Leading With Integrity

Callahan Inc.
Written by Pauline Müller

Considering the ease with which Callahan, Inc. dominates several diverse construction markets, going big is not at all daunting for this forward-thinking company.

For this construction giant, ‘small’ only appears to come into play when taking care of the finest details before signing off each of its estimated 30 projects annually. Erecting more than 7,000 units in just over five years has given Callahan, Inc. a coveted spot on Engineering News-Record magazine’s 2019 list of the top 400 U.S. construction firms. It is also one of the largest open-shop construction management firms in its region and the embodiment of consistency and attention to detail.

With its solid grasp of quality construction, the company provides private national developers, real estate investment trusts, institutions, universities, colleges, and smaller local developers with a variety of specialty preconstruction and construction management services from its 40,000-square-foot headquarters in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Its clients’ trust in its ability means that the vast majority of its work results in repeat business.

Callahan, Inc.’s dedication is evident in its growth. Expansion is a welcome constant; the firm opened its new offices in White Plains, New York in 2019, allowing it to expand its reach to cover an area from New Jersey to southern Maine, including Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Two of Callahan’s latest projects will be breaking ground in Yonkers, New York and Basking Ridge, New Jersey soon. In addition to increasing its footprint, the company added to its staff of over 200 employees during the pandemic, securing its place in its newly acquired territory.

Callahan, Inc. is recognized for its wide range of projects that include reasonably-priced, mixed-use, multifamily buildings and affordable housing as well as senior living, hotel and hospitality, educational, and retail facilities. The firm also creates corporate interiors and has, more recently, achieved considerable success with the construction of several highly-specialized, complex laboratory units that study life sciences. “We have made great progress over the past few years in establishing Callahan as a market leader in Greater Boston suburban lab/life sciences,” says Vice President of Business Development Stephen R. Callahan Jr.

Among the company’s many laboratory projects are the Linx biotechnology building in Watertown, MA for Boylston Properties; 200 Smith Street in Waltham, MA for Anchor Line Partners; 300 3rd Avenue for Lincoln Property Company; Charles River Laboratories in Wilmington, MA, for which the firm completed multiple projects, receiving several awards; several projects for MIT; and others for Brandeis University. Callahan incorporates technology like building information modeling and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems coordination into its meticulous planning processes. This allows teams to coordinate, in tremendous detail, all the functions that must coexist in these complicated buildings.

Indeed, some of the most respected entities across New England and the Mid-Atlantic benefit from Callahan’s broad suite of services. These include a full-service civil and site-work division complemented by value-added preconstruction services. These pre-qualify subcontractors, solicit and review bids, draw up budgets and estimates, set up schedules and timeline reviews, conduct site feasibility research, and offer advice on material options and price. An in-house civil engineer, architectural reviewer, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural (MEPS) manager, are all equipped to see the completion of its many intricate projects.

Certainly, there has been no shortage of business. One of the company’s recent projects was a U$187-million construction for Bozzuto, a well-known real estate and property management leader. The Abbey, a transit-oriented, mixed-use development in North Quincy, Massachusetts, consists of 610 residential apartments, 50,000 square feet of retail space, and a 1200-stall precast garage, all planned around the concept of optimal functioning. This gargantuan project is the firm’s largest yet.

“The Callahan, Inc. team is ready to make this project one of its best yet,” says Stephen. And, with many prestigious projects like Montaje Apartments, a mixed-use residential complex in Somerville; the Meriel Marina Bay, a residential building in Quincy; North Point Lofts II in Cambridge, and many more, there is no doubt that Callahan Inc. will make The Abbey another roaring triumph.

The company was started by Jack and Marie Callahan during the property boom that followed WWII. After opening its first office in 1954, its claim to fame was building scores of Dunkin’ Donuts and Howard Johnson outlets. Callahan quickly grew as new clients called and became a trusted name in construction management, synonymous with quality and value. Soon, Jack and Marie’s five sons were all on board, followed by more family members. Today, family is still just as important, with three Callahans still serving on the company’s executive management team.

Because family matters, Callahan, Inc. invests in its people, communities, and environmental stewardship. This includes its Constructing Communities program that partners with and invests in the communities where it builds, while employees also receive everything they need to thrive and deliver superior work. Safety and best construction practices to reduce energy consumption are other important aspects of the company’s corporate identity and remain priorities.

To ensure that safety standards are upheld, Callahan Inc. employs six qualified, full-time safety officers who keep tabs on all aspects of its people’s health and safety on site. Its safety orientation courses include a 30-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training session and the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Hot Works course. Its approach to dealing with on-site dangers landed the company the National Safety Award in 2017 and resulted in ten consecutive Gold Safety, Training, and Evaluation Process (S.T.E.P.) awards from the Gould Construction Institute and Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

With a 66-year old track record, there have been many remarkable moments for this company over the years – like when it received an Average Project Evaluation Rating of 96 out of 100 by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And the public praise it received from Deborah C. Jackson, fourth president of Cambridge College, upon completion of one of its most important projects for the institution – noted by Stephen R. Callahan Jr. as one of the proudest accomplishments of his career.

Thanks to its collective go-getter spirit, drive, and commitment to excellence, Callahan Inc. has had many great achievements, but its biggest are yet to come. “We see enormous potential for growth in the Greater Boston suburban life sciences sector due to extremely strong demand for suburban lab/lab-ready products, which has only been exacerbated by COVID-19,” shares Stephen. With sustained growth in this sector and others, Callahan Inc. will surely continue outshining its competition.

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