Martini Northern

Martini Northern (MN) began in 1999 as a division of A.J. Martini, Inc. of Winchester, Mass. With substantial growth over the years, MN separated from the parent company in 2010. The business now operates as an independent corporate entity, performing construction management and preconstruction services for commercial, industrial and residential projects throughout New England and beyond.

The mid-sized firm is based in Portsmouth, N.H. “We are the perfect size to be able to give every job our full attention,” says Jim Pereira, director of project development for the firm. “We have senior management on every job without having multiple layers of leadership. We take pride in being dialed in and working seamlessly with each client.”

The experienced team specializes in three areas of general construction: corporate, health care and institutional. Over the years, the company has performed contracts building interiors and exteriors for office buildings, hotels, warehouses, laboratories, universities, places of worship and others. “We are generalists when you get down to it,” Pereira explains. “We are often working on four or more different projects at a time in different markets.”

A growing market

Most of MN’s business is concentrated in New Hampshire, although the company works in a broad and expanding radius from the office. “We have done some work in Vermont, Maine and Northern Massachusetts,” Pereira elaborates. The team has performed a broad spectrum of work in New England in recent years, staying busy and present in all sectors.

“A most gratifying recent project was the intense renovation and expansion of Abenaqui Country Club in Rye Beach, N.H.,” Pereira recalls. “Teaming with DeStefano Architects, we demonstrated our ability to adapt construction means, methods and systems to achieve budget efficiencies beyond the owner’s expectations,” he adds.

Pereira goes on to explain that expanded facilities create a completely new set of dining, lounge and function spaces for the club’s members and guests. “A new lounge, named the 1903 Room, in homage to the year the club was formally incorporated, provides a 20 seat bar within a 73-seat lounge,” he continues.

The club’s former bar now houses a new family dining area that seats 24, while the dramatically expanded function room now provides space for 250 seated guests. The new interior spaces are complemented by an expanded, awning-covered deck that seats 90, overlooking the golf course.

“The new portion of the building features a three-sided view of the golf course through expansive windows with all new or updated furnishings, fixtures and bathroom facilities throughout this level of the club,” he continues.

The company recently completed the renovation and reconstruction of three entrances to The Mall at Fox Run, owned by Simon Property Group Inc., a one level enclosed regional shopping mall located just outside of Portsmouth, N.H. Pereira explains that with more than 80 stores, maintaining access through the three main entries was a challenging undertaking in itself, compounded by the extreme winter of 2013 and 2014.

“Construction at both the main entrance and the food court occurred simultaneously, while maintaining foot traffic in those areas,” he details. “The secondary entrance was done concurrently and public safety was paramount during the construction process and included fencing, signage and overhead protection, as required, to provide safe and convenient access to the mall.”

The team also recently played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Kearsarge Mill at 361 Hanover Street in Portsmouth, N.H. The building is home to Heinemann, a publisher of professional development books and resources for teachers. The building’s owner approached MN to undertake an unusual renovation and expansion to create a 4,147 sf mezzanine office over a fully operating main floor office area.

“Our crews conducted work both off hours and on weekends to assure everyday use of the work space located beneath the addition with no inconvenience to Heinemann’s employees,” says Pereira. “The new mezzanine was connected to the existing second floor space through eight openings. The work included enhancements to life safety structural and systems improvements along with new HVAC systems.”

Building relationships that last

The company’s growing portfolio shows great depth of capability. The MN team is looking ahead to more new challenges in the coming years as the business experiences steady growth. Pereira expects the team to take on a larger role in the mission-critical infrastructure sector. MN has performed several contracts for the state of New Hampshire and various municipalities and plans to take on more.

The team’s broad capabilities offer the flexibility to cover numerous markets. Part of that can be chalked up to relationships with strategic partners. “We are for the most part a pure construction management company,” Pereira clarifies. “We carry one laborer and that’s it. Everything is done through our subs. We have extremely good relationships with loyal subcontractors and we know that they will go above and beyond when needed. They have contributed significantly to our success as a business.”

Approximately 75 percent of MN’s clients are referrals and repeat customers, a huge turnaround for a company of this size. Property owners, institutions and local governments trust the MN team to go to work for them time and again. MN has proven able to tackle a broad range of challenges while providing value in a high quality end product.

The MN team operates along a simple mission statement:  Our purpose is to provide our clients with high-quality, high-value construction solutions that exceed their expectations. We take as much care in building the client relationship as we do in building the project. In three words: quality, commitment and trust.

Through straightforward avenues, Martini Northern continues to grow in the New England construction market.