Other current projects involve rehabbing two bridges for the New York State Department of Environmental Protection and constructing a new building for the Department of Education at the SUNY Cortland campus.

‘On Course’
Gangemi says Fahs’ bidding success “has put us on course, and we’re in a position that we don’t have to chase work; we can be more selective on projects we pursue.”

The company has also been successful in its recruiting efforts. “Finding good, qualified labor is an industry-wide challenge, and we’ve been successful in bringing in some new young people from other companies and local schools,” Gangemi says. “We also benefit from low turnover and long-term employees. We strive to identify people in the field who we can move up into management positions.”

Fahs maintains a strong safety record, with no lost-time accidents in more than two years. It earned the Association of General Contractors Gold Safety Award last year.

The company aims to maintain a 50/50 ratio of public to private work and is targeting new areas of growth, including expanding in Indiana, Connecticut “and possibly the South,” Gangemi says.

“We are looking at targeted growth, not just chasing work anywhere. We might start with one private development project to get our foot in the door and go from there, rather than get into public bids right from the start.”