Blasz Construction LLC

In 2009, just five short years after forming Blasz Construction LLC (Blasz), a commercial finishing subcontracting company, Donna Blaszczyk was named one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business by the state’s governor. Recognized for her entrepreneurial spirit, Blaszczyk understands what it means to be a woman business leader. “True leadership comes through one’s ability to inspire and motivate through their example of commitment, integrity, morality and compassion,” she explains. “A great leader must be confident and decisive; a true transformer.”

As a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) and Green Advantage Certified contractor, Blasz has been a transforming leader in the commercial subcontracting field throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey since 2004. “What started with a dream and lots of hard work has grown into more than 100 union employees working together as a team to contribute to the success of Blasz,” says Blaszczyk.

Blaszczyk grew up in the construction industry, watching her father work tirelessly as a union contractor. “I went on to marry a carpenter and helped him with the initial stages in the company’s startup,” she recounts. “In 2004, when our third child was no longer an infant, I decided to take a more active role in the company. We had some contacts, but I did most of the work getting Blasz off the ground on my own.”

A family-like team

With the right management team and hand-selected craftsman on its side, Blasz quickly grew. “Our management team has more than 100 years of combined construction and management experience,” shares Blaszczyk. “Our project venues of interest include: hospitals, schools, retail stores, office fit outs, restaurants, museums, parks, casinos, airports, stadiums, libraries and governmental facilities.”

Blasz has become a trusted name among general contractors from Pennsylvania to New Jersey and Delaware. “We’re a go-to subcontractor, because we only provide the best craftsmen who share our values of honesty, quality workmanship, superior work ethic and professionalism,” assures Blaszczyk. “We strive to establish long-standing relationships with our clients, forged through mutual trust and the desire to complete projects on time and within budget.”

Blaszczyk says her team is like a family unit. “We run our company like a family – we really appreciate and admire the men and women who work for us,” she says. “We understand it’s not an easy business and they’re working in all kinds of conditions, so we’re very grateful.”

Diverse union trades

Blasz’s close-knit craftspeople are experts in the areas of rough and finish carpentry, exterior and interior framing, drywall, acoustical ceilings and wall panels, plastering, hollow metal doors and frames, hardware, casework, millwork installations and more. The company is a union contractor signed with the carpenters, finish tapers, laborers and plasterers of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.

While Blasz’s expertise spans a range of facilities, the company is a major player in the health care arena. In the last 10 years, the company has worked on more than 20 hospitals, delivering renovations, additions and ongoing facility upgrades. “We’re currently working on a large project for the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital,” details Blaszczyk.

Other facilities that top the list are: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Kennedy Hospital, Lancaster Hospital, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Virtua Hospital, York Hospital and many more. “We’re also working with a number of schools and universities from Princeton University to Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania,” adds Blaszczyk.

Blasz is also a go-to union subcontractor in the retail sector. Extensive retail experience in new construction, fit-outs, renovations and upgrades to everything from strip malls to multilevel facilities has landed the company projects with big-box stores, such as Target, T.J. Maxx, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, H&M, AT&T and a host of other retail giants.

Despite the diverse skill set of the company’s 100-plus union-certified tradesmen and women, Blaszczyk admits the past couple of years in a recovering economy have been a struggle. “In 2009, things really slowed down,” she shares. “There were a few years where we were just breaking even, just trying to cover our costs. It was all really a guessing game.”

Fortunately, in the last year or so, Blasz has seen a significant upswing. “It looks promising and work is picking back up in our area,” says Blaszczyk. “We’re a trusted union contractor – general contractors know and trust our work, so we have that to fall back on.”

While a steady revenue stream is a clear concern for any company, especially coming through lean economic times, Blaszczyk says a cornerstone of Blasz’s philosophy is to step outside of the revenue-driven mindset and give back to the community.

As a member of the board of directors for the Mary Kate’s Legacy Foundation, Blaszczyk says being a community leader goes hand in hand with business leadership. “Our company has a strong focus on community involvement and charity work,” she remarks.

Blasz Construction LLC continues to be a transforming leader inside and outside of the subcontracting field.