The Best of All Worlds
Old-world quality and today’s best practices define three generations of DiMarco Construction
From the time he was 10 years old, Domenic DiMarco remembers working alongside his late grandfather, an old-school tradesman from Italy and his namesake. Today, the younger Domenic represents DiMarco Construction Co., Inc.’s third generation, continuing his grandfather’s legacy of quality craftsmanship.
Located in Clairton, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, DiMarco Construction is a midsized general contracting firm that has come a long way from driveway installations and brick masonry work. The firm now handles construction projects for commercial, industrial, institutional and municipal clients throughout the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and Western Pennsylvania.
The elder Domenic DiMarco and his son, Phillip, started the business in 1986 as a small, two-person residential concrete masonry business after Domenic was laid off from his job as a bricklayer. Phillip helped his dad while pursuing his civil engineering degree from the University of Pittsburgh. When he graduated, he joined the company full time and DiMarco Construction began seeking larger commercial projects. They quickly built a reputation for high-quality workmanship, thanks in part to Domenic’s 30-year expertise as a brick mason in the Pittsburgh area.
In 1990, they won a fairly large renovation project for an industrial client and the business took off from there. DiMarco Construction was recently nominated for a “Fast 50 Award” by the Pittsburgh Business Times, which recognizes the fastest-growing companies in western Pennsylvania. In addition to being among the largest Pittsburgh-area private companies, DiMarco Construction was among the Top 10 companies in the construction contractors category.
Two keys to the firm’s success remain the same as in those early days. First, DiMarco Construction is still run by a father and son team. Phillip is President and CEO and his son, Domenic, is Vice President of Field Operations. Phillip’s daughter, Christina, handles marketing for the company. Secondly, the company maintains the same quality craftsmanship, strong work ethic and honest business practices instilled by the elder Domenic.
Quality Is Our Foundation
Today, the firm has 62 employees and performs the majority of its construction work without the help from subcontractors—from project estimating and management to demolition, site excavation, concrete work and interior trades, such as drywall, masonry and carpentry. “With a multitude of trades in-house, we’re able to maintain quality control from the ground up,” Phillip says. “We are one of the few general contractors who do this, and it separates us from the competition.”
By performing work in-house, DiMarco Construction is able to keep projects on schedule and costs more competitive. “We control our own destiny by maintaining the quality of our work and scheduling our own crews, instead of relying on subcontractors” Phillip says. “By doing everything in-house we don’t have mark-up costs, so we are able to pass some of those savings on to our customers.”
The firm’s slogan—Quality is our Foundation—sums up the work the firm has been known for since the company began. “Today, we’re doing $35 million to $40 million in business each year, but we still have the same work ethic and pride in the quality of our workmanship,” Phillip says. “It becomes tougher to manage as you get larger, but we’ve been able to find the secret recipe in order to do that.”
To help maintain quality control, DiMarco has longtime supervisors on staff, some who have been with the company since its early days. “We treat everyone like family,” Phillip says. “Our employees all know each other. We’re a tight-knit group and treat everyone with respect.”
Diversity of Projects
DiMarco Construction’s original brick masonry and concrete work has expanded to a wide project portfolio that includes office buildings, hospitals, schools, churches, water treatment plants and municipal work. “Many contractors focus on one niche. We’ve been successful doing a fairly large gamut of work, everything from heavy concrete work to interior finish projects ranging from $8 million to $10 million,” Phillip notes. “We are currently working on a $14 million project for a water company, and we just finished up a large municipal library project.”
That $3 million renovation at Ligonier Valley Library involved a total renovation inside and out, including adding a new 18-foot-high, two-ton cupola—topped with an eagle weather vane—on the roof. The original cupola was removed 34 years ago when it fell into disrepair.
The company also is experienced in building green projects that meet LEED certification requirements. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Phillip says more companies in the Pittsburgh area are embracing the green building movement.
One of the company’s green projects is the Sheldon Park community center, a $1.3 million project in Allegheny County that received LEED Silver Certification. The 8,800-square-foot building uses less energy and water, reclaiming water from its rooftop rain gardens. Another green project, a concession building at Point State Park, is a stainless-steel structure with a green roof and walls, featuring plants that were native to the area in the 1700s. The building was constructed on an historic site at the old Fort Pitt Museum located in the park.
“I worked with my grandfather and dad back in the day, and in a lot of aspects, I’m old-school in my approach to work. I take that old-school commitment to quality workmanship and try to instill that work ethic to those in our training program.” Domenic DiMarco, Vice President of Field Operations, DiMarco Construction Co., Inc.
Exemplary Safety Record
The company prides itself on its strong safety record, reflected by a rate of workers’ compensation claims well below the industry average. DiMarco Construction employs a full-time safety officer who conducts daily job talks and job hazard analyses for critical work. The company hosts monthly safety training and quarterly safety meetings and has a program that rewards employees for achieving certain safety goals. “We want our people to work safely and go home safe each night,” Phillip says.
Apprenticeship Program
With the construction industry facing a shortage of skilled workers over the past 25 years, DiMarco Construction is doing its part to attract younger talent to the industry. The firm has an apprenticeship program and works with various union apprenticeship programs to bring younger people into the construction trades.
“Because we self-perform a majority of our work, we’ve been able to bring younger people into the industry and train them on our jobs,” Domenic says. “I worked with my grandfather and dad back in the day, and in a lot of aspects, I’m old-school in my approach to work. I take that old-school commitment to quality workmanship and try to instill that work ethic to those in our training program.”
As a sign of its ongoing success, DiMarco Construction is building a new $3.5 million headquarters facility that will feature new office space and a warehouse. And although the company’s original founder passed away seven years ago, DiMarco Construction continues to grow after three decades thanks to Domenic DiMarco’s guiding principles.
“My father was a skilled craftsman with old-world skills that you can’t find today,” Phillip says. “He had a good, strong work ethic, was honest and treated people fairly. That philosophy has enabled us to become incredibly competitive in today’s growing industry and will continue to carry us forward.”