“Flexibility and freedom” are two reasons New Britain-based Olsen Construction Services has maintained its success for 25 years and boasts a zero voluntary turnover rate, according to company President Nick Olsen.
Olsen said a lot of the construction industry undervalues talent, but that’s not the case with his firm.
Following a “pretty rigid” hiring process, he said when Olsen Construction finds a qualified candidate, “we pay incredibly well, better than the industry standard. We also treat them like family.”
The business certainly knows about family.
It was founded by Olsen’s father Robert Olsen in 2000. Today, Nick Olsen leads a team of 49 full-time employees.
Growing up, Nick Olsen recalled being surrounded by contractors and working as a laborer on job sites in downtown Hartford.
“I liked mixing it up with subcontractors, laborers, owners. It was a cool experience,” Olsen said.
Raised in a construction family, 80-hour work weeks were considered normal, he noted, but that is no longer the case. The firm’s workforce is now largely made up of Gen Z employees, who are under the age of 30 and expect and value a better work/life balance.
“We realize work is not everything,” Olsen said. “It is a lot, but we like to ensure people have the flexibility to live their lives and do things with their friends and family.”
So long as a job site is covered, Olsen’s workers are given freedom to take days off.
“The younger generation is looking for the freedom and flexibility to pursue things outside of work that make them happy,” Olsen said. “We give them that.”
He described the business as “not anti-corporate, but very relaxed,” in the way it internally operates.
That approach works.
With $900 million-plus in completed projects, the firm builds everything from facilities for Fortune 100 businesses to hospitals and healthcare clinics.
One memorable project for a client involved re-locating insurance brokerage firm Lockton to the former New York Sports Club space in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square.
Olsen said he enjoyed incorporating “a lot of cool aspects,” to Lockton’s office design, catering to the Gen Z workforce with features like a spacious kitchen/break room, wellness space and contemporary meeting and conference areas.
‘Genuine’ personalities
Keeping with a focus on the future, Olsen Construction recently rebranded and adopted a new logo to better match its culture.
So what does “Let’s Get Going,” mean?
“We’re a client-based company, serving a lot of corporate America,” Olsen explained. “A lot of them need us to move fast. We jump on things quickly, understanding the importance of time.”
In addition to being swift, the business is “safe and efficient,” he added. “Our logo is basically `we’re here, ready to roll, ready to serve you.’”
Project Vice President Frank Maruca has risen quickly through the ranks over his four-year tenure. He started with Olsen in 2021 as a project manager, progressing to project executive before assuming his current position.
Maruca said he wanted to work for the company because of its family atmosphere and the “genuine” personalities of Nick and Robert Olsen during the interview process.
“It’s like we have been together a long time,” Maruca said of his coworkers.
He is impressed by how such a small company can “go the extra mile for clients,” and how employees take pride in their work and share a common mission.
“We’re successful because we do what we say we will and have transparency,” Maruca said. “We see to it that the project comes to completion on schedule and within budget.”