2017 commercial construction continues to move forward in Northern New England - by Thomas Sullivan

Thomas Sullivan, Sullivan Construction, Inc.

Commercial construction continues to move forward at an extremely fast pace. 2017 looks to be a very busy year in Northern New England.

Some of the areas we continue focusing on include: banking, healthcare, retail, corporate office, manufacturing and education. All of these segments are growing and look to continue to grow in the foreseeable future.

Most recently we completed projects for Wilson Language in Portsmouth, N.H., SIAA in Hampton, N.H., Berwick Academy in South Berwick, ME and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H. Most of these projects are on the seacoast which seems to have the highest demand for both commercial and residential construction.

We are working on a project for Summit Land Development at Pease Tradeport in Portsmouth, N.H. This project is a 16,000 s/f addition to Sprague’s Corporate Headquarters, which we originally constructed three years ago.

We look forward to upcoming projects with Franklin Savings Bank-Merrimack, N.H., Catholic Medical Center- Manchester, N.H., and Space Center in Hooksett, NH, and a 44,000 s/f, class A office building at 39 Constitution Dr., Bedford, N.H. A robust economy creates a tight job market and getting additional labor is really challenging in this market.

We are focusing on providing our employees with the best tools for them to succeed. We recently implemented a cutting-edge project management software which allows us to integrate our project management and accounting programs seamlessly. It allows our field personnel to be integrated as well.

A busy economy means permitting can take longer as building departments have a much busier schedule than typical.

Cost of construction materials are increasing. Commodities such as steel, concrete, and lumber have all gone up this year and will continue to go up.

2016 was our best year ever with customer satisfaction, so we are continually striving to find what our customers really need and provide them with the best services possible. “Built Around You” is our tagline. As long as we focus on our employees, customers, and vendors, we are confident that we will have a very successful future. One of the important aspects of Sullivan Construction, Inc. is our commitment to our community. We are proud to support many charitable organizations including, Easterseals, New Hampshire Catholic Charities, Building on Hope and many other worthy causes.

We are not looking to be the biggest commercial contractor but simply the one who owners respect, trust and can rely on to make their visions become reality.

As Sullivan Construction, Inc. enters our 47^th year in business, we want to thank all of our employees, clients and vendors for all they do to support us.

Thomas Sullivan is president of Sullivan Construction, Inc., Bedford, N.H.