“You could go to another company and work on a similar project with a different logo on your shirt,” McDonald says. “What makes the experience different is the people. When you have a team that shares common values, supports one another, and embraces a true foxhole mentality—where everyone is committed to each other’s success—it creates a culture that’s difficult to replicate.”

That philosophy, rooted in accountability and a quietly fierce loyalty to culture, has defined Erland’s nearly five-decade journey from a five-person open-shop spinoff in Burlington, Massachusetts, to a multi-division construction firm with a portfolio spanning student housing, life sciences, and academic institutions across New England.

Erland Construction was established in 1977 as the open-shop arm of a leading union contractor, created to deliver more cost-effective construction, particularly for Nordblom Company in Northwest Park, where Erland’s offices remain to this day. When legislation prohibiting so-called double-breasting (the simultaneous ownership of both union and open shop companies) came into effect, Erland broke away as an independent entity with just five employees.

The company took its name from its founding president, Kenneth Erland Froeberg, whose story was cut short when he passed from a heart attack in 1983. At that point, Tom Blesso and Chuck Vaciliou, both still with the company today as Board Members, faced a pivotal decision. Young, capable, and clear-eyed about what they didn’t yet know, they sought additional leadership rather than overreach.

They found it in McDonald’s grandfather, Bob McDonald, whose own story is one of improbable ascent. Growing up in Jamaica Plain, when he was 10 years old he lost his father, so he and his brother caddied after school to help their mother cover rent. In 1949, he was in the first class of Francis Ouimet Scholars, an award that paid full college tuition and enabled him to go to MIT and Harvard. Upon graduation he went to Vappi Construction for 27 years followed by a stint at Gilbane, before he joined Erland as President. “He grew up with a lot against him,” McDonald says, “but through that scholarship, he was able to accomplish things that would have seemed very unlikely given the environment he was raised in.”

Steve McDonald, Sean’s father, joined the firm in 1986 and later became President in 1997. The triumvirate of Steve McDonald, Tom Blesso, and Chuck Vaciliou each brought complementary strengths that have carried the company through decades of growth.

Sean himself worked as a laborer during summers while in high school and college, and eventually joined as an Assistant Project Manager in 2017, also serving as a Project Manager, Estimator, and Vice President throughout his tenure. He stepped into the presidential role around a year and a half ago. “I grew up around the business,” he says. “Coming to kids’ holiday parties at five years old and going to the Erland family cookouts. What always stood out was that our people never approached it just as work. They took pride in what they built, held themselves accountable, and genuinely cared about each other and the company’s success.”

Today, Erland operates in several markets. Its Residential division focuses on heads-in-beds projects, apartments, student housing, senior living, and hotels. Its Advanced Tech/Life Sciences group handles technically complex environments, including cleanrooms, laboratories, and increasingly, client-driven expansions into office renovations and institutional upgrades. The third arm, ACC, Academic, Corporate, and Commercial, covers the broadest range of work, with academic construction currently representing one of the firm’s strongest performing sectors.

In 2022, the company reached a peak of $320 million in volume, a high-water mark that was followed by what McDonald describes candidly as turbulence—a convergence of market headwinds, high interest rates, material cost escalation, and the significant internal transition involved in implementing an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

“It takes discipline to remain focused on the opportunities that align best with your team’s expertise and capacity,” McDonald says. “Our goal is always to ensure we have the right people and resources in place to deliver exceptional results for our clients while creating a positive experience for all team members. When those elements come together, it sets the foundation for a successful project for everyone involved.”

The ESOP transition, which Erland completed in 2022 and announced in 2023, was deliberately structured to preserve independence rather than enable exit. Leadership made the decision to sell a portion of the company to its employees, giving them a direct financial stake in Erland’s future.

For McDonald, the ESOP formalized something he had observed since childhood: that Erland’s people had always behaved like owners. Average tenure at the company currently sits at 12 to 13 years, a striking figure given that the majority of its staff are under 40 years of age. “Employee ownership reinforces that commitment by creating meaningful opportunities for long-term wealth creation and career growth,” he says. “The goal was: how can we make Erland an enduring organization for generations to come?”

The ESOP also functions as a retention and recruitment tool at a moment when the construction industry more broadly is seeing average tenures shrink to two or three years. Erland’s workforce includes four members of the Driscoll family, three McDonalds, three Crafts, three Burkes, and multiple second-generation employees who grew up knowing the company before they ever worked for it.

Perhaps the most visible expression of Erland’s current capabilities is a $130 million student residence project underway for Capstone Development Partners at Tufts University in Medford, a two-tower, 10-story development delivering 664 beds to a campus operating in one of the country’s most acute student housing markets. “The greater Boston area has been under a severe housing crisis,” McDonald notes. “Having the privilege to help shape the student residential experience on such an important campus is something our team takes a lot of pride in.”

The project was procured as a design-build undertaking in partnership with Capstone Development Partners, an Alabama-based developer whom Erland had previously engaged on a potential student housing project at Clark University in Worcester, a project that ultimately was canceled due to FAFSA-related complications. Despite that early setback, a strong partnership was developed between Erland and Capstone.

The Tufts project marks Erland’s second use of Canam Hambro’s composite floor system, a prefabricated solution involving composite steel joists capable of spanning up to 43 feet, with larger web openings for routing of services. The system allows 3.5 inches of concrete to be poured over wire mesh and plywood, with the plywood stripped from beneath within 24 hours. The key advantage over traditional stick-frame construction is that the floor below can be worked on concurrently, accelerating the overall program.

The project is also Erland’s first to be built under Massachusetts’ passive house energy code requirements, an increasingly prominent feature of the state’s construction landscape.

“Complex projects inevitably present challenges, but they can be successfully managed when the entire team is aligned around a common goal,” McDonald says. “That collaborative approach has allowed us to maintain our schedule and budget objectives while continuing to meet our client’s expectations.”

Erland’s Advanced Tech/Life Sciences division has built its reputation through sustained positive client relationships that generate ongoing campus-wide work. EMD Serono’s Billerica facility is focused on difficult-to-treat conditions like infertility, multiple sclerosis, and cancer research, and has been an Erland client since approximately 2018, with ongoing projects as their program expands.

Vice President and Director of Operations, Matthew Combs, who oversees the division as a partner in the business, was the original project manager on the account, and McDonald tells a story that captures what long-term partnership in life sciences construction can mean in practice: a medication developed in the facility Erland built was later used to treat a member of Combs’ own family. “It’s pretty meaningful when you see that you’re not just building a project, but something that has a real impact on the community and people around it,” McDonald says.

In the independent school market, Erland is currently delivering a field house at Middlesex School in Concord, emblematic of the academic sector relationships which McDonald says are built on trust and transparency.

This kind of investment in the community also underpins the Erland Foundation, now in its tenth year of service under the leadership of Steve Craft, Chris Landry, Nicole Harrison, Chris McHugh, Melissa Craft, and Bernadette Flaherty. The Foundation has evolved from a charitable giving vehicle into a broader platform for employee volunteerism and community engagement, and has exceeded $300,000 in fundraising in the past decade, a milestone the company marks with visible pride.

A longstanding partnership with the New England Center for Children (NECC) sits at the heart of the foundation’s work. Erland’s eighth annual Strikeout Autism bowling event brought together NECC staff, students, families, employees, and trade partners in February. And more recently, Erland staff participated in NECC’s annual 5K, giving up personal weekend time to support the center’s work.

The foundation also supports housing organizations, youth membership programs, food security initiatives, educational nonprofits, and healthcare causes across Greater Boston.

Never one to stand still or lag behind, Erland’s approach to artificial intelligence mirrors its broader philosophy: measured, purpose-led, and resistant to trend-chasing. The company currently uses Voyage Control for material tracking on the Tufts site, Briq for financial automation, and Billy for insurance compliance monitoring.

“We’re not always the early adopter of whatever’s hot in the market,” McDonald says. “We’re looking for the right thing that’s going to address the issues we’re actually trying to solve.”

This caution is grounded in experience. On takeoff tools, Erland found that the time saved by automation was largely consumed by the verification process required to catch errors—missing windows on an elevation, for instance. The tools are evolving, McDonald acknowledges, but have not yet reached the point where they can be trusted without the kind of scrutiny that negates the efficiency gain.

Erland participates in a peer group of non-competing firms from across the country, meeting twice yearly to share Best Practices and intelligence on technology adoption, AI in particular. “We want to find the right things that actually improve efficiency and provide value to our clients and our team,” McDonald says. “We also focus on AI policy, making sure people are using it responsibly and that we’re protecting not just our own information but our clients’ information.”

At the heart of Erland’s next chapter is a recently revised set of core values operating under the banner of “O.W.N. It,” which stands for One Team, Winning Results, and No Excuses. McDonald is candid about the tendency of company values to exist only on websites and in welcome packs, and Erland makes it a point to do things differently.

In the past year, the company has sent 20 percent of its employees to Team Trek. This week-long program in Arkansas is centered on personal and professional development and leadership self-awareness. It is this kind of investment in people that McDonald believes will contribute to Erland’s competitive position going forward as much as any technology platform.

“If we continue to invest in our people and do everything we can—with more of a servant leadership approach than a shape-up-or-ship-out attitude—we’re going to be more successful,” he says. “Construction is still, at its core, a people-driven industry. Pick up the phone, go to the job site, be a person. The human connection is so important.”

For a company approaching its 50^th year, still headquartered in the same Northwest Park where it first broke ground, that is not nostalgia; it is strategy. And it is a winning formula that will surely stand this firm in good stead for another 50 years.

The post Built on People: A Culture-First Approach to Growth and Innovation<p class="company">Erland Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Sherriff Goslin Roofing provides both residential and commercial roofing while offering superlative service regardless of a project’s size. The company, which also installs windows, gutters, and siding, has been family-owned throughout its lengthy history.

“We go back a long way. I’m currently the fourth generation,” says President and Chairman of the Board, Steve Ticknor, who is the great-grandson of co-founder Fred Sherriff.

Serving homeowners
Sherriff Goslin Roofing has 17 branches in total, situated across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. All branches are company-owned and mutually supportive; if one branch requires assistance on a project, other branches are happy to step in. And while the team does work on commercial projects, the focus is on “residential reroofing on existing homes,” explains Executive Vice President, Craig Lockerbie.

“Our bread and butter is your average homeowner in the small town of Anywhere, USA,” agrees Ticknor. “We want to keep them happy and have them tell their friends and neighbors about us.”

The company’s primary focus is residential reroofing and commercial flat roofing. Its services include roof repairs and replacement, storm damage restoration, and installing shingles and specialty roofs. Among its ancillary services are gutter, window, and siding installation—again, largely for existing structures.

Standout products
At present, the company can handle almost any type of roofing project, including specialty assignments involving metal, copper, or even ‘green’ roofs. Metal roofs are highly durable, stand up to brutal weather conditions, and are aesthetically pleasing. Lockerbie points out that metal roofing “is becoming a bigger part of the business,” due to increased customer demand.

A green roof, meanwhile, features a layer of live vegetation, be it shrubs, flowers, plants, or even trees, installed on a flat roof surface. Rooftop flora enhances insulation, resulting in more energy-efficient buildings, and absorbs rainwater, reducing the flow of runoff into sewers. Green roofs can also offer office workers a tranquil spot to unwind while helping building owners and developers achieve LEED certification. The growing popularity of green roofs “has a lot to do with LEED building; you get credit points for installing a green roof,” Lockerbie explains.

The team has also installed copper roofing, including a recent project involving a copper roof on a Greek Orthodox church.

In addition to outstanding service, Sherriff Goslin stands out with the patented Art-Loc, a specialty shingle originally developed in the 1920s by Bert Goslin. Unlike traditional shingles, these shingles interlock, forming a visually striking and structurally sound diamond-shaped pattern. Initially used to cover cedar shingles at a time when sealant strips were not common, Art-Loc has been an enduring success.

This product “is really what propelled us as a company at that time,” Lockerbie shares. “We still install thousands of squares each year of this product in the Midwest.”

In fact, almost all the shingles used by Sherriff Goslin are manufactured by the Atlas Roofing Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia. “They make Art-Loc for us. We’re the only ones who can sell it,” says Ticknor.

The biggest asset: people
The company’s family ownership model has provided consistency throughout the many decades and serves as a template for workplace loyalty. All told, managers of the 17 branches have a collective 454 years of service, a testament to the dedication and commitment that gives Sherriff Goslin a competitive edge. “We think loyalty is a big deal,” says Ticknor, citing cases where two generations of the same family work for the company.

“One of our biggest assets is the people that work here,” echoes Lockerbie. “We’re still here because of them. That’s very important to us.”

Sherriff Goslin employs between 150 and 180 staff on a seasonal basis as, for obvious reasons, work slows down in wintertime when snow blankets the Midwest. The team self-performs some tasks while subcontracting out other roofing duties, and in terms of new hires, the firm prefers “somebody willing to do whatever the job takes. Somebody not afraid of heights, obviously—you spent a lot of time going up and down a ladder—and somebody that really cares about servicing the customer,” says Lockerbie.

Safety and quality above all
To support its people, the company offers comprehensive employee and safety training. Two full-time safety monitors—who happen to be father and son—conduct safety training and perform on-site inspections, ensuring that employees are up to date with their training, keeping track of new Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, and constantly visiting jobsites.

And the Sherriff Goslin team is equally devoted to quality and customer care. Each roofing project begins with a free, thorough inspection. If clients wish to go forward, they are assigned a specific project manager who guides them through the process and keeps them updated on the progress of the work. Project managers are immersed in all aspects of an assignment from start to finish. Jobsites are tidied after work is completed, and clients can contact the company if any post-construction problems arise.

High standards, of course, are imperative given the nature of Sherriff Goslin’s business. “When you sell a roof, you’re selling something that you look at every day,” says Ticknor. A poorly done roof will be obvious to anybody driving by. Given this, it is essential that the work is done correctly and that all projects go according to plan, and this attitude is reflected in the company’s core values: safety, integrity, and quality.

A rich history
Sherriff Goslin Roofing traces its roots to 1906—a time when airplanes were a new innovation and automobiles were still rare. That year, Fred Sherriff organized the Battle Creek Roofing and Manufacturing Company. In 1910, he partnered with B.G. ‘Bert’ Goslin, and Sherriff Goslin Roofing was born. In the early years, employees were known to travel to jobsites by bicycle or train.

At one time, the company had branches as far afield as Illinois and even Florida, but over the decades, these were consolidated to streamline operations, as having to drive hours for projects was not a recipe for profitability, says Lockerbie. Regardless of these structural changes, the presence of the Sherriff and Goslin families has remained a constant, and the two families currently share majority ownership.

Churches, along with barns, offices, and other structures, represent the commercial side of the company’s business. High-profile projects within this segment include the Gilmore Car Museum, a huge complex featuring hundreds of vintage vehicles in multiple buildings spread over dozens of acres in Hickory Corners, Michigan. Among other tasks, Sherriff Goslin installed metal roofing and Art-Loc shingles on the museum’s facilities. “It’s a pretty big project that we continue to work. They keep adding buildings there,” says Lockerbie.

Success in the modern era
While Ticknor is certainly proud of the team’s achievements in the commercial sector, the company’s residential work remains paramount. “The big, fancy projects are really cool, but really our mainstay is dealing with individual homeowners, whether a 1,200-square-foot Cape Cod or a $1 million home. It’s about dealing with that individual person, because their home is [probably their] largest investment,” he notes. “No matter how big or small their home is, they’re trusting us to take care of them.”

“I’m seeing a wide variety of work. It’s not just residential; it’s round barns, country clubs, apartment complexes, huge condo complexes,” says Vice President of Marketing Cindy Goodison. Goodison takes the lead in the area of company promotion and uses a licensed drone pilot to get aerial shots of completed roofing projects. Such footage offers a vivid demonstration on how the firm blends old-fashioned craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology.

Goodison explains that advertising by the individual branches is more localized. Branches are better suited to respond to local conditions—whether it be a storm or strong economic growth in a community—and use print or television to spotlight their services. “Branches have the latitude to do what they see fit at a branch level,” she says. “They’re the boots on the ground. They know their competitors. If the competition turns up the heat, they know it’s time to start making noise in their areas.”

Going forward, the company plans to focus on enhancing its existing service offerings and continuing to hit high benchmarks in terms of quality, safety, workplace loyalty, and customer support.

“We’d like to be at 125 years in business,” Ticknor says of the five-year forecast for the company, adding that he is thankful for the company’s longevity. “We’ve made it to 120. We don’t take that for granted at all.”

The post This Family-Owned Business Marks 120 Years<p class="company">Sherriff Goslin Roofing</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

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.

The post Partnership, Passion, Professionalism<p class="company">Stasi Brothers</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Returning home after the Second World War, the young Marvin was eager to launch his own business, which he named Bloomsdale after the small Missouri town in which it was based. Soon joined by his brother Ralph, the two grew the fledgling enterprise from excavating and delivering gravel to farmers to larger infrastructure projects, like installing public water supplies and sewage systems.

To keep up with the workload, the brothers hired staff and invested in bigger pieces of machinery. A few years later, Marvin’s six sons joined the business, and the rest is history.

Employee ownership
Family-owned for decades, Bloomsdale Excavating wrote the next chapter of its story in September 2024 when it announced that the company was to become 100 percent employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Staff now have ownership interest in the company, a qualified retirement plan, and other benefits. Heptacore Inc.—a Drury family holding company providing excavation and foundation work—and subsidiary companies Bloomsdale Excavating Co., Central Fleet Inc., and Nexus Construction Service Group LLC, are all now ESOPs.

“This transition ensures that our dedicated team members, who have been the heart and soul of our success, are now also owners,” said the company in a LinkedIn post. “We’re proud to continue our legacy of excellence, commitment to our communities, and strong company culture—now with the added pride of employee ownership.”

When Bloomsdale made the transition into an ESOP, it also restructured its top executive positions, and Daniel Latham moved into the President – Integrator role, becoming the first non-family member at the helm. As Latham says, “Stepping into the role as the first non-family president of Bloomsdale Excavating Company and being trusted to continue an 80-year legacy is both an honor and a responsibility I take very seriously. As President, I’m committed to preserving the culture and values that built this company while continuing to strengthen our brand for the next generation. Our recent transition to an ESOP reflects that commitment by putting ownership in the hands of the people who make our success possible every day. It’s an exciting time as we honor our history while building a future rooted in shared pride, accountability, and long-term growth.”

Although the ESOP transition is new, Bloomsdale Excavating and its staff, including outside board members who contribute a different, high-level perspective, are already seeing benefits.

“The biggest impact it’s had on the business is the employee owners,” says Sales and Marketing Manager, Trevor Drury (fourth generation of the Drury family). “43 employees now own 100 percent of the company. There’s a lot more accountability in the office and out in the field. Everybody has really taken ownership of the responsibility of being an owner. Morale and efficiency have increased. There has been no negative impact in becoming an ESOP. It’s been a very positive experience up to this point.”

Some factors behind the move to ESOP included succession and buying out the company’s second generation, which was years in the making. The ESOP option became the most attractive and made the most sense. “It was about a year-long process, and we all came to terms with it,” says CEO, Scott Drury. “It surprised the heck out of our employees—we kept it quiet for about a year. We signed it over and rolled it out as a surprise.”

The Employee Stock Ownership Plan has brought a spirit of growth and has energized the entire company to get moving.

A range of projects
One of America’s foremost excavating companies, Bloomsdale’s services encompass site utilities, concrete, mining, demolition, and excavating and grading. Highly experienced, the team will take on everything from a small, $200,000 side project to data centers in the $70 to $80 million range that take 18 months to two years to complete—and any project in between. The company also does a select amount of residential work.

Markets served range from commercial (retail, healthcare, distribution centers) to mining and quarrying, energy projects, public works (municipal, transportation, recreation, education), and other projects, including federal works.

A long-time federal contractor, Bloomsdale took on small business status based on revenue, a move that has opened up plenty of opportunities for the company as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Small Business Contractor. The company’s primary Corps Districts include St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, Little Rock, Rock Island, and Omaha.

The company’s many projects include the Greenville Bank Stabilization, Ste. Genevieve Levee Flood Recovery, Levee Repairs, Grand Tower, and many others. The company’s federal work includes projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Along with many community and industry affiliations, including the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), the Associated General Contractors of Missouri, and the Southern Illinois Builders Association (SIBA), Bloomsdale holds several designations. These include three Small Business designations for Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237310, 237990, 237110), and designations for Specialty Trade Contracting (238110, 238910).

Focus on the military
“Our focus is really the Army Corps of Engineers and military base work,” says CEO, Scott Drury. Continuing to take on VA projects, the company is also seeing more opportunities with the EPA and has taken on work with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Among the company’s many VA projects is Jefferson Barracks Cemetery Expansion Phase 5C in St. Louis, Missouri. As a subcontractor, Bloomsdale worked closely with general contractor RKE. This saw the company provide a breadth of services, including site excavation and grading, concrete paving, curb and gutter, installing storm sewers, and 2,000 feet of new roadway. “Crypt field excavation and backfill could be performed one crypt at a time,” says the company. “Once each crypt field was mass excavated, an extensive underdrain system was constructed. With the soil being excavated, Bloomsdale was to haul that material offsite and did so with little to no disruption to the Government or the public.”

Along with the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery Expansion, another large-scale government project is the Fort Leonard Wood Hospital in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. This project saw Bloomsdale handle site grading, clearing and grubbing, erosion control, and utility extensions. This sizeable undertaking required the successful excavation of 320,000 cubic yards of earth and rock and the installation of 4,900 feet of water main and service lines, 6,000 feet of sanitary sewers, and 7,700 feet of storm sewers. This project also had a sizeable concrete package where Bloomsdale self-performed 58,000 square feet of sidewalk, 11,000 linear feet of curb and gutter, and 110,000 square feet of concrete pavement.

Steeped in safety
From government works to commercial projects, all of the company’s work has one thing in common: Bloomsdale’s commitment to employee safety, health, and wellness. For the company, the goal isn’t to reduce injuries, but to eliminate them. “Our safety plan is top-notch,” says Scott of the company, which has its own safety personnel (including a full-time Safety Director) and safety monitors in the field. Different people are appointed as safety monitors week-to-week, and this results in more tradespeople being directly involved in safe work protocols.

Bloomsdale Excavating is frequently recognized for its work by its customers, the community, and the broader industry. In 2025, the company secured a spot in the ‘Top Workplaces, small’ category by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “That’s a local award that companies strive for that reflects our culture and happiness in the workplace,” says Scott. “We received that award the past two years, hopefully three going on this year.”

80 great years
While the company appreciates recognition, one of its greatest rewards is continuing the work of founder Marvin Drury. Forming an 80^th anniversary committee, the company created a special logo, which it is using on documents being sent out, proposals, internally, and on social media posts.

The team will mark the monumental occasion internally for staff members and their families in July with a big carnival-style celebration, including bounce houses, inflatable slides, a live band, and “a heavy equipment rodeo, as we call it,” says Trevor. “This is where kids, teenagers, and even adults can hop on some smaller equipment, run them, and play some mini-games, like getting a basketball from a cone into a trashcan with the bucket of an excavator.” The company expects up to 500 people will attend the event. Bloomsdale will also throw a three-hour-long customer and vendor/supplier appreciation event in April with giveaways and the opportunity to thank others for their commitment to the company.

As Bloomsdale Excavating turns 80, the team looks forward to what the future will bring, including further diversification of its services, adding more equipment, and possibly even geographic expansion, “all to support good, solid, profitable growth, wherever that leads us,” says Scott. “We are definitely looking at diversification of services and geographic expansion into different areas.”

The post Breaking New Ground at 80<p class="company">Bloomsdale Excavating</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Today, with approximately 50 employees across multiple California locations, Zemarc is using its anniversary not as a retrospective moment, but as a forward-looking platform. The company is expanding geographically, reshaping how engineering knowledge is developed and transferred, and responding to market volatility with faster, more flexible system design.

Zemarc’s 50^th anniversary will officially arrive in October 2026, with celebrations planned throughout the year. Internally, the milestone is being marked not by a single event, but by recognition of employee tenure, honoring team members with five, 10, 20, and even 30-plus years at the company. That focus reflects a core principle that has remained consistent since the company’s founding: Zemarc is, by design, an employee-first organization.

That philosophy has shaped not only how the company retains talent, but how it adapts during periods of economic instability. Manufacturing has faced extended lead times, shifting tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and unpredictable customer demand over the last several years, and Zemarc’s response has been to strengthen internal collaboration and decision-making rather than centralize authority at the top.

Employee-driven leadership structures now play a formal role in shaping the company’s direction. Two internal employee resource groups, the Customer Success Team and the Internal Resource Committee, serve as cross-departmental bodies that help leadership prioritize operational improvements and customer experience challenges. Rather than relying on a single executive viewpoint, Zemarc uses these committees to uncover issues early and align teams across locations. This bottom-up approach has become increasingly important as the company grows and diversifies its customer base, particularly in technically demanding sectors such as aerospace and space launch.

One of the most defining shifts in Zemarc’s evolution has been the deliberate build-out of a specialized engineering team focused on advanced applications. While the company supports a wide range of industries, aerospace has become a major driver of its technical development strategy.

Elizabeth Meyer, Principal Systems Engineer, describes aerospace engineering as fundamentally different from many traditional fluid power projects. Unlike repeatable industrial systems, aerospace and space launch applications often involve unfamiliar fluids, extreme temperatures, unique materials, and unconventional operating conditions. Engineers must adapt quickly and work directly with customers who may not be fluent in fluid power terminology.

“When you’re working with these newer space launch companies, it’s really important to be willing to try new things and push the boundaries of your knowledge,” Meyer says. “You can’t just fall into the same routine.”

Fluid power itself is a broad umbrella, encompassing hydraulics, pneumatics, and process gases. While these systems share common valving and control principles, each application introduces distinct engineering considerations. Zemarc’s engineering group spends significant time translating between customer language and system requirements, often educating client engineering teams along the way.

That educational role has become a competitive advantage, particularly as fluid power remains underrepresented in formal engineering curricula. Meyer notes that many engineers entering the workforce have little exposure to fluid power concepts unless they come from specialized programs or agricultural engineering backgrounds.

Zemarc’s engineering team is notable not only for its technical focus, but for its composition. The current engineering group is entirely women, a rarity in the fluid power and manufacturing sectors. Over the past year, the company added two new engineers, strengthening both its systems engineering and sales engineering capabilities.

The visibility of women in hands-on engineering roles has also influenced the company’s approach to internships and early-career development. Zemarc actively supports engineering internships, many of which have transitioned into full-time roles, and Meyer views these programs as essential to addressing the industry’s looming knowledge gap. “For engineering, some of these internships have led to jobs in the company,” she says. “Internships are incredibly important for getting this next wave of engineers.”

As veteran engineers across the industry retire, the loss of undocumented tribal knowledge has become a growing concern, and Zemarc has responded by investing in internal education and documentation efforts designed to capture experiential knowledge before it disappears.

One of Zemarc’s most influential initiatives is its Hydraulics 101 program, developed as both an internal training platform and an external educational offering for customers. Rather than focusing on individual products, the program emphasizes system-level thinking, how components interact, how applications drive design decisions, and how modern fluid power solutions differ from legacy systems.

Internally, the program supports continuous education across departments, helping sales and engineering teams align on application knowledge. Externally, it serves as both a customer education tool and a recruiting pipeline, attracting individuals interested in entering the fluid power field. “We realized this wasn’t just important for Zemarc; it was important for the industry,” says Lucy Chen, Director of Marketing.

The program also plays a role in correcting misconceptions about fluid power, particularly in comparison to electric systems. While electrification continues to grow, Meyer notes that hydraulics still excel in applications requiring high force, precise control, and durability in harsh environments. This educational emphasis has become increasingly relevant as Zemarc works with aerospace testing facilities in regions such as Mojave, where hydraulic systems are integral to test stands and validation environments.

Zemarc’s newest growth initiative, the opening of a ParkerStore™ in Lancaster, California, represents a targeted expansion aligned with industry geography rather than simple footprint growth. The Lancaster–Palmdale–Mojave corridor has become a hub for aerospace manufacturing, testing, and space launch operations, creating demand for rapid, localized service.

Leading the new facility is Branch Manager Jannett Andrade, who describes the Lancaster location as fundamentally different from a traditional branch. “We’re targeting to open Q1 of 2026, with an open house and a full team blitz,” Andrade says. “One of our main goals is to establish ourselves in the Palmdale–Lancaster area as a ParkerStore.”

The 5,000-square-foot facility is being built to function as both a warehouse and a storefront, complete with a showroom and point-of-sale system. The goal is to encourage foot traffic while showcasing not only Parker products, but Zemarc’s broader hydraulic and pneumatic offerings.

Opening a ParkerStore is not a routine expansion; it reflects a level of trust from the manufacturer, which grants Zemarc responsibility for the territory. Chen emphasizes that the decision was made collaboratively with Parker based on Zemarc’s track record of technical capability, investment, and customer engagement.

One of the Lancaster facility’s primary value propositions is speed. The store is being equipped with hose assembly and cleaning capabilities, supported by dedicated inventory to enable rapid turnaround. “We already have a crimper on site, and that’s going to be one of our biggest value-add services,” Andrade says. “We’re investing in inventory so we can assemble hose assemblies quickly and keep customers moving.”

The location is designed to serve customers who “needed things yesterday,” particularly in aerospace ground support, testing operations near Mojave, general manufacturing, equipment rental yards, and municipal service providers such as street sweeper fleets.

In addition to reactive service, the Lancaster team will emphasize preventive maintenance, a critical but often overlooked component of operational reliability. Zemarc will offer free on-site inspections, helping customers avoid costly downtime. “If you don’t maintain your system, it’s going to get very expensive,” Andrade says. “You end up down for a month or two waiting for a part you could have pre-ordered if you had seen the issue coming.”

Certainly, the company’s ability to deliver under pressure has been reinforced by strategic vendor relationships, particularly with U.S.-based manufacturers capable of customization and fast turnaround. One such partner is DMIC, a valve and manifold manufacturer that has supported Zemarc through periods of extreme supply chain disruption.

From an engineering standpoint, DMIC’s flexibility has been critical. Meyer highlights their willingness to machine customized manifolds and specialty valves, capabilities that are often difficult to secure from larger, more rigid manufacturers. “Being able to quickly customize something to fit customer specs has been really helpful,” she says, particularly in space launch applications involving unusual gases, temperatures, or materials.

Chen adds that DMIC’s responsiveness during tariff fluctuations and pandemic-era shipping delays provided stability when lead times elsewhere became unpredictable. The manufacturer also pursued additional certifications at Zemarc’s request, supporting applications in process gas and biomedical environments that require stringent cleanliness standards. These partnerships enable Zemarc to offer alternatives when a single supplier cannot meet customer needs, an increasingly important capability as manufacturers hedge against uncertainty.

Another major evolution at Zemarc has been the development of its Zemarc Power Unit (ZPU) program. Introduced two years ago, the program was designed to address a growing demand for fast-delivery hydraulic power units without sacrificing customization. Initially, adoption was gradual; over the past year, however, interest has surged. Meyer notes that Zemarc has completed more power unit projects in the last year than in the previous five combined, driven largely by customers who need systems quickly and are willing to collaborate on specifications to reduce lead times.

Traditional aerospace customers often require highly specific designs, while space launch companies prioritize speed and adaptability, and Zemarc works with both, helping customers understand where compromises can accelerate delivery without undermining performance. “We’ve been able to find happy mediums with them,” Meyer explains, enabling faster deployment while maintaining quality.

The ZPU program is supported by strategic inventory decisions at Zemarc’s Fresno facility, where commonly used components are stocked to enable rapid assembly. This approach reflects a broader shift toward responsiveness as a competitive advantage in manufacturing.

While sustainability is not positioned as a headline initiative, it increasingly factors into Zemarc’s engineering decisions, particularly through system footprint reduction and fluid selection. Custom manifolds, for example, allow engineers to consolidate components and improve energy efficiency over a system’s lifecycle. Meyer also points to a growing push for more environmentally sustainable hydraulic fluids, especially in coastal and water-adjacent applications such as space launch sites. These fluids can reduce environmental impact in the event of a spill but often introduce tradeoffs related to cost, viscosity, temperature sensitivity, and wear characteristics.

Rather than promoting one-size-fits-all solutions, Zemarc’s role is to educate customers on these tradeoffs and help them select fluids and system designs appropriate to their operating conditions.

Despite widespread enthusiasm for artificial intelligence across manufacturing, both Meyer and Chen are candid about its current limitations in fluid power engineering. The issue is not resistance to technology, but the lack of reliable data; much of fluid power knowledge exists as undocumented experience rather than published material, and existing textbooks are often decades old and fail to account for modern electrohydraulic and integration practices. AI tools, drawing from outdated or incomplete sources, struggle to distinguish between civil engineering hydraulics and mechanical fluid power applications. This reality reinforces Zemarc’s emphasis on documentation, internal education, and direct mentorship as the primary means of advancing expertise.

As the company enters its sixth decade, its strategy is defined less by scale than by depth. The Lancaster expansion, ZPU program, and educational initiatives all reflect a common theme: moving faster without losing rigor.

For Meyer, the most encouraging shift is the growing industry-wide recognition of the knowledge gap and the need to address it proactively. “We’re starting to see companies worry more about the long term,” she observes.

Zemarc’s approach suggests that the future of manufacturing will not be driven solely by automation or digital tools, but by organizations willing to invest in people and the difficult work of translating experience into shared knowledge. At 50, Zemarc is not simply reflecting on where it has been but actively shaping where fluid power goes next.

The post A Technology-led Approach to Serving Modern Manufacturing<p class="company">Zemarc Corporation</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

President and Chief Executive Officer Teddy Rodgers cites a simple formula involving customer care, quality workmanship, and a humble attitude as the secret to the company’s success.

“I think part of it is focusing on the customer’s experience,” states Rodgers. “We’re trying to have a very authentic relationship with our clients. What we do isn’t always fun for people, because it’s our job to keep their vision and the budget aligned,” he says.

“We still take opportunities that companies that have been in business as long as us would probably pass on, and it’s because you don’t want to forget where you started and how you got here” he adds. “My partner kind of jokes with me: ‘You’re the only person I know that would go out and bid a $15 million to $20 million project and turn around and bid a $10,000 project.’” Working on these lower-priced contracts helps build the company’s reputation and can lead to multi-million dollar assignments, he explains.

The company was launched in 2006 by Rodgers and Brent Anderson. Anderson today serves as co-owner and Chief Financial Officer. Partnering with Bruce McGaughey in 2015 allowed the company to actively pursue commercial work. That partnership helped Anderson & Rodgers flourish, with Bruce McGaughey now acting as Vice President of the company. All told, the company presently employs around 20 people, and while it primarily takes on projects within central Kentucky, it is also licensed to work in Ohio, Florida, and now, Tennessee. The firm offers a combination of in-house and subcontracted services with trusted partners.

Anderson & Rodgers’ work for the residential sector encompasses everything from bathrooms and kitchens to outdoor spaces, additions, and brand-new construction. Within the commercial sector, the company has done projects for the retail, office, medical and health, and multifamily building markets. It has taken on some fascinating restoration/historic projects as well, restoring a century-old log and stone shelter for the state of Kentucky, as well as the John G. King building, a historic office building in downtown Lexington constructed in the 1870s, for example.

Not all end users of Anderson & Rodgers’ construction projects walk on two legs. Horses account for a sizeable amount of the company’s business, which is understandable given that the state hosts the world-famous Kentucky Derby and features countless sites where horses are trained, raised, and reared. To this end, Anderson & Rodgers “just finished a modern surgery center for an equestrian hospital,” notes Rodgers with pride.

Anderson & Rodgers also does a brisk business in equine barns, creating safe, secure, controlled environments for horses. Equine barns are available for both residential and commercial customers, and the firm partners with some of the most renowned barn designers in the country on equestrian riding arenas to train horses or for recreational riding.

A few years ago, Anderson & Rodgers partnered with Harrison Harvesting to construct a USDA-regulated meat processing plant, and the companies have joined forces again to build a retail outlet in Richmond, Kentucky. Operating under the corporate name Bourbon Barrel Beef, the outlet will offer “high-quality, locally sourced beef products,” explains newly hired Sales and Marketing Director, Trey Schadt, adding that, “more families in Richmond will be able to access sustainable meat.”

Ground was broken for the project in early December, with construction scheduled to wrap up by spring. Once it opens, the Richmond location will become Harrison Harvesting’s third retail outlet in Kentucky.

The company is also working on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) project in Cincinnati and a massive private home in Georgetown, Kentucky. These two assignments underline the firm’s range and willingness to take on totally different projects.

The HUD job, which is centered on an affordable housing development, serves two purposes, says Rodgers. First, it “gives us an opportunity to give back” and provide decent housing for disadvantaged people, he explains. At the same time, doing this work “really sets you up for future opportunities with state or federal [agencies] or non-profit organizations,” he says.

The private home project, meanwhile, entails a 24,000-square-foot property with an intriguing backstory. “It’s a very unique property and the story behind it is just as unique. The [owner] bought it at auction partly built many years ago. He farmed the land for years and finally decided to make the investment and finish the property. The hope is to finish that project and make a video about it, although it may take some convincing considering the private lifestyle the client lives.”

The latter comment touches on a new aspect of the company’s business. Since we last spoke in April 2024 for Construction in Focus, Schadt was brought on board to drum up new business, network with colleagues and potential clients, and promote the company. “I love to tell stories about construction and try to educate people on what a construction process looks like,” says Schadt. Some of these stories are told through photographs, text and videos on the company website, and social media profiles. “Trey’s been vital to the company taking a more targeted approach to its image,” says Teddy. “We have always worked hard to have a polished image, spending money on professional photos instead of doing them with our iPhones, but now we have someone focused on this mission full-time, so it’s been a game changer.

As for what the company looks for in a new hire, “experience is key, but attitude is as well. Construction is hard enough as it is; there are constant challenges. If you’re a problem solver, it’s a great field for you because you’re going to face problems with supply; you’re going to face problems with labor; you’re going to face problems with customers,” says Rodgers. “If you’re expecting everything to run perfectly, you’re going to be pretty miserable.” Normalizing these struggles is a day one training tool,” Rodgers adds. “I heard someone once say, ‘a pessimist is just a well-educated optimist.’”

The company takes good care of its personnel, hosting monthly safety meetings and toolbox safety talks and providing all appropriate PPE. It also takes good care of its customers; Anderson & Rodgers earned top kudos in the annual Best of Lexington 2025 awards, compiled by the Lexington Herald Leader. The firm has consistently rated high in these awards over the years, and this time around, won silver in the best remodeler/contractor category and gold for best interior designer.

The gold honor, bestowed upon Lead Designer Shana Baum, highlights the firm’s comprehensive design capabilities. The team offers a base package consisting of design consultations, floorplans, electrical and lighting plans, material plans, and more. Using specialty software, Anderson & Rodgers can also guide customers on a 3D tour to see what a proposed design would look like once completed.

Anderson & Rodgers also continue to be active on the philanthropic front. The group takes part in a charitable Christmas tree giveaway event, raising $850 with the help of other local businesses, and participated in a doghouse auction for a local humane society, partnering with an architect to design the doghouse and raising $1500. “There’s always something we’re putting our hands in to give back to the community. It’s fun and rewarding,” Rodgers says.

Of course, the company faces its share of challenges, from economic uncertainty to tariffs. And ironically, the high caliber of the Anderson & Rodgers workforce can be challenging in that other businesses are eager to poach personnel. “We’ve fought to keep our employees, but there are always companies scouting our employees,” he shares. “We’re hiring very talented people. I’ve got a great team.” Rodgers also states, “I don’t know any other company that’s had the same amount of people leave to start their own successful businesses. It truly speaks to the drive and talent we strive for from our team.

As for the future, Teddy Rodgers is not thinking about introducing any new services, preferring instead to “polish and sharpen,” existing capabilities. Growing the company’s footprint is also top of mind. “We’d love to expand into more markets, do more work in Cincinnati, pursue more work in Tennessee. The same goes for Indiana,” he adds. “About a third of the 16 medical facilities we built from 2014 to 2020 were in Southern Indiana.”

Growth will be organic, he emphasizes; the firm is not interested in chasing work or luring clients, instead focusing on meaningful interactions with potential clients and peer organizations, being proud and active members of the BIA. Brent Anderson has acted as President for two terms, and Teddy Rodgers as Remodel Council Chairman. Brent currently remains on the board as the immediate past president, actively lobbying with State Legislators on issues important to BIA and their members.

Schadt wants to build more partnerships. “Within the process of construction, people can butt heads,” he says, “whether it be with the architect and builder or builder and engineers. We want to come together as a unified front and say, ‘Here’s how we can help you and be a resource for you throughout any stage of this process.’”

Overall, the company’s level-headed, “boots-on-the-ground” approach, as Rodgers calls it, seems to be paying off. “Nobody was considering us for a million dollar-plus project 15 years ago. Nobody was considering us for a $10 million project five or six years ago. Now we’re at the point where we’re being considered for $10 million to $20 million projects,” he says. “We have to continue to grow that portfolio.”

The post Exceeding Expectations, Every Time<p class="company">Anderson & Rodgers Construction</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

Apollo Supply operates from four locations, serving professional builders and remodelers with wholesale distribution of windows, siding, roofing, doors, and related exterior materials. From truckload purchasing to precise job-site deliveries, the company’s role sits at the intersection of logistics, service, and trust, an intersection that demands consistency and a deep understanding of contractor needs.

At the center of Apollo’s recent evolution is a clear growth strategy focused on digital infrastructure and geographic expansion, all while preserving the hands-on, relationship-driven culture that has defined the business since its founding. The company functions squarely in the B2B world, serving builders and contractors who rely on accuracy and problem-solving to keep projects moving. Orders are rarely simple; materials arrive in bulk, are broken down to match individual jobs, and are delivered with specialized equipment capable of placing loads directly onto rooftops or precise job-site locations.

That operational complexity has shaped the company’s philosophy: everything begins with service. As Gerry Bednarcik, Marketing Manager at Apollo Supply, explains, “It’s all about making sure the customer’s getting taken care of. You have to think of them first and then work your way back from there.”

Rather than positioning itself as just another supplier, Apollo aims to become a long-term partner, and this approach is especially meaningful in an industry where repeat business is habitual and hard-won. Contractors don’t switch suppliers easily. Trust is earned gradually, through consistent delivery and responsiveness when things don’t go as planned.

The exterior building products distribution industry remains highly fragmented, but consolidation has accelerated. Large national distributors increasingly dominate the landscape, often leveraging their purchasing power and technology budgets to standardize operations. And while that scale can deliver efficiency, it often comes at the expense of local decision-making and relationships.

Apollo Supply has taken a very different path. Remaining independent allows the company to adapt faster and build relationships that extend beyond transactions. According to Bednarcik, “Our niche here in Cleveland is because we really do care about the customer.” That care shows in how Apollo operates day to day. Rather than allocating materials by region or treating accounts as interchangeable numbers, the team remains deeply engaged with customers’ success. The goal isn’t just one order; it’s a lifetime relationship built on mutual growth.

Growth, however, doesn’t happen by relying on legacy processes alone. Over the past several years, Apollo Supply has implemented a deliberate, phased digital strategy designed to modernize operations while making it easier for customers to do business.

The first phase began with a full website update, creating a clearer digital front door for the brand. That effort has continued with ongoing refinements, ensuring the site accurately reflects Apollo’s capabilities, culture, and offerings. Phase two marked a more significant internal shift: the launch of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This platform now serves as the operational nucleus of the business, housing customer transactions and internal workflows.

Building on that foundation, Apollo introduced a new pay platform that integrates directly with the ERP system. Launched in late summer, the platform allows customers to view invoices, access purchase histories, submit manufacturer rebates, and make payments anytime and anywhere. What surprised the team most was how quickly contractors embraced it. “We’ve seen tremendous adoption,” notes Bednarcik. “The customers really wanted it because it’s all about ease of doing business.” For Apollo, the success of the pay platform reinforced a central belief: when processes are simplified and friction is removed, customers respond.

Unlike national competitors with deep technology budgets, Apollo has taken a pragmatic approach to innovation. Rather than building extensive proprietary platforms from scratch, the company observes what works in the market and integrates proven solutions that align with its scale and goals.

This “fast follower” mindset allows Apollo to compete effectively without losing focus on service. Technology becomes a tool, not the headline, supporting better experiences rather than replacing relationships. The next phase of Apollo’s digital strategy continues in that spirit.

Looking ahead, Apollo Supply is targeting the launch of an online purchasing platform, known internally as Apollo Go, that will allow contractors to place orders, review pricing, schedule tentative deliveries, and manage their accounts more independently. Beyond transactions, the platform is also envisioned as an educational hub. Contractors and crews will be able to access training content related to product knowledge and installation techniques. While a firm launch date hasn’t been set, the target is approximately one year out, allowing time for refinement and integration. The focus remains clear: to ensure the platform genuinely adds value rather than introducing complexity.

As Apollo’s operational systems have modernized, the company has turned its attention outward—specifically, to brand awareness and targeted marketing. Because the company serves contractors rather than homeowners, its marketing approach is intentionally narrow; there’s no desire to cast a wide net or attract casual interest. Instead, campaigns are built around very specific demographics: business owners operating in defined regions with repeat purchasing needs.

Conversions in this industry rarely happen quickly. Relationships are built through multiple touchpoints, often long before the first order is placed. Marketing, in this context, becomes an ecosystem rather than a funnel. Visibility builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust. Trust eventually changes habits.

The past decade marks a turning point in Apollo Supply’s physical expansion. After operating from a single location for many years, the company accelerated growth significantly with four locations since 1996, and this momentum hasn’t slowed. Conversations are already underway regarding a potential fifth location, with demographic analysis and site evaluations in progress. Expansion is not driven by ambition alone; it’s guided by logistics efficiency and the ability to replicate Apollo’s customer-first model in new markets.

While exterior building products are a mature space, shifts in materials and performance expectations continue to create opportunities, and Apollo Supply has seen strong growth by leaning into engineered cladding solutions such as James Hardie, LP SmartSide, and Ascend by Associated Materials. These products offer higher performance and durability, meeting evolving demands for quality and longevity. Manufacturers have also increased their own marketing efforts, driving awareness and adoption at the contractor level. For Apollo Supply, investing in training and marketing around these products has paid dividends both in revenue and in positioning as a knowledgeable partner rather than just a distributor.

For his part, Gerry Bednarcik’s connection to Apollo Supply runs deep. Having worked across multiple roles, from warehouse operations to early e-commerce initiatives, his perspective is shaped by firsthand experience and long-term commitment. After spending time with a Fortune 500 manufacturer, the contrast became clear. “I really feel like we’re making a difference for them, the 60 employees that we have,” he explains. “They depend on us, and we depend on our customers.” That sense of impact fuels Apollo’s culture, reinforcing the idea that growth isn’t just about scale; it’s about responsibility to employees, customers, and partners alike.

Of course, sustainability is part of the broader industry’s conversations, but Apollo approaches it with realism. The nature of the business—heavy materials and bulk transport—does limit certain initiatives. The company recycles materials such as cardboard, aluminum, and scrap generated through operations, but electrifying a fleet designed to transport thousands of pounds per delivery remains impractical at this stage. Rather than overpromising, Apollo focuses on operational responsibility and reliability, ensuring materials arrive when promised and are delivered correctly, and with minimal disruption to job timelines.

Over the next 12 months, Apollo Supply expects continued momentum across several fronts: the addition of another location, the advancement of Apollo Go, and sustained investment in digital and marketing infrastructure. But the underlying strategy remains unchanged. As Bednarcik says, “Our winning recipe is still taking care of the customer and moving forward in a larger geography.” It’s a recipe built on service and intentional growth and one that positions Apollo Supply not just to compete, but to lead in a changing industry.

As consolidation reshapes the distribution landscape, Apollo stands as proof that family-owned businesses don’t have to sacrifice their values to scale. With the pedal firmly to the metal, the company is discovering just how far that balance can take it.

The post Built on Service, Powered by Strategy<p class="company">Apollo Supply</p> appeared first on Construction In Focus.

It comes as no surprise, then, that legacy operators are developing innovative ways to expand their reach and secure their stake in this lucrative field. McShea Contracting, a leading road striping firm based in Lehigh Acres, is currently leading the way in establishing Florida’s largest-ever presence in this market.

Following Florida’s rapid population growth boosting road user rates to all-time highs, McShea Contracting spent the past year and a half turning itself into the state’s single largest company of its kind with the help of a few strategic acquisitions and decades of solid business acumen. Specializing in methyl methacrylate paint services for the road infrastructure sector, McShea’s premium UV- and weather-resistant road markings keep road users safe across the state by improving traffic flow and safety management.

In a state that rates third in fatal road incidents with more than 24 million registered vehicles and nearly 19 million drivers on the road, McShea Contracting understands its crucial role in Florida’s efforts to improve road user safety only too well. Now, with this large group dedicated to end-user satisfaction and road safety in the state, fingers are crossed that the people of Florida will continue to see a steady decline in road accidents despite current, widely reported congestion issues.

To this end, the McShea team is committed to playing a significant role in helping to keep traffic across the Sunshine State running smoothly. With federal support implemented through programs such as the Federal Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Safe System Approach, overall traffic infrastructure such as roundabouts and other management and speed control features is also being improved.

With a strategy that smartly defies the old-fashioned way of expansion—where burgeoning organizations become too impersonal to care about remaining in touch with the humans that make them work—this forward-thinking company recently acquired some of its most respected competitors. Going from 90 employees to over 430 and nearly five times its original earnings in revenue, it created a single company powerful enough to serve the 65,758-square-mile geographic region of Florida with personal service delivery that puts a positive customer experience at the heart of its mission. This is achieved with the help of McShea’s highly engaged micro teams, who are familiar with customers and continue nurturing these valuable relationships with the same care the company did when it was a smaller operator.

Growing from four offices serving the state’s southern regions to 10 serving the state, McShea’s goal is simple: to provide a comprehensive road striping service that not only integrates with its road builder customers’ schedules and their overall needs, but also delivers a quality service with a high level of personal engagement. “Of course, we don’t claim to be perfect. But we do handle any mistakes or problems on jobs,” says Dan McWilliams, President, of the company’s commitment to becoming a premium preferred supplier in its market.

True to its roots, open communication leads the way at McShea. The company’s improved capacity now also means extending its reach to new geographies. To achieve this as seamlessly as possible, weekly scheduling meetings serve as gathering posts where plans for such expansion are discussed and implemented.

Officially established in 2009, the family contractor had its earliest origins in Michigan, where McWilliams’ uncle established the mother operation, PK Contracting, half a century ago—a company that is still in business there. Following the striping business to their uncle’s holiday house in Florida, Dan and his cousin decided to leverage their access to generational knowledge and longstanding connections with Michigan road constructors to build their own business. “We started with one little office and just a couple of trucks,” McWilliams says.

The business grew, and in 2021, the family sold both their operations to a private equity outfit, Frontline Road Safety Group. “That was a change for us because we went from a family-owned mom and pop business to a more corporate structure,” McWilliams continues. Having had similar propositions in the past, the family was, at first, not too keen on this one either. Keeping its family-owned character was important, and so was retaining its staff. However, once Frontline made it clear that the acquisition would require the company to continue operating with all its existing staff and management intact, the offer was accepted. The rest, as they say, is history.

In this way, McShea’s company culture was preserved, McWilliams stayed on, and today, the firm is stronger than ever. Following the first acquisition, that of Sanford, Florida’s Oglesby Construction in 2024, owners Tim Parker and his son continued running the operation as they had for decades. Emerald Coast Striping in Pensacola followed only a month or so later. That was followed by another two acquisitions in Tallahassee and Panama City, respectively. There is also Angco Striping in Longwood, all in the state of Florida.

News of McShea’s steady expansion got around as well as its reputation for being a good and fair employer. As a result, the company saw over 70 percent of another competitor’s staff join its ranks following a steady decline in staff satisfaction there. “We had no idea it was going to be the domino effect that it was,” McWilliams says of the en masse walk-over that would enable McShea to open yet another facility, this time in Plant City. Frontline then purchased said competitor’s parent firm, securing a fully operational office space in the same city that the original McShea Plant City outfit could then move into.

Considering the number of acquisitions since July last year, it stands to reason that blending all these teams into a well-functioning unit with a healthy operational culture has taken some careful planning. With every acquired business bringing a decade or two of operational value to McShea, alongside many decades of collective expertise, the company is now in a better position for scaling its operations than ever.

“I’m very proud,” says McWilliams. “We’re still trying to put this thing together operationally in terms of combining our best aspects. It’s a special thing for us all to be on the same side now and have all this knowledge and these resources under one roof.”

Naturally, all this effort is underscored by McShea’s deep understanding of the market—and the importance of pleasing its customers through more powerful capabilities and ever-improving service. As such, it is looking at two more companies it hopes will soon join its stable of service providers. This will enable the team to better serve the entire state, including the region between Gainesville and Jacksonville.

In further developing its service portfolio, McShea is also exploring the addition of rumble strips—a safety feature applied to tarmac where road surface incisions alert drivers to potential hazards. There is also traffic maintenance work lined up in the state’s panhandle region, which will see the advent of package deals that its contractor client base will soon benefit from.

Remaining in stride with its customers’ demanding schedules also means being able to pivot at short notice. By maintaining a well-supervised network of operators across the state, the company’s extended team is able to reach most of Florida. And, with the largest fleet of striping equipment in the state, becoming multi-talented has become a superpower that McShea Contracting is especially proud of.

“We want to be the leading road striper in the state of Florida, providing the best service to all the prime road building contractors,” McWilliams says. Recognizing the sheer volume of expertise and collective time in the field that this company brings to the table, more and more road-building contractors are increasingly turning to McShea for durable industry excellence in roadmarking and other infrastructure services that they know they can count on.

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Senior Architect and Partner, Philippe Ashby, appreciates that such a longstanding firm continues to evolve and build on its capabilities, adding three new partners since we last spoke in 2021 and never resting on its laurels. These new partners, he says, bring experience in design, construction, technology, and the technical side of architecture, all of which exemplify the work that DMA does. Moves like these showcase the firm’s vision of keeping its expertise broad and building on a strong foundation.

Mr. Ashby tells us that DMA has gained a bird’s-eye view of the architecture field in its near-70 years in business. With a team of more than 40 individuals, the company excels in institutional, commercial, and cultural work, and specializes in rehabilitation projects including heritage properties and the unique considerations they bring.

The team’s collective knowledge base includes not only this rich technical expertise but also the robust processes needed to better itself and its industry, with particular attention paid to documentation. Since its founding, the company’s reputation has been built on its methodology, tenacity, knowledge of Montreal’s built environment, and avant-garde creativity, which all come together in a comprehensive offering with the data to back it up. At DMA Architectes, this data is put to good use for the benefit of the awarded project while taking into account potential future needs and the long-term value of the project—key considerations with heritage properties in particular. As Mr. Ashby explains, “It’s important for us to engage the client relationship and ensure they get full service for the work we’re putting into place.”

Guided by such rigorous internal processes, DMA is able to tackle projects of varying scopes and scales. The company is currently collaborating with PRA and NFOE on a three-phase project for Polytechnique Montréal involving expansion and redevelopment work, and important rehabilitation work is also being done with NORR at the National Printing Bureau, a Classified Federal Heritage Building in Gatineau.

Indeed, Montreal has proven to be a fruitful place for DMA Architectes to call home. Mr. Ashby explains that many of the city’s buildings were built in the 1970s and 1980s, which means many of them are now in need of maintenance and renovation work; this work is promising but it is also complex. Many of these projects involve occupied commercial buildings, which means that the firm must be wary of the particular needs of the tenants within, as well as those of the client.

Mr. Ashby says that DMA has the technical know-how to see and approach these projects from all angles, looking at restoration, rehabilitation/conversion, or replacement as needed. Each approach comes with distinct impacts, technical challenges, and benefits, so when it comes to projects, DMA looks carefully at the finer details. For instance, in light of the rise of modern office towers in the ’70s and ’80s, DMA has developed an expertise in glazing, window, and curtain wall interventions that come with specific challenges, expertise that is coming in handy in the company’s present work on two major rehabilitation projects.

“It is important to be able to accompany our client with the technical support required but also to engage in important questions regarding logistical issues such as how the work will impact tenants, how the job site will be organized, and how the work will take place,” explains Mr. Ashby. Of the two current projects in question, both impose very different impacts on the sequence of work and therefore the tenant impact; one is employing more traditional methods (lifts and platforms) and one a newer, enclosed system (Upbrella). The Upbrella system provides an enclosure that offers a controlled environment which facilitates the work and inspections and improves control over the schedule. However, the work and services need to be adapted to the different conditions that are chosen for a project.

As an employer, DMA aims to curate a similarly collaborative environment in the workplace. Overall, the firm maintains a horizontal approach wherein everyone is encouraged to participate and share their thoughts on various aspects of projects. This is key to creating a sense of openness and belonging within the team.

DMA has also recently moved into new offices, a move done in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic to get its people back to business as usual in an enticing work environment. “Collaboration is important in our field of work,” says Mr. Ashby, and younger staff members benefit from working in proximity to their team and their mentors. One never stops learning as an architect, says Mr. Ashby, and there is no better way to do so than in person.

The company makes this mentoring easy with in-house presentations on projects, software, and lessons learned. “It’s important to feel like you’re growing within the firm,” says Mr. Ashby. He tells us that architects, traditionally, are generalists in terms of technical ability; although DMA encourages its team members to develop their own specialties, everyone enjoys and benefits from a variety of work. By continually building on their skill sets and expanding their knowledge bases, everyone at DMA is in a position to meaningfully contribute in a variety of ways, and the work is that much more rewarding and stimulating.

The current architectural market, Mr. Ashby says, is in a state of flux, which poses certain challenges but has also allowed DMA to adapt its approach. There have been significant budget cuts in institutional projects in the education sector (historically, a large segment of the firm’s work), bringing market shifts for the firm and the industry. A number of projects are presently on standby, and meanwhile, DMA is shifting focus to its other markets such as building restoration and commercial buildings.

Although DMA is meeting with success in exploring diverse projects, there are still a lot of unknowns around elements like tariffs and global trade. While some suppliers may not see an impact (such as aluminum suppliers who get their product from Europe), others are affected far more greatly, forcing everyone to adapt to stay competitive.

Mr. Ashby says that, as a firm whose rich and varied expertise sets it apart, DMA Architectes wants to continue building on its strengths and applying them to as many sectors as possible. The team is exploring some new avenues and, as always, enjoying the large-scope projects to which it can contribute as part of a team. Moving forward, DMA will also keep its eye on factors like sustainability and climate change with regard to the role they play in building maintenance. Mr. Ashby says that attention must be paid to the ever-aging built environment, and to protect and preserve these buildings means they must first be carefully analyzed through every lens.

DMA Architectes has always gone the extra mile for its clients, and now, with nearly seven decades of experience behind it, the firm continues to evolve with purpose, blending tradition, technology, and teamwork to meet the demands of an ever-changing built environment. This company’s enduring success lies not only in the quality of its work but also in its capacity to adapt, mentor, and anticipate what comes next. As the firm strengthens its leadership, expands its expertise, and deepens its commitment to the preservation of Montreal’s architectural fabric, DMA Architectes remains firmly rooted in the values that have defined it since 1957: precision, collaboration, and an unwavering dedication to building better spaces for generations to come.

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Tyler leads with integrity, determination, and a clear vision for growth and innovation.

A foundation built on determination
From a young age, Tyler learned that hard work and perseverance pave the way for success. He attended Unity College in Maine, where small classes and close faculty connections created the ideal environment for his hands-on learning style.

After graduation, Tyler began his career in arboriculture, spending long days high above the ground in Maine’s challenging weather. When a business venture ended unexpectedly, he seized a new opportunity by joining PM Construction through a family connection. Starting at the ground level, he took on every task with humility and focus, quickly earning a reputation for reliability and leadership.

Turning a challenge into opportunity
Early in his PM Construction career, Tyler identified a serious issue with firestopping in a hospital project, an overlooked safety risk that few understood at the time. Determined to find a solution, he researched the field extensively and connected with experts who helped him master the trade. This pivotal moment led to the creation of National Firestopping Solutions (NFS) in 2012, which has since grown into a trusted partner for hospitals and facilities across more than 30 states.

Balancing long hours at PM Construction with the demands of building a new business, Tyler transformed a complex problem into a thriving company that strengthens life safety and compliance nationwide.

Leadership and vision
Mentored by PM Construction’s founder, William Nason, Tyler rose steadily through the company’s ranks and officially became President and CEO in April 2024. Today, he continues to honor the company’s long-standing values while driving innovation and sustainable growth.

Under his leadership, PM Construction has strengthened relationships with major clients such as Hannaford Supermarkets and expanded its portfolio of affordable housing projects, including the $14 million Adam’s Point development in Biddeford and a $4 million park project in Portland. The company’s team of experienced superintendents and emerging professionals share Tyler’s commitment to craftsmanship and community impact.

People at the core
PM Construction’s success is built on its people. Tyler Ferguson fosters a workplace culture grounded in teamwork, accountability, and respect, where employees celebrate milestones, support one another, and take pride in shared success. The company’s new 19,000-square-foot headquarters reflects this spirit of growth and collaboration, housing both PM Construction and its sister company, NFS.

As a devoted husband and father of five daughters, Charlotte, Hazel, Evelyn, Valerie, and Claire, Tyler Ferguson credits his family as his greatest motivation. His journey exemplifies the power of persistence, humility, and hard work in building both a thriving company and a meaningful life.

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