Spotlight on leaders in contracting

“We have seen a recovery of high-end custom home construction opportunities,” Mr. Murphy said. “Commercial project opportunities, particularly in the hospitality field, have begun to return but are still lagging.”

The sluggishness of demand for such private commercial projects likely will persist for a while, he said.Jon Foad

Rudolph and Sletten, 1504 Eureka Road, Ste. 200, Roseville 95661; 916-781-8001; www.rsconstruction.com; ’09 revenue: $8.7 million (North Bay), $802.3 million (company); 13 employees (North Bay)

Jon Foad oversees North Bay operations for Redwood City-based commercial and engineering general contractor Rudolph and Sletten.David James

Ledcor Construction, 466 Devlin Road, Napa 94558; 707-257-5231; www.ledcor.com; ’09 revenue: $21 million (North Bay), $2.0 billion (companywide); 20 employees (Napa)

Vancouver, Canada-based Ledcor Group of Companies started in 1947. The second generation of the Lede family, which includes Vice Chairman and Yountville vintner Cliff Lede, in 2004 wooed David James away from his role for eight years as vice president of winery and custom-home builder James Nolan Construction to start Ledcor Construction’s California base of operations in Napa.

Since then, Mr. James, 47, has directed a number of North Bay projects, including notable Napa projects such as The Riverfront and the Westin Verasa and Meritage hotels. Top current projects are the $9 million, 12,000-square-foot Ram’s Gate winery project at Joseph and Genevieve Roche’s Sonoma Carneros winery, a $10 million home near Santa Rosa and a $12 million one around Napa.

Amid his observation of 60 percent less local construction activity and an expected five-year recovery period, Mr. James is diversifying the company into federal, municipal and industrial projects to boost revenue.William McDevitt Jr.

McDevitt & McDevitt, 3820 Cypress Drive, Ste. 6, Petaluma 94954; 707-763-3000; www.mcdevittandmcdevitt.com; ’09 revenue: $8.4 million; 13 employees

William “Willie” McDevitt Jr., 57, is president of the commercial general contracting company. Brothers Mike and Willie McDevitt started the company in 1976. Co-owner Ed Brush joined in 1999.

Mr. McDevitt and Mr. Brush have been involved in commercial development and construction for years, most recently with an office building in Petaluma and 40 industrial condominiums in Carneros Business Park in Sonoma.

Large current projects are the 30,000-square-foot Laura Chenel’s Chevre cheese plant in that business park, the $1.2 million reopening of Novato landmark Hilltop Restaurant and $600,000-plus in seismic stabilization work that was part of the newly completed renovation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito.Doug Woods

DPR Construction, 2360 Mendocino Ave., Ste. A2-120, Santa Rosa 95403; 707-373-1535; www.dprinc.com

Doug Woods oversees North Bay operations for Redwood City-based DPR Construction, which specializes in technically demanding microelectronics, biopharmaceutical, health care and other commercial and institutional projects.Rick Freeman

Codding Construction, 1400 Valley House Drive, Ste. 100, Rohnert Park 94928; 707-795-3550; www.codding.com; ’09 revenue: $6 million-plus; 19 employees

Rick Freeman was promoted to president of Codding Construction this year. Since started by the late Hugh Codding in the 1940s, Codding Construction has built more than 6 million square feet of office, mixed-use, bank, hotel, grocery and residential space.

It is a certified installer of Genesis SFS light-gauge steel panels, which are made at the Codding Steel Frame Solutions plant in Rohnert Park. Recent jobs include LEED-certified projects such as a dormitory for the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, a Nissan dealership in Santa Rosa and renovations and tenant improvements at Codding Enterprises’ Sonoma Mountain Village redevelopment project in Rohnert Park.

Mr. Freeman’s more than three decades in carpentry and construction started with a four-year apprenticeship with Carpenter’s Union Local 751. He joined Codding Construction in 1976 as a foreman and progressed to field superintendent in 1997. Later roles were vice president and director of project management and estimating.Daniel Garon

Devcon Construction, 1700 Corporate Circle, Petaluma 94954; 707-765-1580; www.devcon-const.com

Daniel Garon oversees North Bay operations for Milpitas-based Devcon Construction, which first came to the North Bay to build Telecom Valley offices because of the company’s relationships with a number of Silicon Valley technology companies.Bill Maudru

Cello & Maudru Construction, 2505 Oak St., Napa 94559; 707-257-0454; www.cello-maudru.com

A construction management graduate of California Polytechnic University, President Bill Maudru was 28 in 1987 when he and Kris Cello started what would become a significant builder of custom homes, wineries and commercial projects. Mr. Cello died in 2007, but his son Michael, a project manager, is a partner.

The other owners are project manager Bill Schaeffer, chief estimator Norm Meites, planning strategist Tom Weidinger and controller Katie Molinari.back to the topGeneral Engineering ContractorsRichard Ghilotti

Ghilotti Construction, 246 Ghilotti Ave., Santa Rosa 95407; 707-585-1221; www.ghilotti.com; ’09 revenue: $200 million (est.); 475 employees (est.)

Dick Ghilotti, 63, is president of Ghilotti Construction, which in June acquired rival general engineering contractor North Bay Construction of Petaluma. He and his cousin Jim Ghilotti left Ghilotti Bros. to start Ghilotti Construction in 1992.

The two companies have built a number of major road projects and large excavation efforts in the North Bay over the years.Mike Ghilotti

Ghilotti Bros., 525 Jacoby St., San Rafael 94901; 415-454-7011; www.ghilottibros.com; ’09 revenue: $107.0 million; employees: 45 (full time), 285 (peak)

In 1914, James Ghilotti started what became Ghilotti Bros. His grandson Mike Ghilotti, 48, became president in 2000. He received a master’s degree in business administration in project and construction management from Golden Gate University in 1987.

Ghilotti Bros. is the second-largest general engineering contractor in the North Bay.

Key current projects are the Highway 101 improvements at the Wilfred Avenue interchange in Rohnert Park for $46 million and at Lincoln Avenue in San Rafael for $55.5 million as well as $8.5 million of Conzelman Road improvements in the Marin Headlands near Sausalito.Michael Smith Jr.

Argonaut Constructors, 1236 Central Ave., Santa Rosa 95401; 707-542-4862; www.argonautconstructors.com

Mike A. “Junior” Smith is vice president of the company. President Mike D. Smith in 1957 started Argonaut Constructors, which is the third-largest general engineering contractor in the North Bay.

Argonaut this year won a “gold” Partnering Success in Motion award from Caltrans for erosion-control, shoulder widening and other safety upgrades to the road leading to Robinson Rancheria casino in Lake County.Glen Ghilotti

Team Ghilotti, 2531 S. Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma 94952; 707-763-8700; www.teamghilotti.com; ’09 revenue: $15 million; 75 employees

Glen Ghilotti, 52, formed Team Ghilotti in 2007 after selling his interest in San Rafael-based Maggiora & Ghilotti to his brother Gary Ghilotti.

The company is looking to have $18 million to $20 million in revenue this year with projects such as $2.5 million for a sewer main in San Rafael and $2 million to fix various water lines in Vallejo, according to Glen Ghilotti. The company had $8 million in work on the books last winter, but regulations on excavation delayed when crews could be hired, he said.

“Market share doesn't allow for a huge percentage of profitability in today's economy,” he said.Gary Ghilotti

Maggiora & Ghilotti, 555 DuBois St., San Rafael 94901; 415-459-8640; www.maggiora-ghilotti.com

In 1964 the late Henry “Babe” Ghilotti and Elmo Maggiora started Ghilotti & Maggiora after stints with Ghilotti Bros. and Shamrock Materials.

Mr. Ghilotti’s son Gary has been president since 1991 and became sole owner in 2007, when he purchased his brothers’ shares.back to the topElectrical ContractorsLeslie Murphy

W. Bradley Electric, 90 Hill Road, Novato 94945; 415-898-1400; www.wbeinc.com; ’09 revenue: $45.0 million; 175 employees (est.)

William Bradley started W. Bradley Electric in 1977. His daughter Leslie Murphy, 48, is chief executive officer.

The company now has six divisions: commercial and industrial contractor WBE Electric, WBE Telcom for voice and data cabling, WBE Network Systems for data networking, WBE Security Control Systems, WBE Audio Visual for equipment installation cabling and WBE Traffic Signals & Highway Technology.

Ms. Murphy recently was named a 2010 North Bay Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by Women’s Initiative. Engineering & Utility Contractors Association awarded the company first place this year in safety in the 250,000 to 500,000 hours class. The Security Division won the 2010 GE Strategic Partner Outstanding Service Award, based on client nominations.

Recently, Supplier Clearinghouse and Women’s Business National Council recently certified the company as a woman-owned business.

Top recent jobs have been $2.7 million to modernize the Life Sciences Building at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, $4 million at the Ocean Campus Joint Use Facility of City College of San Francisco and $1.09 million for relocation of utilities at San Francisco General Hospital.James Brown

Mike Brown Electric, 561 Mercantile Drive, Ste. A, Cotati 94931; 707-792-8100; www.mbelectric.com; ’09 revenue: $17 million; 60 employees

President James Brown, 48, was the oldest son of Mike Brown, who started the company in 1975.

The company leveraged its expertise in municipal lighting to land $6.55 million in Caltrans contracts for the widening of Highway 101 in Windsor and Rohnert Park. Another public project was $2 million in work in the East Bay at the west campus of Berkeley High School.

However, the flow of work has weakened for institutional and government projects. But potential markets are opening in photovoltaic power, power distribution and facility maintenance.Jim Chiappari

Northern Electric, 3190 Regional Parkway, Santa Rosa 95403; 707-571-2265; www.northernelectric.com; ’09 revenue: $9 million to $12 million (est.); 35 employees

Head project coordinator Jim Chiappari, 45, is son of owner and Chief Executive Officer Mike Chiappari, who started the company in 1983 with William Calvert.

For the past year, the company has been surviving on school and other government projects. Top local projects include upgrades to De Anza High and Ford Elementary in Richmond and Ross Elementary in west Marin County, the Twin Cities Police Station, renovations at River Rock Casino and the Whole Foods Market, set to open in September at Coddingtown in Santa Rosa.Jolene Corcoran, Ray Lunardi and Ron Lunardi

Joe Lunardi Electric, 5334 Sebastopol Road, Santa Rosa 95407; 707-545-4755; www.lunardielectric.com; ’09 revenue: $12.9 million; 46 employees

Jolene Corcoran, 57, is president of the company her father, Joe Lunardi, established five decades ago and retired from in 1994. Ms. Corcoran writes bid estimates and manages personnel. Ray Lunardi, 50, handles project management and estimating, and his twin brother, Ron, oversees operations.

The company worked on the American Canyon High School and just began St. Helena Montessori School, G&C Autobody’s Windsor shop and the recently revived Riebli school project. In addition, Joe Lunardi Electric stations small maintenance and project crews at Medtronic and Agilent Technologies in Santa Rosa.

The company had been looking to expand into photovoltaic and energy-efficiency work until the economic recession slowed the flow of work, Ron Lunardi said. Yet the company is exploring the addition of that expertise via training or acquisition.Ruben Perez

Napa Electric, 2240 Brown St., Napa 94558; 707-252-6611; www.napaelectric.com; ’09 revenue: $11.0 million; 50 employees (est.)

Ruben Perez, 58, is owner, president and chief executive officer of Napa Electric, started in 1939 by Dorothy Tockey. He started as an apprentice there in 1972 , moving into sales and management in 1995. Nine years later he acquired full ownership.back to the topPlumbing ContractorsLes Peterson

Peterson Mechanical, 21819 E. Eighth St., Sonoma 95476; 707-938-8481; www.petersonmechanical.com; ’09 revenue: $21.5 million; 47 employees

Les Peterson, 60, is president and chief executive officer of the company his granduncle Ed Peterson started in 1915. These days business is split 45 percent each between plumbing and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, with the rest in HVAC service work.

The company is leveraging its in-house design expertise to offer reduced operational costs via energy-efficiency, Les Peterson said. Big current projects are design and preconstruction work on Sutter Health’s proposed Santa Rosa campus project, similar work on Kaiser Permanente’s San Rafael emergency department project set to begin in May 2012 and College of Marin main campus math and science buildings.Daniel Gagne

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, 517 Jacoby St., Ste. C, San Rafael 94901; 415-454-9500; www.benfranklinplumbing.com; 60 employees (est.)

Daniel Gagne is president of Gagne Brothers Enterprises, which has operated the Ben Franklin Plumbing franchise for San Francisco and Marin and Sonoma counties since 1996.

Ranked No. 144 on the Franchise 500 list by Entrepreneur magazine, Ben Franklin Plumbing is owned by Florida-based Clockwork Home Services.Tom LeDuc

LeDuc & Dexter Plumbing, 2833 Dowd Drive, Ste. A, Santa Rosa 95407, 707-575-1500; www.leducanddexterplumbing.com; ’09 revenue: $4.5 million; 35  employees

Tom LeDuc, 63, is president and chief executive officer of the company Vice President Art Dexter and he started in 1983.

For the past few years, the company has been retooling toward environmentally friendly projects as the pipeline of projects slowed to a trickle. Mr. LeDuc has been an advocate of the Green Plumbers program, becoming certified as a contractor and instructor.

Significant recent projects have been the recently completed renovation of Francis Ford Coppola Winery near Geyserville, McDonald mansion upgrades in Santa Rosa and work at Schlesinger farm near Sonoma. The company also has a number of energy-efficiency retrofits and green-building projects in the works.Joe Locati

InCom Mechanical, 975 Transport Way, Petaluma 94954; 707-586-0511; www.incommechanical.com

Joe Locati is president of InCom Mechanical, which Charles Locati Jr. started in 1995. The company transitioned to employee ownership in 2007.Roger Maples

Wayne Maples Plumbing & Heating of Santa Rosa, 327 O'Hair Court, Santa Rosa 95407; 707-585-9977; www.maplesplumb.com; 50 employees (total)

Roger Maples is president and chief executive officer of Wayne Maples Plumbing & Heating of Santa Rosa and vice president of plumbing and HVAC service sister company Mapleservice, started in 1997.

Mr. Maples became a journeyman plumber in 1978 and general partner in the family company in 1987. Two years earlier Eureka-based Wayne Maples Plumbing & Heating expanded to Sonoma County. The original company was started in 1960 by Wayne Maples and Don Melling.back to the topSolar ContractorsTom Rooney

SPG Solar, 20 Leveroni Court, Novato 94949; 415-883-7657; www.spgsolar.com; more than 150 employees; ’09 revenue: $100 million-plus

In May 2009 Thomas Rooney III, 50, became president and chief executive officer of the photovoltaic system contracting company Chairman Dan Thompson started in 2001 as an installer of residential systems in Marin County.

A two-decade veteran of large capital projects, Mr. Rooney has streamlined the project process to speed project delivery as the company tackles larger commercial and government projects.

“Our organization is growing in size and scale,” said Jennifer Monteleone, vice president of strategic marketing. “We’ve also quickly expanded to become nationwide solar solution providers and will continue to grow.”Bill Stewart

SolarCraft, 285 Bel Marin Keys, Ste. D, Novato 94949; 415-382-7717; www.solarcraft.com; ’09 revenue: $8.4 million; 52 employees

Bill Stewart, 58, is owner and president of SolarCraft, which Dennis Nuttman and he started in 1984. He is a member of the North Bay Leadership Council and a director of the Marin Economic Forum.

Demand has picked up in the public sector for solar energy systems, and public-sector project owners look for ways to make such systems fit tight budgets, something challenged by sometimes crimped supplies of critical system components and funding mechanisms, according to Mr. Stewart.

Significant recent projects are a 103-kilowatt system for City of Santa Rosa’s West College Utility Facility, 62 kilowatts for the City of Sonoma Police Department, 56 kilowatts for Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena, 123 kilowatts for DuMol Winery in Windsor and 75 kilowatts for Ross School in Marin County.John Schaeffer

Real Goods Solar, 27 Simms St., San Rafael 94901; 888-567-6527; www.realgoods.com; ’09 revenue: $18 million (North Bay), $75 million (total); employees: 60 (North Bay), 218 (total)

John Schaeffer, 60, is president of publicly traded Real Goods Solar, which he started in 1978 along with a small Earth-friendly goods retailer. North Bay operations were the combination of Marin Solar and Real Goods in 2000 by Colorado-based Giam.

Despite some roller-coaster demand because of expirations and renewals of government incentives for alternative energy, Real Goods Solar was able to maintain its annual revenue growth rate of 20 percent and wrapped its fourth consecutive quarter of profitability, according to Mr. Schaeffer.

Most of the company’s North Bay projects are for homes, but large recent projects include the Marin County Abused Women's Center and the Yountville Veterans Memorial Hall.Rick Turley

Advanced Alternative Energy Solutions, 212 Second St., Petaluma 94952; 707-789-9537; www.aaes.biz; ’09 revenue: $5.25 million; 19 employees

Rick Turley is general manager and co-founded the company in 2002 with Bill Turley Jr.

The company’s significant recent projects include Gracianna Vineyards in Healdsburg, Upstream Vineyards in Napa and Odiyan Buddhist Retreat Center in Cazadero.Daniel Pellegrini

Cooperative Community Energy, 534 Fourth St., Ste. C, San Rafael 94901; 415-457-0215; www.ccenergy.com; ’09 revenue: $4.9 million; 3 employees

President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Pellegrini started the co-op in 2001 to help members design and obtain permits for alternative energy systems and work with various contractors to install projects.

Because of the dramatic slowdown in homebuilding and uncertainty currently regarding federal regulatory allowances for PACE-related financing such as the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, the co-op is shifting to the nonresidential energy market, according to Mr. Pellegrini.

However, utilities and municipalities generally want to work with a single contractor instead of the method the co-op uses, so the organization plans to obtain a contractor’s license by the end of this year.back to the topLandscaping ContractorsDennis Dougherty

Cagwin & Dorward, P.O. Box 1600, Novato 94948; 415-892-7710; www.cagwin.com; ’09 revenue: $9.8 million (North Bay), $3.9 million (construction-related); employees: 135 (North Bay, 35 in construction), 339 (companywide)

Dennis Dougherty, who is older than 60, is president, CEO and CFO of the company ornamental horticulturalist Tom Cagwin and economist David Dorward started in 1955.Refugio Ruis, Steve Gladden, Allan Issacson and Balthasar Beck

Watkin & Bortolussi, 77 Larkspur St., San Rafael 94901; 415-453-4691; ’09 revenue: $11 million; 50 employees

Steve Gladden is general manager and the other owners are project managers and estimators. The company was started in 1946 by Harold Watkin.

Much of the company’s work is irrigation and planting projects for Caltrans, including the Trancas Road and Highway 29 interchange in Napa and the Highway 12 interchange in Suisun City. Because of that the company has benefitted from federal economic-stimulus dollars reviving stalled projects and funding water-efficient upgrades to irrigation controllers, according to the company.Chris Huppe

Jensen Landscape Services, 1350 Airport Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403; 707-527-6187; www.huppelandscape.com; employees: 40 (North Bay) and 100 (division)

A Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo horticulture graduate, Chris Huppe, 49, is president of maintenance and the tree division for Jensen Landscape Services, formerly Huppe Landscape Co.

Chris and Gina Huppe opened the Santa Rosa branch office in 1987 when Roseville-based Huppe Landscape was established. Florida-based Jensen Corporate Holdings acquired Huppe in early 2009. Jensen Landscape Services has branch offices in Santa Rosa, Roseville, Vacaville and Rancho Cordova, and there are six other Jensen field offices in the greater Bay Area.

The tree division launched this year in Sacramento Valley, helped by rules from more jurisdictions about long-term care of old oaks and other protected trees at construction sites, according to Mr. Huppe. The service will be extended to the North Bay next year and the Bay Area thereafter.

Ninety percent of business is maintenance and the rest construction, a split that has helped the company weather the soured economy, he said. Commercial property financing problems will extend the recovery of commercial construction and related landscaping. Also helping somewhat are government dollars flowing to water-efficiency upgrades and products.Ed Nessinger

Nessco Construction, 244 Colgan Ave., Santa Rosa 95404; 707-541-0107; www.nesscoconstruction.com; 40 employees

Ed Nessinger, 46, is president of Nessco and co-owner of commercial general contractor R.E. West Builders, also of Santa Rosa. With three decades in the construction industry, Mr. Nessinger started Nessco in 1994.

The company has retooled to focus on maintenance rather than construction as the number of new home and building projects has dwindled.Tony Bertotti and Mike Nelson

Bertotti Landscaping, 2425 Adobe Road, Petaluma 94954; 707-559-7077; www.bertotti.com; ’09 revenue: $4.1 million; 25 employees

Tony Bertotti, 56, is president and chief executive officer, and Mike Nelson, 61, is corporate operations officer. Mr. Bertotti and his wife, Kim, started the company in 1975.

In addition to landscape professional and technician certifications, the firm has expertise from Sonoma State University in sustainable landscape practices. That is leading to opportunities in water-efficient landscapes, green roofs and living walls, also called vertical gardens.

California Landscape Contractors Association recognized the company with an achievement award for the Silver Oak Cellars reconstruction project in Oakville, the 2009 Judges Award for Bardessono Inn in Yountville and the 2010 Design/Build and Large Residential Maintenance Award for a Sonoma home. Recent big jobs have been $2 million of work at a Marin County home, $500,000 at Kenzo Estate Winery in Napa and $300,000 at Nicasio Ranch.back to the topHeating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning ContractorsPaul Irwin

Bell Products, 722 Soscol Ave., Napa 94559; 707-255-1811; www.bellproducts.com; ’09 revenue: $30 million; 100 employees

Paul Irwin, 53, is president of the company Joe Bell started in 1945. Mr. Irwin completed a sheet-metal apprenticeship in 1979 and started with Bell as an estimator in 1982. Partners are Mr. Irwin, in charge of commercial work; Mark Heitz, overseeing light commercial and residential; and Vice President Stan Foltz, tracking service and maintenance.

Despite a construction environment he characterized as “stop, drop and roll,” Bell has been buoyed by its piping and plumbing divisions.Sargon Michael

Allied Heating & Air Conditioning, 12 DeLuca Place, San Rafael 94901; 415-459-5232; www.alliedhvac.com

Sargon Michael is president and chief executive officer. The company started in 1984 when Mark Barger, a sales engineer, partnered with Neil Anderson, a foreman with a heating and cooling systems contractor.Mark Collins

Johnson Controls, 3555 Airway Drive, Santa Rosa 95403; 707-546-3042; www.johnsoncontrols.com; employees: 50 (North Bay), 130,000 (companywide)

Mark Collins is Santa Rosa branch manager for Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls, which was started in 1885.Ted Treat and Jason George

ACCO Engineered Systems, 737 Southpoint Blvd., Ste. G, Petaluma 94954; 707-776-2748; 630 Eubanks Court, Ste. E-F, Vacaville 95688; 707-455-0130; www.accoes.com; about 90 employees (North Bay), roughly 1,700 (company)

Glendale-based ACCO is one of the five-largest HVAC contractors in the U.S. Ted Treat is Petaluma construction manager. Jason George, 44, has been Vacaville construction manager since April 2006.

Key clients of the North Bay offices include Genentech, Bayer and Cobalt.James Landa

Simpson Sheet Metal, 2833 Dowd Drive, Santa Rosa 95407; 707-576-1500, www.simpsonsheetmetal.com

Owner Jim Landa, 56, came to the company in 2004 after 10 years as president of Empire Waste Management and a career in finance with Waste Management in Oakland and Chronicle Publishing in San Francisco.

[gallery link="file" columns="4" orderby="title"]back to the top