When John Cannistraro, Sr. founded J.C. Cannistraro, LLC (Cannistraro) in 1963, he was a Navy veteran with $1,500 in his pocket, the support of his wife, Rita, and a lifelong dream of entrepreneurship.
Little did Cannistraro, Sr. know that 50 years later, his one-man plumbing shop would grow into the company it is today. Cannistraro, based in Watertown, is now in its second generation of family ownership, has more than 400 employees and is the largest mechanical construction company in Greater Boston. This GreenSTAR company is operated by four of Cannistraro's eight children and is constantly evolving alongside changes in the industry. The energy savings resulting from the company's partnership with the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM) serve as a model of Cannistraro's commitment to change and success in the energy conservation arena.
In the spring of 2012, site work began on Cannistraro's Energy Services Contract with DCAM. Referred to as the Hogan-Wrentham project, this unique project is in fact two separate projects, located at Hogan Regional Center in Danvers, and Wrentham Development Center in Wrentham, Mass. Together, the projects are part of a state-funded initiative that helps fulfill energy conservation mandates issued by governor Deval Patrick.
Cannistraro was awarded this $20 million project as the prime design-build contractor. The scope of work consisted of 22 Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) involving building envelope, electrical, and mechanical systems. The majority of the work performed included a new 1250HP boiler plant, a 600 KW cogeneration unit, a 600 KW PV array and a significant Energy Management System. Each ECM is required to be measured and verified for conformance with design criteria.
Project staffing was paramount, as both locations, 60 miles apart, were to be renovated simultaneously while the facilities remained occupied.
The bulk of the work performed was intended to upgrade the HVAC infrastructure. First, the piping and existing inefficient, asbestos-ridden boilers were abated and removed. Then, Cannistraro's project team began prefabricating the HVAC piping, preplanning for the delivery and installation of cogeneration equipment and, finally, fitting each establishment with high-efficiency boilers. The Wrentham facility turned out to be a huge challenge.
Managing the sheer size and weight of rigging the boilers at Wrentham was a feat in itself. Not only did the Cannistraro team have to create custom ramps to bring the boilers into the building, they had to install the boilers by crane and carefully maneuver them to their permanent location via hydraulic lift.
In addition to the upgrades made to both facilities' boiler systems, the project team completed numerous other engineering responsibilities: the installation of energy-saving pool covers; the installation of storm windows and comprehensive weather stripping; energy management and controls upgrades; and electrical upgrades, including the Hogan - Wrentham project's signature ECM - the installation of a state-of-the-art photovoltaic solar field. These developments were supplemented by the team's ability to build a custom sound-reducing enclosure for the cogeneration unit, and most importantly, a seamless construction process that had zero impact on those living or working on the active campus.
The end result of this project is a more comfortable, energy-efficient space to care for patients and residents.
Cannistraro was named "Contractor of the Year" in 2011 by PHC News magazine. DCAM was up for nomination for the International Facility Management Association's (IFMA Boston's) "Award of Excellence - Large Projects" for its work with the Hogan Regional Center and Wrentham Developmental Center.
Cannistraro's ability to evolve and adapt to the needs of the 21st century has led the company to embrace the energy-efficiency movement, seize new opportunities for growth and reap both the rewards and the awards.