Beverly, MA Connolly Brothers, Inc., a construction management firm serving private commercial, industrial, and institutional clients, has won an Excellence in Construction Award (EICA) from the Massachusetts Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC MA). The firm was recognized with a merit award for the construction of the new $16 million corporate headquarters for Harmonic Drive LLC, a manufacturer of gearheads, gear component sets, and servo actuators. Connolly Brothers provided pre-construction, design and engineering, and construction management services for the new 97,000 s/f office and manufacturing plant situated on a previously undeveloped six-acre site in the Dunham Ridge Business Park.

On November 17, 2021, ABC Massachusetts held its 29^th annual Excellence in Construction Awards event at the Burlington Marriott in Burlington, Mass. to recognize and celebrate ABC members’ award-winning construction projects this year. Each winner was selected for high standards of craftsmanship, safety, and quality thanks to the talents of merit shop workers and the efficiency of the merit shop approach.

A three-story office building and light manufacturing/assembly space occupy 47,000 s/f adjacent to a 50,000 s/f high-bay manufacturing space. For the new headquarters, Connolly had to contend with more than 50 feet of elevation change on the land while ensuring the space would address all of Harmonic Drive’s industry-specific concerns.

The project team for this project included:

• Owner: Harmonic Drive LLC
• Architect: Connolly Brothers Inc
• Construction Manager: Connolly Brothers Inc
• Electrical: D&D Electrical
• Site Work: Pitt Pipeline
• Civil: Hayes Engineering
• Structural: JSN Associates

“We are proud to recognize the outstanding work of our member contractors through the ABC Excellence in Construction Awards. The winning contractors maintained a constant focus on meeting their clients’ needs and set a high bar for craftsmanship, quality and safety,” said ABC MA president Greg Beeman.

Juror comments included, “Connolly Brothers have produced at Harmonic Drive an uncomplicated and fast track practical solution for their clients and provided for change and expansion in the future.”

Founded in Beverly in 1960, Harmonic Drive relocated from two buildings in Peabody, Mass. to its new U.S. headquarters, a new 97,000 s/f office and manufacturing plant situated on a previously undeveloped six-acre site in the Dunham Ridge Business Park. The site can also accommodate expansion should Harmonic Drive continue to grow.

“We had been looking for a new location for our U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility for some time. Since our employees are key to the strength and growth of our business, we wanted to stay very close to the North Shore, where many of our employees live,” said Doug Olson, CEO of Harmonic Drive. “From the beginning, the team at Connolly Brothers really listened to our needs and understood our requirements as a manufacturing business. They worked with us to find the right land where we could build a world-class facility.”