Case Studies

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 […]

For over 60 years, Delaware Elevator Inc. has been one of the largest independent elevator design, construction and installation companies, rising to success on solid engineering, top-quality manufacturing and comprehensive customer service. This winning combination has  allowed the company to expand from its headquarters in Salisbury, Md., and it has opened branches in Virginia, Delaware, […]

“When I started the company in 1983 it was me, a Toyota pick-up truck and a paint brush,” recounts Dennis Cummins, president of Texas-based D&C Contracting Inc., when asked the origins of his company. Nearly 30 years later the company has grown to 57 employees, generating average annual sales of $12 million, operating out of […]

D.C. Vient Inc. (DCV) began in 1954 as a painting and finishing contractor founded by Douglas C. Vient. Now a multimillion dollar contractor operating from its corporate headquarters in Modesto, Calif., with a regional branch in Las Vegas, Nev., DCV handles large-scale interior and exterior finishing projects – anything from finishing multi-billion dollar hotel casino […]