The best construction contractors doing business in Connecticut are family companies with deep New England experience, according to the industry’s subcontractors.
The Connecticut Subcontractors Association named the three best construction firms in the state, ranking them on their project delivery and ease in dealing with subcontracts.
Bartlett Brainard Eacott Inc. of Bloomfield, Manafort Brothers Inc. in Plainville, and Gilbane Building Co. of Providence, R.I., were ranked the top three after a six-month review of more than 30 general contractors working in Connecticut.
“We wanted for our colleagues to know who was the best to work for,” said Catherine Flaherty, executive director for the association. “It is not that often that subs get a chance to thank contractors.
The subcontractors for a long time had considered ranking the various general contractors in the state, Flaherty said, and finally got around to surveying its members last year. The report card on 30 general contractors gives subcontractors solid expectations when dealing with each general contractors, knowing their various strengths and weaknesses.
Bartlett Brainard Eacott (BBE) was founded in 1921 and is in its third generation as a family-owned company. Its projects include the Aetna campus in Hartford and the YMCA in Ellington.
Gilbane Building Co. was founded in 1873 and is the largest privately held construction company in the country. Its projects include the Connecticut Convention Center and Rentschler Field.
Manafort Brothers Inc. was founded in 1919 and is in its fourth generation as a family-owned company. Its projects include work at Mohegan Sun, Foxwoods, Hartford 21 and University of Connecticut parking garage.
It’s no coincidence that the subcontractors picked long-term family-owned companies as the best in the state, said Steven Kononchik, manager at Gilbane. Family-owned companies have a strong commitment to quality on projects and forming good working relationships with its subcontractors who are part of the team on the overall project.
“It is our project to get done, and we need the whole team,” Kononchik said.
BBE President Jim Eacott said general and subcontractors often have adversarial relationships because of the conflicts that arise when something goes awry in the construction process. The industry is notorious for litigation.
Bartlett strives to avoid conflict and litigation at all costs, Eacott said. When the company finds good subcontractors, it will hire them for ensuing projects. Having quality subcontractors is important to finishing projects in a satisfactory matter.
“When we do that, companies tend to invite you back for more projects,” Eacott said.
The 30 general contractors were ranked on management of delivery of materials to a project, general oversight and control, compliance with codes and inspection, coordination of work schedules, billing management, timely payments to subcontractors, knowledge in work performance, overall performance, management of change orders, and close-out with final payment.
Â