While commercial construction remains stalled in the Northeast, and companies scramble to compete for fewer jobs at lower margins, one Westchester company has reinvented itself simply by using a single asset...time. That old adage, "time is money," is the perfect tagline for Mount Vernon, N.Y.-based DGC Capital Contracting Corp. And it seems to be working, as DGC has more than doubled its project base from 2008 to 2010, with the company on pace to exceed expectations in 2011.
Gerry Ryan, president and chief executive officer of DGC Capital Contracting Corp., founded the company in 1987 with his partners Brendan Ahern and Daniel Ahern. Born and raised in Ireland, Ryan immigrated to the U.S. in 1985. His first job was as a shop foreman for Quality Carpenters in New York City. Over the years, he along with his partners went on to start several construction companies. In 1996, they formed Discover General Contracting which later merged with Capital Installation Corp. to create today's DGC Capital Contracting Corp. Today, DGC performs work for Large and Small Box Retailers that include supermarkets, department stores, banks, home building supply stores, medical, sporting facilities, gyms and restaurants. From his early days with Quality Carpenters and his work on the New York Design Center's Water Fountain and Lobby Woodwork then to the construction of the new Yankee Stadium, Ryan's commitment to quality and collaboration have never wavered. His stellar reputation and embodiment of "doing the right thing" has led DGC to continually earn the trust of its customers, past and present. If past performance is truly the indicator of future performance, it is a sure bet that Ryan will continue to foster lasting relationships and garner trust.
"From the beginning, we have stressed the importance of total client satisfaction," said Ryan. "We have established and maintained strong client relationships for over two decades, and we attribute our success to impeccable client service and building relationships that our clients can rely on."
What separates DGC from its competition, in addition to a flawless safety record that helps to keep insurance premiums down, is that the company has never missed a deadline. To ensure that all jobs remain on time, on task and on budget, the company employs a proprietary project management scheduling solution - the DGC Advantage - that drills down on every detail and promotes accountability from inception to completion of a job.
The DGC Advantage provides a complete timeline based on the scope of a project, affording clients an easy to follow resource via detailed "two and three-week look ahead" schedules and full project schedules for precise planning that is custom-matched to a specific business, project and/or industry. DGC created the system based on years of diverse project scheduling for clients large and small. Today, regardless of DGC's scope of work on a specific project, the company's scheduling system is utilized by general contractors throughout the region in managing projects from inception to completion due to the company's prowess in designing customized schedules that cater to each project, promote accountability and deliver results.
"With a committed project team, and unmatched attention to detail, our system essentially takes the guesswork out of any project, whether we are serving as the general contractor or providing a crew for a specific task on-site," said Ryan. "The fact that general contractors rely on the DGC Advantage, even when we are not the acting GC of a project, truly validates the effectiveness of our scheduling system."
DGC, which weathered the recession with no staff layoffs, also specializes in a variety of remodel and retrofit services, and serves as a leading fixture and racking contractor, specializing in the grocery and big box industry. In fact, among DGC's greatest achievements is a more than 20-year business relationship with Stop & Shop. The company also maintains longstanding relationships with leading chains such as BJ's, ShopRite, Target, Wal-Mart, CVS and more.
DGC is born off of an Irish-heritage, where pride in workmanship has no equal. Ryan has instilled an unwavering commitment to quality and service in his staff of more than 60 full-time employees, combined with dozens of contract employees.
In addition to DGC, Ryan, a resident of Thornwood, N.Y., is a partner in two restaurants - the Rogue Bar and Restaurant in Manhattan and Molly Spillane's Bar and Restaurant in Mamaroneck. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Architectural Institute of America, and is also on the board of directors of Community Mutual Savings Bank, a division of CMS Bancorp., Inc. Today, Ryan is actively involved in the local community, serving as chairman of the Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce, and president of the Fulfilling a Dream Fund (FADF), a not-for-profit corporation he founded in 1995 for the benefit of young people who, because of life circumstances, have limited financial ability to pursue higher education, expand their horizons and fulfill their lifelong dreams.
Aside of philanthropic and community efforts, Ryan's greatest accolade is leading a team of dedicated employees who can boast a perfect safety record, a nearly 25 year history of project excellence and 100% success in meeting deadlines for its clients. This has enabled DGC to wage a formidable battle against the recession, and it is what keeps the company positioned for future success. Tags: