Francis Colantonio, president of Colantonio General Contractors, was named chair of the MetroWest Chamber of Commerce for 2009-2010 at the chamber's annual meeting and awards dinner on November 19th at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel & Conference Center. In accepting the responsibility, Colantonio stressed the value of networking in a chamber that includes among its members so many firms producing and delivering high quality products and services—locally, nationally, and internationally. "I haven't come across any other chamber that matches ours," he said.
Although Colantonio has become widely known in this decade, the story began 28 years ago when he founded a firm to supply carpentry and finish work to general building contractors. His father was his inspiration, "He advised me to do what I do best and work hard at it with integrity, honesty and quality." A few years later, better understanding the nature of the industry, Colantonio himself became a general contractor. But he continued to rely mainly on his own experienced employees—many of whom are still with the company—to do much of the physical labor, rather than subcontract it out. This "self-performing," as Colantonio terms it, has led to lower costs to clients, a better product, and reduced build times.
The firm's clients-70% in the public sector-involve many institutions of higher education, townships and municipalities. Recent work includes an award winning rehabilitation of the historic Framingham State College Ecumenical Center, the renovation of the seven-story Brookline Town Hall, and new construction, from the ground up, of the West Cambridge Community Youth Center complex.
Colantonio General Construction has received numerous awards from, among others, the American Institute of Architects, the Boston Society of Architects, the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts (for safety), and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (for historic preservation). In 2007, the firm was named MetroWest Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year. Francis Colantonio is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the Society of Professional Architects and the Concrete Institute.