Steven Massaro has never seen a construction boom like this — even after 30 years in the family business his father started in 1967.
“You can grow in this market,” says Massaro, president of Massaro Corp. “You could grow to be bigger; it’s that kind of market. The question would be, do you want to grow? If the answer is yes, then how much do you want to grow? It doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to happen, but it’s achievable.”
While it’s exciting to operate in this economy, he and his siblings don’t want to grow the company too quickly. They don’t want to upset their thoughtful approach to planning or a company culture they’re proud of.
“We’re in a pretty good spot right now, because of the people that we have working at Massaro,” he says.
Massaro spent the first 25 years of his career in sales, where only a handful of people reported to him. When he stepped into larger leadership roles, he had to change his mindset from constantly pursuing to declining certain opportunities when the resources weren’t available. He also recognized the gift of constructive feedback and how much impact a leader has on people at work.
“When you become president, you realize that the culture is your responsibility. The culture is set by the leaders of the company, by the family,” he says.
That larger responsibility helps guide how you conduct yourself on a daily basis, says Massaro, who remembers when the company was just his father, himself and two others. Now, the Massaro Construction Group has approximately 225 people, including his brothers, Joseph and David.
Massaro Corp., a general contractor, is the biggest piece by far. However, the company — under the overall direction of President and CEO Joseph Massaro — includes three other groups. Massaro Construction Management Services manages public building construction. Massaro Restoration Services responds 24/7 to commercial customers that have wind, fire, smoke, water or structural damage. Massaro Properties, run by President David Massaro, is a real estate arm that owns, leases and manages properties for the other Massaro businesses, as well as third-party development and real estate brokerage services.
