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Updated: March 2, 2020

Family atmosphere, employer perks make Consigli a top workplace

Consigli Construction employees get involved in many causes including providing volunteers for Camp Courant and the Shriners Hospital Radiothon.
By Liese Klein
Winner: Large Companies CT Headquarters: Hartford Industry: Construction Website: consigli.com Twitter: @Consigli1905 Top executives: Anthony Consigli, CEO See all 2020 Best Places to Work in CT winners
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When builder Mike Walker was looking for a new challenge 21 years ago, he took note of Consigli Construction.

Then a smallish $30-million firm, Consigli was a Milford, Mass.-based general contractor that attracted Walker with its blend of hands-on expertise and family atmosphere.

“I wanted to go someplace that I felt good about,” said Walker, co-owner of a construction business at the time. “They were not just a suitcase contractor, they actually got their hands dirty… and they were growing.”

He took a job at Consigli and rose through the ranks from director of PreConstruction to head of estimating and then project executive. He’s been operations manager of the firm’s Connecticut office for the past 10 years.

As Walker’s career advanced, so did the fortunes of Consigli Construction, now run by the fourth generation of the founding family. The company is approaching $2 billion in annual revenue with 1,200 employees in four states and Washington, D.C.

This year for the first time, the company’s annual employee meeting outgrew its Gillette Stadium venue in Foxborough, Mass., and will take place electronically in each regional office.

“There’s been a lot of growth,” Walker said. “What we’ve built the company on is the people — great people and great relationships to build great projects.”

An industry-leading benefits package has been key to that expansion, attracting top talent to the firm, Walker said. Multiple health-plan options are offered, including a free plan with participation in an in-house wellness program. Dental and vision coverage is available, along with a 401(k) plan with a company match and a 529 college-savings plan.

Recently Consigli introduced an Employee Stock Ownership Plan as part of its benefit package designed to give workers a stake in the company at no additional cost. The plan is offered to all full-time employees after they’ve worked 1,000 hours.

Hartford employees also enjoy the coveted perk of reimbursement for all parking expenses and a parking pass that can be used at any time.

“The company’s been built to take care of the people,” Walker said. “It’s a family, we’re not just employees. It’s my job to carry the culture forward.”

As the company looks toward further growth, the focus remains on developing employees through training opportunities like Consigli Learning Conferences and Consigli University, which offers 10,000 hours of training in the form of 150 classes. Tuition reimbursement is offered for classes taken outside of the firm.

Danielle Gray took advantage of multiple training opportunities when she joined Consigli right out of architecture school in 2013. She had no background in contracting, although she’d long been curious about the construction side of building.

“They definitely expose you to the correct job to get you set up and let you learn the ropes pretty quickly,” Gray said.

The new hire was quickly brought up to speed on construction terminology and the specialized software used in her new position in mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) coordination.

In the years since, Gray has trained in the cutting-edge tools used in the field of virtual design and construction (VDC) and now holds the post of VDC manager, which incorporates expertise in logistics, MEP coordination, 3D software and virtual reality.

“We’re always looking to leverage new technologies onto jobs to help productivity,” Gray said.

Outside of the technical realm, Gray is also thrilled with the perks and benefits of working at Consigli, which far outshine those of her classmates still in the architectural field.

“There’s always a positive vibe here,” Gray said. “You really become like a team; you start to rely on each other. The people are really what make this company worthwhile.”

“We have tools, we have trucks, we have computers, but what we really have is the people,” Walker said. “That’s the No. 1 asset of our company.”

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