Eric Greene, a project executive for The Shawmut Design and Construction Co., in the main drill hall of the Pawtucket Armory.
Construction firm builds reputation for being on time and meeting budget
Shawmut Design and Construction
President: Ron Simoneau is director of operations for the Providence office; company headquarters are in Boston
Type of business: Construction management servicing corporate, academic, retail and restaurant, science and research, residential and rehabilitation and historic preservation projects
Employees: 60
Location: 3 Davol Square, Providence
Year Founded: 1982
Annual revenue: $50 million
Shawmut Design and Construction is self-described as a fast-growing company with a small-business attitude. According to company executives, the customer is the central driving force, and relationships between Shawmut project managers and local contractors and architects are given top priority.
“For us, it’s about establishing long-term relationships with our clients,” said Ron Simoneau, director of operations for the company’s Providence office. Shawmut is headquartered in Boston and also has an office in New York. “The most common misconception is that we only do large projects” because of the company’ rapid growth.
When Shawmut opened its Providence office four years ago, projects quickly multiplied.
According to Simoneau, the construction management company made $6 million in the first year, but by the second year business had almost tripled to more than $16 million. Shawmut also just moved into larger office space at 3 Davol Square from the Davol building across the street downtown.
“As most companies grow, the more they want to take on bigger jobs, but the opposite is true with us,” said Eric Greene, project executive. “As job growth has increased, we’ve kept the project scale pretty small.
Despite its relatively young age, Shawmut’s Providence office plans to have $50 million in project revenue this year. The company is managing a number of institutional, rehab, residential and commercial projects in Rhode Island.
Projects include restoration of Touro Synagogue in Newport, the oldest synagogue in the country; Weekapaug Inn in Westerly; restoration of the Pawtucket Armory building; construction of a high-density library storage facility in Cranston for Brown University as well as a major fire code upgrade for many of the campus buildings and the molecular biology research facility at 70 Ship St. downtown.
Shawmut was hired to manage construction of the café and library for the Rhode Island School of Design in the former Fleet building on Westminster Street; a new charter school, the CVS/Highlander in Providence; a new Catholic church in North Kingstown; and rebuilding the ZBT fraternity house at the University of Rhode Island. The company also managed construction of The Cheesecake Factory and McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant chain locations in Providence.
One of the elements of business operations that Shawmut prides itself on is the company’s ability to take on challenging projects and finish them – on budget and on time, Greene and Simoneau said.
“Our customers are attracted to our ability to finish difficult projects and finish them on time,” Greene said. One example is Game On!, a new restaurant at Fenway Park that was scheduled to open – and did – the same day as Red Sox opening day on April 11.
While Shawmut’s construction management services might be focused on fast-track schedules, the company’s design-build services allow the company to hire an architect or firm that specializes in the type of project Shawmut is managing.
As for renovations and rehab on Rhode Island’s historic buildings, Shawmut was founded by chairman Jim Ansara largely as a company that specialized in rehab.
Restoration and renovation work still represents almost half of the company’s annual revenue.
Something that has become increasingly important over the years is investing in a skilled work force.
Shawmut University is a program that offers more than 100 courses for employees, from basic construction and blueprint reading courses to advanced executive-level classes in contract and insurance issues, diversity and managing people. Each staff person is required to take at least 16 credits each year.
Shawmut also has a construction management student training program that recruits college graduates to work alongside a project manager and estimator for three years before taking on an official role at Shawmut. The program has a 90 percent retention rate.
“It’s a good way to learn but it also helps them find out what they like to do,” within the company, Greene said. “Field experience is key.”
“It gives them respect for what other people do here,” Simoneau said. “It gives us the ability to show them our way and style of doing things, and they’re mentored here.”
