We don’t like to get hung up on milestones too much at Englewood Construction, but I think we would be remiss if we did not take a little time to reflect on the firm’s 10-year anniversary and the current state of our national commercial construction company, as well as acknowledge all of the people and hard work that got us to where we are today.

Even though Englewood opened its doors in 2004, the talent nucleus of the company has been together since 1993. When we set out to found our own commercial general contracting firm, we pooled together decades of knowledge across all commercial construction sectors to build a leading national general construction firm.

Like all businesses, we were faced with the economic downturn of the mid-to-late 2000s. But it was real estate and commercial construction that bore the brunt of this recession. It may not have been the most auspicious time to start a business, but looking back, I wouldn’t change it. It forced Englewood to develop into a nimble and innovative commercial general construction company, which will undoubtedly make us stronger in our second decade. I can also proudly say that despite the difficulty of the economic environment, we never laid off one employee. We knew we would need this top commercial construction talent when the days turned brighter…and boy, were we right.

When we began the company, our core competency was in national retail and restaurant construction. As the firm grew and new opportunities presented themselves, we were able to parlay our commercial construction experience and incorporate different concepts and services into our offerings. From big box retail construction and high-end national retail construction to fast-casual dining and white table cloth, award-winning restaurants, we do them all now.

Our projects escalated in size as well, as we frequently work on shopping center construction now, having completed several mall renovation projects and ground-up projects, such as a 420,000-square-foot shopping center in Canton, Conn. In the coming months, we will have new shopping center construction projects to talk about, so stay tuned.

Completely new markets have opened up to Englewood as well. In 2009, we expanded into the hotel construction market and this year, I’m happy to say Englewood will be working in the multifamily construction market and medical real estate construction sector.

Our geographic reach has extended too. In the past five years, Englewood has worked on commercial general construction projects in 35 different states. With a growing subcontractor base of 20,000, we are able to go anywhere in North America a client demands. In recent years, we have done work in Canada and completed our first of many projects in pioneering places such as North Dakota, where the shale oil industry is building boom towns overnight.

As our markets and geographic scope have expanded, our commercial construction capabilities have also evolved. Englewood has taken on more design-build construction work in recent years, offering better, more comprehensive services to our clients. Now, our clients can choose to have one point of contact for their commercial construction projects and Englewood takes on more responsibility. This formula has often resulted in commercial construction savings for our clients as we have more control over keeping the project on time and on budget.

All the while, we have remained a forward-thinking company. This award-winning Hard Hat Chat blog, which focuses on value-based content such as commercial construction lessons and tips, is a testament to our commitment to connecting with clients and industry enthusiasts in new and evolving mediums. We are constantly looking for new ways to be innovative. That’s why we are adopting a new email domain for Englewood. To better reflect our industry, we are changing our emails to @ECI.build. You can reach me at bdisanto@ECI.build starting in October. I hope to hear from many of you.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge our clients as we mark this 10-year anniversary. Maintaining client relationships is the single most important reason we have flourished over the last decade. We have client relationships that go back 30 years, which have helped accelerate the growth of Englewood. While we are always seeking out clients that are a proper fit for our commercial construction services and expertise, we are so grateful for the clients we have developed quality relationships with throughout our careers and we plan to continue to go new places with them in the future.

Chicago architect Daniel Burnham famously said “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work.” This is something I remind my colleagues of frequently. The future is very bright as the commercial construction industry is revving up and we continue to grow into new commercial construction markets. As we expand our commercial construction services and capabilities into the next decade of the company, I see big things on the horizon. I wouldn’t want it any other way.