It comes as no surprise that Manhattan Mechanical Services recently won the Three Rivers Manufacturing Association (TRMA) Platinum Safety Award from its local safety council for exceeding excellence in the required job site safety protocols and performance. Observing the company, it’s clear that its stellar safety record exemplifies the way Manhattan tackles all the extraordinarily demanding protocols and skill creation that its chosen field requires.
In Focus
Slayden Plumbing & Heating Inc.
40 Years of Integrity, Safety, and Service
From its head office in North Pole and a branch in Wasilla, Alaska, Slayden Plumbing & Heating Inc. (SPHI), incorporated in 1983, has completed public and private projects in more than 75 cities and villages, as well as in remote areas of the state. With an employee base of 100, SPHI is among the largest mechanical contractors in Alaska—but it didn’t begin that way, says company President Jeremiah Raby, who told us how the company started by William (Bill) Slayden in 1979 found its beginnings in the garage at Mr. Slayden’s home.
Optimal Field Services
Trust, Teamwork, and Talent
Understanding that every project comes with risk, Optimal Services strives to help minimize those risks by implementing unique solutions across the nation, helping clients stay on schedule and within budget. With its commitment to honesty and reliability, and with the expertise of highly skilled and knowledgeable artisans in numerous locations, Optimal’s impressive experience and commitment to success have helped shape the company into what it is today.
Building Trades Recovery Week (BTEA Northeast)
Building Change through Connection
In light of the numbers of annual opiate-related deaths of people working in construction, Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA) Northeast’s Executive Director Emeritus Thomas J. Gunning saw the need for the next generation to find solutions to the problem. That is how Recovery Week was conceived. Today, his son, Executive Director Thomas S. Gunning, and his team are helping to save and change lives and educate leaders and employees among the over 74,000 construction professionals the union building trades represent in Massachusetts—and their approach is working.
Homestar Inc.
From Mowing Lawns to Full-Service Construction
Homestar Inc., a full-service construction company based in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, continues to push itself to “make it happen for our customers,” says owner and CEO Mark Hatfield.
G.R. Noto Electrical Construction, Inc.
Lighting the Future
Choosing an electrical contractor for any construction project can be risky. However, G.R. Noto Electrical Construction is steeped in generational knowledge with a reputation for excellence, and that is why its clients keep coming back. This unionized electrical contractor has over half a century’s industry expertise, spanning three generations.
Alpha Iron
Committed to Quality, Safety, and Growth
Alpha Iron, part of the Alliance Industrial Group, Inc., specializes in steel erection, fabrication, steel painting, and coatings for a variety of industries including high-tech, commercial, marine, bulk handling, primary metals, energy, and chemical.
Danard Electric
People-Focused Service for Four Generations
Electrical services provider Danard Electric is based in Tacoma, Washington and has a diverse clientele across the state. The company was formed in 1947 when Ben Danard wanted to start a company for electric home heating; he didn’t like what he saw in the industry at the time, and knew he could provide better quality and customer service.
ACI Asphalt & Concrete
Building a Blueprint for Safety
Thousands of clients each year will tell you that ACI Asphalt & Concrete Inc. is their first choice when it comes to all things asphalt and concrete pavement, a reputation backed by thirty seasons of delivering on projects of all sizes. Now, the focus goes beyond project quality to include a heightened level of safety as the company grows its capacity and footprint.
Bassi Construction
Reflecting on 60 Successful Years
Bassi Construction Ltd. marked its sixtieth anniversary this year with a new focus on converting buildings to residential use and a renewed commitment to technology and health and safety. Profiled in June 2022 in Construction in Focus magazine, this vertically integrated firm, based in Ottawa, Ontario, offers start-to-finish construction services.
Handel Architects
Beautiful, Innovative, Sustainable
With the goal of designing buildings that act as engines for societal and urban improvement—in addition to beautiful structures—Handel Architects strives to improve urban living conditions and change the world for the better.
Synergy Homes / Seven Lakes
Building Community With Beautiful Homes
Taking pride in a reputation for integrity, reliable partnerships, and sound business decisions, St. John’s, Newfoundland-based Penney Group shares strong fundamental principles with its partners, coupled with steadfast dedication to employees, customers, and communities. Founded 40 years ago by Ches Penney, the company is involved in a wide range of real estate developments that offer quality design, environmental awareness, and a commitment to building community.
Nelson + Pope
Thoughtful From the Ground Up
Contrary to contemporary wisdom that preaches finding riches in the niches, Nelson + Pope has turned “niching-down” across a wide range of services into a sustainable and rather fine art. To say this is bucking the trend, in a sector where it’s tricky finding companies with well-honed skills in many areas, is to say the least.
Orcutt | Winslow
Designing for Net Zero
For over 50 years, the national design firm, Orcutt | Winslow has been disrupting architecture through innovation, experimentation, and invention. And it goes on…
E&S Construction Engineers
A Fresh Perspective for 40 Years
E&S Construction Engineers is recognized for its innovative and challenging projects throughout the United States. In 2019, Construction in Focus profiled the company’s successful balance of culture, engineering, and architecture in an award-winning redevelopment project in Honolulu that required the incorporation of revered heritage trees.
ESa
61 Years of Health and Wellness by Design
ESa has more than six decades of providing collaborative, sustainable wellness and architectural design expertise to international customers who are leaders in the healthcare, hospitality, education, corporate, and senior living sectors. This Nashville, Tennessee-based expert in architectural design creates interior and landscape architecture, master planning, and space planning.
Spence Brothers
Diversity, Integrity and a Love for Construction
If an organization’s values set the standards for its personnel, Spence Brothers’ values have poured the foundation for its decades of success. Founded in Saginaw, Michigan in 1893 by brothers Matt and Hugh Spence as a start-up construction company, the business has grown and thrived as it has taken on a number of notable projects.
McStain Neighborhoods
Bringing Design and Sustainability to Colorado Home Building
McStain Neighborhoods got its start in Boulder, Colorado in 1966 as a small home-building company. Over time, that endeavor grew to be one of the larger private builders along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains—an area running through cities like Pueblo and Casper—with its work mainly focusing on the border town sector of the metropolitan area of Boulder itself.
Tex-Cote
Technologically Advanced, Environmentally Friendly
Tex-Cote LLC delivers a full line of decorative and protective architectural coatings for residential, commercial, transportation, and industrial applications. These coating materials are formulated so one coat can cover a surface thickly, without runs or drips.
U.S. Green Building Council
The Future Is Green
Construction in Focus last spoke with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2019 to learn about the organization’s mission to transform buildings and communities through LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and other important initiatives. We caught back up with USGBC this month to learn about current efforts to help architects, building owners, and developers meet their sustainability goals.
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