The Who's Who Connecticut & Western Massachusetts Article Archive

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The Art of Stamped and Etched Asphalt
Fall/Winter 2021

If you live in or visit Connecticut, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the inviting brick- and cobblestone-patterned crosswalks laid down at intersections by the Rocco Iadarola General Contracting Company (Rocco Iadarola Co.).

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A Million Masks and More
Fall/Winter 2021

John Orfanides, President of Work Force Inc., is great at spotting an opportunity—and even better at seizing it. It’s how he’s grown the company into a nationwide supplier of high-visibility apparel in just five years. And it’s how he’s been…

Protecting, Growing Clients’ Assets
Fall/Winter 2021

Pat DiCerbo’s clients are building the backbone of America—from roads, tunnels and bridges to buildings and other infrastructure. “My clients are creative thinkers and risk takers. They’re solving seemingly unsolvable problems.”

They Can Dig It
Fall/Winter 2021

Pro Excavation LLC Owner Don Ashmore started his career in the petroleum industry, building a body of work with gas companies as an owner and operator of gas tanks and oil trucks. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, stricter regulations were…

More Than its Name
Fall/Winter 2021

After 43 years as President and Owner of DeBrino Caulking Associates, Inc. (DeBrino Caulking), Lewis P. Houghtaling III still looks forward to going to work.

Protect What Matters Most
Spring/Summer 2021

When Joe Lombardi shares his life’s story to potential customers, they listen—and most likely buy insurance and other financial services from him.

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Change-Maker
Spring/Summer 2021

Though Coastal Flooring Solutions (Coastal Flooring) Owner and President Danielle Posimato started her own company a few years ago, her industry education long precedes that.

Winners on the Court
Spring/Summer 2021

Before you can excel at basketball—or any sport—you must master the fundamentals and have a firm grasp on the rules. The same is true to become an industry leader. It’s also the philosophy John Lively adopted to guide Atlantic Sport Floors to…

Insider Know-How Drives Business
Spring/Summer 2021

After working 20 years in corporate restaurant, retail and big-box settings, Joseph (Joe) Bonitatebus Jr. believed he knew what these kinds of companies wanted from a full-service commercial contractor.

Pure Building Science
Fall/Winter 2020

An array of thoughts cascaded through Vincent Farricielli’s mind as he made his way to an impromptu meeting called by a client. As the owner of Steamatic of Connecticut mulled over recent events, he reflected on how dozens of his employees had…

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Being Present with the Past
Fall/Winter 2020

Jay Carow’s accomplishments read like a novel based on historic events. Milestones, like chapters in the architect’s life, have involved hundreds of others who accompanied him, worked through the details and agreed with him on the direction…

Safety Above All
Fall/Winter 2020

New England Yankee Construction, LLC is the company you want helping you when a structure needs to be safely brought down and removed. Its experienced demolition crews are skilled at both selective and full demolition services.

The Famous Stove Lady
Fall/Winter 2020

Carlita Belgrove, CEO of Belgrove Appliance Inc. in Mount Vernon, New York, says she always knew that she wanted to have a business. “I just didn’t know what business I wanted. I never imagined it would be an antique stove restoration business.”

Working Cooperatively
Fall/Winter 2020

Whether Crossroads Enterprise builds a ground-up recovery center, a retail store or a massive Amazon fulfillment center, Principal Dennis Lore knows he has about 150 different team members he can call on to get the job done. It’s not because…

Progress and Preservation
Fall/Winter 2020

Speed, accuracy and teamwork are not just buzzwords for Maria Audin and her team of architectural and archaeological cultural resource experts—they are core business principles that are changing industry perceptions.

More Than its Name
Fall/Winter 2020

After 43 years as President and Owner of DeBrino Caulking Associates, Inc. (DeBrino Caulking), Lewis P. Houghtaling III still looks forward to going to work.

Concrete Solutions
Fall/Winter 2020

Established in 1989, Marguerite Concrete, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based company that delivers high-quality concrete construction and comprehensive service packages for construction managers, general contractors and developers across New England.…

Brothers Who Build
Fall/Winter 2020

Brothers Michael and Jeff Leibowitz have the construction industry in their DNA. The two grew up in the business, learning how to read blueprints while watching their father run his own construction company.

Reunited and Ready to Rock
Spring/Summer 2020

If David Mesa was in the music industry, the formation of his glass door and accessories installation company three years ago would be akin to “putting the band back together.” He’s assembled a top-notch team of former co-workers to win over…

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Structuring Steel with Preparation and Precision
Spring/Summer 2020

Engineers Ironworks, LLC is a locally owned ironwork business in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The firm fabricates and erects structural steel, miscellaneous metals and ornamental ironwork, and performs welding and cutting. Its typical products are…

Doors Continue to Open for Busy Distributor
Spring/Summer 2020

At just two years shy of becoming a 100-year-old company, Tull Brothers Inc. celebrates its past accomplishments and believes its adaptability and product-savvy staff will help ensure it has a secure future. The 98-year-old Tull Brothers in…

Shaping the Landscape
Spring/Summer 2020

When Curt Jones, President of Civil 1, Inc., made the decision to leave a prominent civil engineering firm in 1993 in hopes of starting his own business, he had a computer, a basement office and zero clients. But Curt had a vision for creating…

Putting People First
Spring/Summer 2020

It all began in 2003 in Massachusetts with a man and his son. They used a pickup truck with two ladders to perform a variety of small side jobs in residential and commercial construction.

Where Service and Steel Come Together
Fall/Winter 2019

Recently, when a parking garage partially collapsed in Waltham, Massachusetts, the owner placed an emergency call to John de Vries, President and CEO of Central Steel Supply Company, Inc. (Central Steel). Though it was the weekend, de Vries…

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A Boutique Lender
Fall/Winter 2019

After looking at the 2014 financing landscape, Daniel Casanta, President and Founder of Cardinal Business Financing, Inc. (The Cardinal), uncovered problems that he wanted to solve. According to Casanta, traditional lending institutions turn…

Slated for Big Projects
Fall/Winter 2019

When Dartmouth College needed to replace the copper roofing and flashing on its iconic Baker Library Bell Tower, Mahan Slate Roofing Co. (Mahan) was called in to join the preservation efforts. And when the prestigious Groton School embarked…

A Legacy of Craftsmanship
Fall/Winter 2019

To Joe and Robert Coppola of Coppola & Sons Construction Company, Inc., a word like “craftsman” is heavy with meaning. They’ve built their business on a reputation of being the best. Coppola & Sons Construction was founded in Stamford, Connecticut,…

A Winning Hand
Spring/Summer 2019

In 2017, the odds were stacked against A Royal Flush, one of the largest portable restroom and toilet trailer rental leaders in the Northeast. The sudden passing of its principal owner, majority shareholder and driving force of the organization,…

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Maximizing Versatility and Flexibility
Spring/Summer 2019

Willco Sales & Service, Inc. (Willco), supplies beautiful, functional products for architects, designers and general contractors across New England. It is based in Stratford, Connecticut, and has a branch office in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Problem Solvers, Goal Setters & Leaders
Spring/Summer 2019

When Elite Construction Rentals LLC (Elite) started in 2003, the company’s concept was to compete with big construction equipment rental firms. It accomplished that goal largely because its team had expertise in the construction world and the…

Polished to Perfection
Spring/Summer 2019

More than 12 years have passed since the owners of Elegant Concrete Polishing, Inc., opened their decorative concrete flooring business in New Haven, Connecticut. During this time, Austin Morrison and Jeff Brubacher have built a small local…

Long-lasting, Attractive Designs
Spring/Summer 2019

If you can dream it, Orange Fence & Supply Company, Inc. can build it. “They called my grandfather Rustic Tony because he would design and build rustic furniture, fences, tea houses and gazebos from native Eastern redcedar trees,” says President…

50 Years of Building
Fall/Winter 2018

ust about anywhere you look in Connecticut—especially in the Danbury area—you’ll find projects built by Hawley Construction Corp. It’s easy to do because the firm has built more than 2.2 million square feet of commercial and medical properties.…

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Tools of the Trade
Spring/Summer 2018

The most successful businesses never rest on success; instead, they look for ways and reasons to grow. Amazon started out just selling books. Netflix got its start renting DVDs through the mail. Both still do what they started out doing, but…

A View From the Field - Local Law 196
Fall/Winter 2018

Effective March 1, 2018, Local Law 196 mandates safety training for all demolition and construction workers employed within the five boroughs on projects requiring a construction superintendent, site safety manager, site safety coordinator,…

From the Basement to the Bid Time
Fall/Winter 2018

Jan Efraimsen, the President of the Woodtronics Millwork Corp. (Woodtronics) of Yorktown Heights, New York, has long enjoyed woodworking and electronics. More than 30 years ago, Efraimsen found a way to combine both his passions in his work.…

Partners. Friends. Family.
Spring/Summer 2018

For brothers-in-law Arlindo Augusto and Ray Boa, life is all about opportunity. Both are immigrants who journeyed to America where they hoped their learned skills and subsequent achievements, both personal and professional, would lead to a better…

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Trust & Education Lead to Longevity
Spring/Summer 2018

When asked what helped Stamford Wrecking Company grow to become a service leader in five New England states, third-generation owner Stephen Goldblum doesn’t hesitate. “It has a lot do to with employees, their caliber and the kind of character…

Stucco Depot “Makes It Happen”
Spring/Summer 2018

Dave Bowlby is a classic entrepreneur with a keen sense of opportunity and a firm belief in doing what’s right. His company, Stucco Depot, offers tools, safety equipment, scaffolding, stone, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), finishes…

Customer Always Comes First
Spring/Summer 2018

Connecticut Trailers & Powersports stands by the products it sells, so much so that the company doubles the manufacturer’s warranty on all new trailers sold.

Building a Network
Spring/Summer 2018

If he wasn’t so successful as founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fortunato Construction Group, Vince Fortunato could give lectures on the value of relationships. His education, experience and business acumen have all helped Fortunato Construction…

Good Vibrations
Fall/Winter 2017

As soon as Donna Pepe visited her first blast site in her early 20s, she knew that she wanted a career in the construction industry. She started learning the ropes with a geophysicist in Connecticut and never looked back. Today, she’s the President…

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Building Beauty From Simplicity
Fall/Winter 2017

For most people, stairs are simply a way to get from point A to point B, and not much else. However, for Kevin Boyle and his team at KB Custom Stair Builders, Inc., stairs are a passion fueled by beautiful design and decades of experience.

Land of Opportunity
Fall/Winter 2017

It’s been said that effective business methods transcend borders and oceans, but Karl Davies isn’t entirely sure about that.

Signs of Success
Fall/Winter 2017

There are a million clichés to describe Joe Lanza’s climb to success, and none are wrong. “Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” “Get knocked down nine times, get up 10.”

Retail Construction Isn't for the Faint of Heart
Fall/Winter 2017

Retail construction isn’t for the faint of heart. The schedules are aggressive, the clients have extremely high standards, and any challenges encountered have to be overcome—and fast. While not many companies can cut it in this environment,…

Ramped Up!
Spring/Summer 2017

Space shuttles, architectural products and kickboxing machines may seem to have little in common. But for Julian Gordon and his team, they each represent a signature step in a quest to fulfill a need in the built environment.

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Shades of Innovation
Spring/Summer 2017

Born and raised in the city that never sleeps, Kevin O’Connor will tell you that color is everywhere, in everything. Sixteen years ago, on a September morning, he remembers one particular color characterizing New York City’s skyline: blue.



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