s sidewalks and entrances during winter—often done as a courtesy service to the town, providing fellow citizens with improved safety as they navigate the season’s slush.
“Stasi Brothers is a third-generation company that was built on quality, service, loyalty, and relationships,” Sal says. Sharing why he loves the work so much, this leader, who joined the company in 2003 as a teenager, lights up with pride. “I love to take something old and turn it into something beautiful and worthwhile. It’s interesting,” he says of the career that gives him untold joy. By now, his kids are sick of being reminded of every job he and the teams complete across Long Island.
Erin Abbatiello, Sal’s assistant, confirms this company trait. “[These guys] all remember every single job that they’ve done—all of them. All you have to do is mention the address, and if they look at a picture of the house or the street or the school, without fail, every single time, they will be able to recall it off the top of their head,” she says with a smile.
As a result of the pride the team takes in its work, the company visited PAVE/X in New Orleans in February this year, where staff could familiarize themselves with the latest in paving technology and equipment. “We’re constantly updating and trying new things, just to make everything more efficient, faster, and to offer better availability for our customers,” Sal says. The rationale behind such investments is straightforward: the work goes faster, staff have an easier time completing tasks, and quality improves.
With top quality comes good relationships, and to this end, Stasi Brothers has made it a priority to build healthy relationships with organizations in its community including schools, churches, colleges, and other institutions. Having been here for over six decades, the firm is committed to continuing to give back to the people of the area who have made the business what it is today. “We don’t require half the money upfront [for residential projects]; usually it’s a very, very minimal deposit, if any,” Sal shares. “I always tell people, ‘you don’t have to pay me until the job is done. So if you’re not happy, you don’t pay me.’ And they laugh,” he says. “They’re always happy!”
The company is as generous in showing its appreciation of its employees as it is with the local community. Big milestones are typically characterized by gifts of dinners, gift cards, individualized gifts for employees’ children, and group meals and outings. Birthdays are marked by restaurant gift cards for employees and their families. And the company’s management is deeply respected for the loans it extends to employees when big life events bring unexpected expenses.
When it comes to large commercial projects that impact the broader community, Sal is proud of the proven skills in minimal disruption that the teams have developed to complete jobs seamlessly—even during peak times like Thanksgiving and Christmas, where foot traffic could not be heavier in a commercial setting.
With most of its skills finely honed over decades, this company believes in continuous evolution by keeping its equipment fleets well-maintained and modern. By buying new machines and vehicles every three years or so, the team knows it can perform even the most demanding work with confidence. “The newer equipment has better GPS, lasers, scanners, sensors, and they’re able to make [surfaces] smoother and flatter and cleaner so that every job ends up being so much better,” Sal tells us. The same approach applies to the company’s use of software and AI.
As the company’s structure evolves with the third generation, Sam Stasi—who, at 31, has increased the company’s real estate developments by around 300 percent so far—Fran, and Augie, stepping up to take over the reins from Joe Stasi, its projects are also growing in size and complexity. The team couldn’t be more pleased with the continuity, as Sal points out. “Having a full crew of young [bloods], hungry to build on their name and their legacy is really interesting.” For a company that situates the satisfaction of its teams and customers at the core of its mandate to succeed, Stasi Brothers has most certainly done, and continues to do, an exceptional job.
