HISTORY
The company was formed in 1981 as D’Annunzio Brothers, Inc. Joe D’Annunzio, lovingly known as “Little Joe”, founded the company with his four sons: Jim, Joe, Michael and Steven. Starting a business with his boys was simply a new version of a model that the family had lived for many years. In the words of Jim and Michael D’Annunzio, “Our father ran our house growing up like a job. For us, it was school, homework, chores, dinner, more chores and then bed.”
During their childhood growing up in the family home in Scotch Plains, Little Joe’s boys were always working around the house and building things for their Mom and Dad. Even when their friends were over enjoying the pool, several of the D’Annunzio boys would be cutting the grass and doing other yard work. According to Michael, his father always said, “As long as I have four sons, I’ll never hire a landscaper!”
The housework and constant responsibilities were where the D’Annunzio boys learned their work ethic, and they credit it for how they have been able to outwork their competition for more than 40+ years in such a competitive industry. Eventually, working around the house became work around Little Joe’s previous construction company.
Starting in high school, and then really ramping up during college breaks, the D’Annunzio boys began working in the company yard, eventually moving out into the field onto road projects. Growing up in the construction industry and learning a contractors’ work ethic before their 18th birthday made summers working on the Garden State Parkway a natural fit. The D’Annunzio sons not only enjoyed the work, they attacked it, working full days and soaking up as much overtime as they could. Learning the business in the field, not in the office, is what they credit for their ability to understand the incredibly complex construction industry at such a young age. It also earned them the respect of the working men and women when they saw the boss’s kids working just as hard as they were. Once the new company was formed, and Little Joe’s sons began to transition into leadership roles, they were embraced and supported by the companies’ employees. This has allowed the company to take risks, both in new services and in overall growth, while also weathering downturns in the market.
By the time the D’Annunzio Group was formed, Little Joe D’Annunzio had taught his sons several business lessons that they proudly carried forward from the companies’ inception to the modern day. Joe felt a man was only as good as his reputation, and to maintain your reputation he preached that a man must always pay his debts. Prior to prompt pay laws, Joe D’Annunzio always made sure to pay his subs and vendors even it if made his company’s cash flow tight. He also believed in the need and will to invest in equipment to make a business opportunity a reality. A contractor unwilling to take on risk was a contractor unwilling to grow. Finally, Little Joe always sought to be innovative, looking for the newest technologies to improve his company’s construction capabilities.
These simple philosophies allowed the D’Annunzio’s to start a company with little to no capital funding, a beat-up station wagon and a 3-inch pump. In essence, the D’Annunzio Group started from nothing, but immediately set themselves apart from many of their competitors by focusing on projects differently. From day one the company has always looked to hire staff with PE licenses so they can utilize value engineering to improve the constructability of their projects. This added analysis of engineering plans and documents has helped the D’Annunzio Group elevate their standing amongst their competition, while providing real value to project owners during construction and project delivery.
The D’Annunzio name has been synonymous with quality construction in the greater New Jersey and New York region for more than 40 years. Whether building utilities, roads, bridges, airports, or any other form of complex infrastructure, when an owner selects the D’Annunzio Group as their contractor, they know they are getting one of the region’s top-notch construction firms. Companies like this aren’t founded every day, and few have the foundation to grow and maintain that structure to continue that growth into its third generation. The D’Annunzio Group’s success is rooted in their focus on always putting family first, the bond the family maintains, the trust that is required to take risks, and finally, a work ethic that they believe is second to none.
Unlike so many of their peers who have risen and fallen during their company’s lifespan, the D’Annunzio Group now boasts a third generation in the ranks of its leadership. Michael’s son Chris and Jim’s sons Jeff and James having graduated from a similar school of family training that has prepared them to become the new leadership of the company and to transition into the roles their fathers were handed when Little Joe retired. All three sons say their earliest and happiest memories are ones when the cousins were all together as children. Birthday parties, holidays and other family get-togethers are where the cousins became more like brothers, and where the bond was forged that would allow them to follow in their fathers’ footsteps.
-min.jpg)
Specifically, Jeff recalls, “We would spend hours together in sandboxes. We knew what our dads did for a living, and so we would use our toy trucks and line up and stack rocks in rows after rows, again and again, our parents had to drag us out of the sandbox!” Chris added, “Ever since we were kids, we were proud of what our family business accomplished. We played as contractors in the sandbox, and it was the beginning of what is a fulfillment we get from working with the family business and being part of what we build.”
While their childhoods weren’t quite as laborious as their fathers’, Chris, Jeff, and James all had similar stories. Regardless of what they were studying in college, every summer was spent learning the family business in the field.
Once they graduated and joined the company full-time, the cousins worked in a myriad of roles both in the shop, field, and in the office in order to learn all aspects of the company. Originally, Chris started in the field while Jeff and James began in the office. Over time, all three have found their true callings which allows them to exploit their strengths, while combing forces to continue to move the company forward in an increasingly challenging industry and market. Chris credits this to the strength and success of the company their fathers built, “We grew up with an established foundation and processes that led to great success.”
The foundation and growth that began in 1981 is now entering into new realms with the newest generation of D’Annunzio leaders ready to provide new ideas to improve existing processes. One of the key ways the D’Annunzio Group is doing this is by doubling down on their never-ending quest to stay on the cutting edge of new construction technology that makes them more efficient and profitable. Recognizing that their elders had to do everything the hard way, the younger D’Annunzio’s are utilizing technology to improve their productivity which in turn benefits their customers.
-min.jpg)
“I’m done!”- Joe D’Annunzio
One day in 1986, only five years after founding the company, Little Joe D’Annunzio announced he was retiring. This was breaking news to his sons, including Michael, who found out that in addition to his father retiring abruptly, he had just been named company President! While the succession plan was implemented overnight, it was a plan Little Joe knew would work, because as Jim and Michael both say, “Our father trained us from Day 1 to be contractors.” Michael would come in from the field and begin to run the office while Jimmy fully took over field operations for the company. The brothers were and remain extremely close. They credit their quick and successful transition to running the company and then taking it to new heights on the main principles that they continue to adhere to today: Tradition, Mutual Respect, Discipline and Precision.
While the future remains bright for the D’Annunzio Group, there are always equal challenges and opportunities in the construction industry. Michael is constantly seeking ways to retain employees with experience, knowledge, and intuition. He is focused on teaching his son and nephews everything else he must share so there will be a successful transition to the next generation. Most importantly, he wants to ensure that the “D’Annunzio Way” is instilled in the company he will one day leave behind.
1981-1986 were tough years in the construction market. The D’Annunzio’s had survived on utility work and being a subcontractor to larger firms who were willing to give them their first breaks like Jim Reid and Gus Anselmi to name a few.
When Michael and Jim took over, they quickly realized change was necessary if the firm was ever going to reach greater heights. Michael began to implement new business processes to increase operational and administrative efficiencies and productivity. According to Michael, “To be successful in business you need to be nimble. We wanted to chase new work and needed the entire company engaged to be able to deliver for our clients.”
The brothers accomplished this when they added transportation construction to their portfolio. By taking this chance, the D’Annunzio Group almost overnight became a force to be reckoned with in the heavy highway and transportation construction sectors. Jim knew what the men were capable of, and he shared Michael’s vision to grow and expand the company’s size and construction capabilities. Jim reflected on this time in the company’s history, “I remember Michael wanted to bid some pretty big jobs, but I knew we could build whatever he bid, and so we took the chance.”
This led the D’Annunzio group to win its first signature job from the New Jersey Department of Transportation on Route 287 in Morris County. The rehabilitation job included 12 bridge decks and required 365 tons of asphalt, which was the largest paving job in the state’s history up to that time. One of the first jobs the brothers won in transportation was the successful electrification of the Eerie Lackawanna line for New Jersey TRANSIT. Both jobs were delivered successfully, on time and on budget, and have led to three decades of success in transportation construction through high and low markets.
Like his father and grandfather, Chris now serves on the Board of the Utility & Transportation Contractors Association (UTCA) and is co-chair of the UTCA Young Professionals Committee. The D’Annunzio family has always embraced the importance of being involved in the industry’s premier trade association, in fact both Little Joe and Michael are past Presidents. They know that contractors need a strong voice on behalf of the industry in Trenton and throughout the state, and have put their time, money, and energy into the UTCA since it was founded more than 50 years ago.
Chris, Jeff, and James have a very affirmational approach to the future of their company and the construction industry. They are excited to take on the challenges facing the company, while looking for ways to turn them into opportunities. The cousins all agreed that they want to find ways to make a difference in the community and where they’re working, not just build to build. They want to find ways to take on even more challenging jobs that deliver more consequential results for the end users, which are most often the taxpayer.
As with all successful companies, the D’Annunzio family recognizes that their success has been attained not only through their hard work, but also through the hard work of their employees. Chris says, “Our greatest strength is our team that finds a challenging project and makes it better. We need to continue to find employees with that skillset, but we also must recognize that in today’s world we need to also focus on work-life balance”.
The D’Annunzio Group recognizes that in succession planning, a company must always seek new ways to improve the employees’ experience at work, while also making sure they are getting the family time they need. At work, the company is seeking to grow in markets that make a positive impact like sustainability projects, renewable energy, and other specialized construction. Understanding that work-life balance and meaningful work produces the happiest and most productive workforce, the D’Annunzio Group remains one of the most innovative and quality employers in the construction industry.
As we look to the future, the D’Annunzio Group continues to be a leader in the construction industry whose name is synonyms with quality, hard work, sophistication, and trust. Their peers have tremendous respect for them. The owners they work for have great confidence in them. The D’Annunzio family is focused on continuing the traditions and values that have made the company so successful and will do so until the next generation is ready to get to work adding their mark to this company’s amazing legacy.