Case Studies February 2012

Founded in 1921, G.W. Mitchell Construction (GWM) has steadily grown to become one of the San Antonio, Texas, area’s premier commercial general contractors. Now in its 90th year, the business is still owned by the Mitchell family, and continues to build on its longstanding strengths as a general contractor in the corporate, education, medical, church […]

One of the most unfortunate by-products of the sub-prime meltdown has been homeowners walking away from their mortgages. They pack their cars in the middle of the night and just leave their homes vacant. Some cities and states have been harder hit by this phenomenon, and Detroit is arguably near the top of this unfortunate […]

Fritz Plumbing and Air LP (FPA) has been serving the region surrounding Frisco, Texas, since 1982. It was founded and originally run by Sam Fritz, but the majority of the work of late has fallen to Thomas Fritz, Sam’s son and the company’s general manager. Throughout two generations of leadership FPA has become established as […]

First Exteriors LLC (FE) is a North Charleston, S.C.-based, family-owned stucco contractor that has three generations of experience in the industry. “My grandfather started the firm around 50 years ago, and my father, Carl Ulm, and his brothers took over the company and expanded it on a much larger scale. Then, in 1990, my father […]

Tim Emory grew up in his father’s electrical company, Emory Electric Inc. “My father started the company in 1978. Back in those days he did mostly residential.  I was wiring houses at a very young age. I was studying business administration in college, so I kept the company books. I came on full-time in 1984 […]

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are on average 600,000 new businesses started in the country every year. Erickson Associates, a mechanical contracting firm in Savannah, Ga., was founded in 1950, which means that the company has been around long enough to see thousands upon thousands of potential competitors enter the market. “That […]

Emmitsburg Glass Company Inc. (EGC) was started in 1988 by four brothers and a brother-in-law, operating out of the Emmitsburg, Md., garage of co-founder Greg Reaver. During the first few years the company did subcontracted home-improvement jobs, but soon it expanded to be a full-service glass and glazing contractor. EGC eventually generated the business to […]

EG Stoltzfus Construction LLC, was founded in Lancaster, Pa., over four decades ago by Elam G. Stoltzfus Jr., as a company striving to provide a “square deal” to clients, inspiring repeat and referral business. The strategy was a success, as EG Stoltzfus continues to be a successful company that specializes in the design and construction […]

4G Plumbing & Heating Inc. offers far more to clients than its name implies. The firm – which services the industrial, commercial and residential new construction, maintenance and repair sectors – has 14 signature mechanical and plumbing services, including HVAC, boiler systems, excavation/grading, medical gas systems and mechanical design. The name 4G comes from its […]

When Leon DeMatteis founded Leon D. DeMatteis Construction Corporation (LDDCC) in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1918, he probably did not foresee it expanding to the group of companies now known collectively as the DeMatteis Organizations. With LDDCC leading the way, the DeMatteis family eventually expanded its construction services to include full-service residential management, airport development and […]