Page 77 - BusinessWest May 2, 2022

Mark Sullivan, center, with several members of the team at D.A. Sullivan & Sons.
BusinessWest
CONSTRUCTION MAY 2, 2022 25
A Framework for Continued Growth
D.A. Sullivan Builds on a 125-year Legacy of Excellence
It started with a few people building a home in Williamsburg in 1897. And over the past 125 years, the firm that came to be known as D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc. has expanded in every way a construction firm can. Its vast portfolio of projects includes construction and renovation of schools, libraries, hospital facilities, dormitories, churches, and much more. While there are many keys to the success of the firm, it’s fourth-generation president says it all comes down to relationship-building.
By Elizabeth Sears
M
While constructing schools, churches, municipal buildings, and more, the Sullivan fam- ily has built an enduring business with a strong foundation. Indeed, D.A. Sullivan & Sons
is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year — a milestone that speaks to the impressive legacy the Sullivans have built.
“Now I’m the fourth generation — my brother Dennis and myself are the fourth genera- tion,” said Mark. “Our nephew, Andrew, joined us a few years ago, he’s the fifth generation. Hopefully we’ve got more to come.”
The company was started by his great-grandfather, Dennis A. Sullivan (D.A.) along with his brother, in 1897. They worked mostly on houses in Northampton — the city they’ve been based in for the past 125 years. Initially the pair traveled wherever the work was, even as the company grew, but for the past 75 years D.A. Sullivan & Sons has concentrated its services from Pittsfield to Worcester.
D.A. Sullivan & Sons acts as a construction manager or a general contractor. Sometimes it even acts as an owner’s project manager or “OPM” for towns that are undergoing build- ing projects. It acts as a consultant to shepherd municipalities through the whole process of a public building project — undertakings that are often large and complex in nature.
ark Sullivan knows the elements of a successful building — strength, stability, durability, to name a few. And he should know — he’s the president and executive project manager of D.A. Sullivan & Sons, a construction company in Northampton.
Sullivan also knows firsthand that these same elements are essential for a successful company.
Construction