Case Studies Education

Ralph Demien grew up on the family farm before leaving his home in Missouri to fight in World War II. When he returned, the hard-working veteran got involved in the construction business. After putting his time in as a laborer, he began to work his way up and eventually founded his own business, Demien Construction […]

A short drive from Sevierville, Tennessee, is the famous Great Smoky Mountain National Park, home of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which attract millions of visitors every year. With many travelers making the trek, the area is a vibrant tourist attraction with a strong hospitality market making a comeback from the recession. D&S Builders (D&S) has been […]

Anthony Jr., Vincenzo and Salvatore De Sapio have been active in the family business for as long as they can remember. Their father, Anthony De Sapio Sr., and uncles, Salvatore and Martin De Sapio, began building in 1947 as De Sapio Brothers, a contracting business based in western central New Jersey. De Sapio Brothers’ first […]

In 1984, Albert Miller founded the business that would eventually become Duo-Gard Industries Inc. (DGI). The business started out as Michigan Energy Control and worked with regional industrial partners, retrofitting factories. The team worked closely with clients to develop better natural lighting solutions for large facilities, eventually moving into the architectural market with new products […]

Donald B. Smith Roofing (DBS) has been in business since 1948 when Donald Smith founded a small residential roofing business in central Pennsylvania. For more than 65 years, DBS has grown. Multiple family members are now involved with DBS, including Doug Smith, Donald’s nephew and president of DBS. “My father Pat was very involved with […]

After 92 years in business, Dooley Electric Company Inc. (Dooley) has established itself as one of New York City’s leading electrical design and installation companies. Now, with a resurgence of young talent, there’s no stopping Dooley’s potential for further growth. The third generation, privately-owned electrical contracting firm has nearly a century of experience in multiple […]

DeKalb Mechanical Inc. (DeKalb) began as a branch office of Illinois-based Miller Engineering Co. (Miller) in March 1991. The first shop and office occupied a small 2,500-square-foot corner of an existing rental building, where two full time and one part time employee began. The estimating and managing of the fledgling branch fell to Steve Doonan, […]

Chris Daniluk founded Deluxe Athletics (Deluxe) in 2004 as a small horizontal contractor. “I turned down going into pharmaceuticals after college,” explains Daniluk, founder, president and CEO of Deluxe. “I did an internship with a track installer where I was a lot more computer-savvy than the older guys. When I got the offer from a […]

Wayne Darr founded a small electrical business geared toward Pennsylvania’s residential market in 1968. Incidentally, Darr Construction Inc. (DCI) has since grown to a mid-sized company offering multidisciplinary services in the construction industry, including plumbing, HVAC and general contractor services on top of the initial electrical work. Wayne continues to hold the title of president, […]

DERBIGUM Americas Inc. (DERBIGUM) boasts over 75 years of industry-leading roofing experience. DERBIGUM has three production sites to deliver over 161 million square feet of modified bitumen membranes and 77 million pounds of liquid products annually. Based in Kansas City, Mo., DERBIGUM reaches a global community of owners and contractors with a focus on sustainable […]