Dimeo thrives on respect and shared successes

For three generations, the Dimeo family has put tradition, hard work and an open-door policy at the core of its company culture, and its employees have reaped the benefits for 77 years.
Now, Dimeo Construction Co. has been recognized as one of the state’s Best Places to Work, and Brad Dimeo, president of the company, said everyone is “thrilled.”
“It’s great for our team and a compliment to both them and us,” he said.
Dimeo has been running the company for 22 years, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Both of them, he said, “set up a foundation for us to really continue to take tremendous strides.” Still, “we have tried to take it up a couple of notches in terms of the kind of work and employees we have taken on.”
He credits a string of factors – including the company’s culture and values, as well as the types of work it accepts – as equal contributors to a well-balanced work environment.
Dimeo’s 225 employees, some of whom have been with the company for three decades, are spread throughout the company’s New Haven, Boston, and Providence offices.
A family atmosphere and respect are what keep Lee Blackwell, strategic planning coordinator, from looking elsewhere. Blackwell has been working for Dimeo Construction for more than a decade.
“What first attracted me was the reputation of the company, the quality of work they produced over the years; and the culture was a great fit for me,” he said. “The experience here has been nothing short of exceptional.”
Many of his peers, Blackwell said, complain about conflicts at work and say describe their jobs as just a way to make a living. “It is arduous for them,” he said. “In our organization we all make our contributions and really feel good about the results we are achieving.”
Yet maintaining that positive environment is “a challenge,” Dimeo said, “as you continue to grow and take on more exciting jobs and grow the company base.”
In order to keep open communication with employees, executives have an open-door policy. Employees can come in and speak to managers about anything on their minds.
“It ranges from someone relatively new banging on your door to long-term employees who stop in and catch up and talk about their particular project or whatever issue is ahead for them,” Dimeo said.
Managers also provide quarterly updates on how the company is faring and check with new employees after 90 days, six months and one year after they are hired.
But working hard needs to be balanced with playing hard. The company makes fun part of the equation by hosting events throughout the year to thank employees for their hard work.
Family days on Block Island, ski trips and hockey and golf leagues are just some of the activities in which employees participate.
“It’s a nice way to sit back, relax, and reflect as a group,” Blackwell said.
In order to continuously boost morale and at the same time give back to the community, Dimeo also engages its staff in philanthropy.
“We do a lot of community things, and over the years have been involved with Habitat for Humanity and the United Way campaign,” Dimeo said. “We make the effort to not only provide a great environment for our employees to work but an opportunity to give back to the community.”