Bedford, NH A recognized industry leader in green sustainable construction design and building, Sullivan Construction this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The company, founded in 1970, has been at the forefront of sustainable construction technologies and is an award-winning LEED Platinum certified general contractor. Its local headquarters was the first LEED-certified Platinum office building in the state of New Hampshire.
“Since our founding, we have built a reputation as design builders and construction managers that focus on meeting clients’ needs,” said manager Tom Sullivan. “And our emphasis on environmentally-responsible building practices – from design to materials to construction processes – is something we’re very proud of. We recently added a solar array at our corporate offices.”
Sullivan Construction was founded in 1970 by Jack Sullivan in Cambridge, Mass. after he graduated from Boston College. The first project the company designed was a renovation for Bedford Bank in 1970 located in Bedford N.H. and 10 years later the company relocated to New Hampshire. Tom Sullivan, younger brother to Jack Sullivan joined the company in 1986 and eventually worked his way up to project estimator, chief estimator, vice president and in 2005 purchased the company from Jack and became manager of the Sullivan Construction.
“Today, ‘building green’ has become the industry standard, and we’re proud of the role we’ve played in achieving that goal,” said Sullivan. “It’s nice to know that today, our industry believes as we have for a long time that what’s good for the planet is also good for the bottom line.”
Sullivan Construction is active in all major segments of commercial construction, specializing in healthcare, education, retail, office, banking, and manufacturing. Among its recent projects are Galvion’s U.S. headquarters in Portsmouth, Members First Credit Union’s corporate offices and branch in Manchester, and TRM Microwave’s manufacturing and 35 Constitution Dr. corporate office space in Bedford.
Sullivan Construction continues to have long standing relationships with clients. A great example of this is with Chad Kageleiry of Summit Land Developments, “Jack and I are grateful for our long standing relationship with Chad. Over the years we have completed over 20 projects together and continue to collaborate on a yearly basis. Relationships with our clients are our top priority and we pride ourselves on maintaining those relatioships.”
The firm has managed projects in more than 27 states, offering expertise in sustainable building practices that cater to the client’s budget. Over the past 10 years, the company can boast that 85% of its business comes from repeat clients.
Sullivan explains that the company also prioritizes job safety, with staff participating in 30 hours of OSHA safety training. This result is a 16-year safety record with no lost-time injuries.
“The company believes the safety of employees, subcontractors and clients are imperative when running a construction business,” says Sullivan. “We encourage leadership through safety and designate specific roles for employees who want to lead safety protocols on job sites.”
As for the company’s future and the next 50 years, Sullivan predicts the firm will continue to innovate and adapt to new technologies as well as economic challenges.
“Despite COVID-19 and related hurdles coinciding with our anniversary year, we’re doing well in terms of new and upcoming projects, and we’ve done what’s needed to adjust to the ‘new normal,’” said Sullivan. “We’ve been around 50 years and we’ve seen our share of challenges, so we will work to continue our record of success, thanks to our dedicated employees and a growing list of satisfied clients.”