Franklin Savings Bank Opens Full-Service Office In Merrimack

MERRIMACK, NH — On Sept. 13, 2017, Franklin Savings Bank held an official ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the grand opening of its new full-service office in Merrimack, according to a press statement. The new 2,161 sq. ft. office, located at Merrimack Village Shopping Center at 1 Dobson Way, features two drive-up lanes, two smart ATMs, a coffee bar, and a technology bar with digital displays to enable staff to demonstrate the bank’s diverse line of electronic services to customers. The ribbon cutting event was attended by those involved with the project to include Paramount Partners, Sullivan Construction, TF Moran, and DeStefano Architects.

A few members of the bank’s Merrimack Advisory Group were also in attendance, including Melissa Ballard Sullivan, President of the Merrimack Chamber of Commerce; Kara Olsen, owner of Laconia Refrigeration; and Randy Turmel, President of Randy Turmel & Associates, Inc. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories,

“We are so proud to be able to bring community banking to the residents and businesses of Merrimack, commented Ron Magoon, President and CEO. “This vibrant, thriving community will provide a great deal of opportunity for us to provide commercial lending, residential lending and wealth management services to this region. We are looking forward to working very hard to earn new business opportunities.”

For more information, visit fsbnh.bank, or following the bank on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Caption: Pictured l-r: Melissa Ballard Sullivan, Merrimack Chamber of Commerce, Darren Hasenjaeger, Paramount Partners, Michael Purchia, Paramount Partners, Ron Magoon, President & CEO, Franklin Savings Bank, Jacy Amenkowicz, AVP, commercial loan officer, Tom Sullivan, Sullivan Construction, David Kerr, Sullivan Construction, and Mark Bjorgen, BAE Systems.

2017 commercial construction continues to move forward in Northern New England

Commercial construction continues to move forward at an extremely fast pace.

2017 looks to be a very busy year in Northern New England.

Some of the areas we continue focusing on include: Banking, Healthcare, Retail, Corporate Office, Manufacturing and Education.  All of these segments are growing and look to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

Most recently we completed projects for Wilson Language in Portsmouth, NH, SIAA in Hampton, NH, Berwick Academy in South Berwick, ME and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, NH. Most of these projects are on the seacoast which seems to have the highest demand for both commercial and residential construction.

We are working on a project for Summit Land Development at Pease Tradeport in Portsmouth, NH.  This project is a 16,000-sf addition to Sprague’s Corporate Headquarters which we originally constructed three years ago.

We look forward to upcoming projects with the Franklin Savings Bank-Merrimack, NH, Catholic Medical Center- Manchester, NH, and SpaceCenter in Hooksett, NH, and a 44,000-sf Class-A office building at 39 Constitution Drive, Bedford, NH.

A robust economy creates a tight job market and getting additional labor is really challenging in this market.

We are focusing on providing our employees with the best tools for them to succeed.  We recently implemented a cutting-edge Project Management software which allows us to integrate our project management and accounting programs seamlessly.   It allows our field personnel to be integrated as well.

A busy economy means permitting can take longer as building departments have a much busier schedule than typical.

Cost of construction materials are increasing. Commodities such as steel, concrete, and lumber have all gone up this year and will continue to go up.

2016 was our best year ever with customer satisfaction so we are continually striving to find what our customers really need and provide them with the best services possible.

BUILT AROUND YOU is our tagline.  As long as we focus on our employees, customers, and vendors we are confident that we will have a very successful future.  One of the important aspects of Sullivan Construction, Inc. is our commitment to our community.  We are proud to support many charitable organizations including, Easterseals, New Hampshire Catholic Charites, Building on Hope and many other worthy causes.

We are not looking to be the biggest commercial contractor but simply the one who owners respect, trust and can rely on to make their visions become reality.

As Sullivan Construction, Inc. enters our 47th year in business we want to thank all of our employees, clients and vendors for all they do to support us.

-Thomas F. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Construction, Inc. Bedford, NH

Construction activity strong heading toward 4th quarter

Design and construction activity has remained strong throughout the summer and this momentum should continue as we enter the 4th quarter of 2015 and early 2016. This solid construction activity has reached many industries and markets across the region and has generated increased hiring and substantial building expansions, renovations, and ground-up construction. While the overall growth in the region has been robust, there are several markets and specific industries that have been the most vibrant. Distribution center construction has seen significant growth during 2015. Prologis completed a 614,240 s/f high-bay logistics center adjacent to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and Scannell Properties recently developed a 400,000 s/f distribution center in Londonderry for FedEx Ground. Rand Whitney is building a 129,000 s/f office/warehouse in Dover and adjacent to that project Sullivan Construction is commencing, for Summit Land Development, the construction of a 72,000 s/f distribution center for Stonewall Kitchen. This is the first phase of a planned 275,000 s/f complex to accommodate their growth. The banking and credit union market has generated a flurry of new branch construction in the region. The team at Sullivan Construction recently completed projects for Eastern Bank and Optima Bank & Trust, and we are now beginning construction on a new branch for The Provident Bank at the exciting new Goffe Mill Plaza development in Bedford, N.H. at the former Wayfarer Inn & Convention Center site. Also in Bedford, in the educational market, Sullivan has begun a building addition for the New Morning School. Educational institutions continue to upgrade and expand existing facilities. Many healthcare organizations have projects underway throughout New England. Sullivan Construction recently completed a first-class 37,000 s/f Memory Care facility in Rye, N.H. for Sanctuary at Rye. This is the first project of its type in the state. Other Sullivan Construction healthcare projects include the renovation of an MRI Lab for Alliance Imaging in No. Dartmouth, IR laboratory upgrades at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, and projects for Mid-Coast Healthcare, Wentworth Douglass Hospital, Eyesight Ophthalmic Services in Somersworth & Portsmouth, N.H., Mt. Carmel Rehabilitation & Nurses Center in Manchester, and Sanborn Place – a supportive living community for elderly, disabled and/or handicapped individuals, located in Reading, Mass. In a very active office market, Sullivan Construction has completed over 250,000 s/f of office space in the past twelve months. For Summit Land Development we constructed two first-class office buildings: a new 40,000 s/f headquarters building at Pease International Tradeport for Sprague Energy and an adjacent building consisting of 38,000 s/f for High Liner Foods which will house their Culinary Institute. We have also completed the construction of a new 37,000 s/f first-class office building at the Tradeport for Katz Group development. This project included the first-class office fit-up of a majority of the building for Loftware, Inc. Also at Pease we constructed office improvements for Computer Associates on Corporate Drive. Sullivan Construction recently completed the new construction and office fit up of 33,000 s/f in Londonderry for Falling Water Development and over 80,000 s/f of phased office renovations for Curriculum Associates in Billerica. We also performed a comprehensive office renovation at ECCO USA’s 60,000 s/f Londonderry headquarters in an exciting phased construction program in a fully operational building. Critical to the success of this project was Sullivan’s extensive track record at working within occupied spaces and our industry leading approach to sustainable construction and safety. Another industry showing promising growth in the coming months is the manufacturing and technology market. Northern New England firms such as Titeflex Aerospace, Teledyne, Watts Water Industries, Tender Corp., Benchmark Technologies and Teleflex Corp. are expanding their buildings and adding employees. Sullivan Construction completed a complex renovation in Merrimack for an advanced technology company that is expanding within the state and we continue work with several major defense contractors with existing building renovations and upgrades. The retail and restaurant industries also showed solid growth in the region. Many dining facilities have been upgraded and expanded during 2015 and the types of restaurants being constructed represent target customers of very varied demographics – from new “Tap Rooms” and mid-level fast food to high end eating establishments. Sullivan Construction recently completed the renovations to the wonderful new CR’s The Restaurant located just off Rte. 101 in Hampton, N.H. In the retail market, our team has constructed multiple retail stores for a national mass media company for locations throughout the northeast United States. At Sullivan Construction our mission is to have each project “Built Around You” and we are excited to see solid growth in 2015 that will continue in to the New Year. By providing customized solutions and building trusted partnerships we look forward to continued long-term relationships with our clients for many years to come.

Brian Gallagher is director of business development for Sullivan Construction, Inc., Bedford, N.H.

Ayotte Tours Sullivan Construction and Discusses Better Buildings Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte recently visited and toured Sullivan Construction, Inc. in Bedford, a New Hampshire business that specializes in sustainable construction technologies. During the visit, she discussed the Better Buildings Act, legislation that she introduced with Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) that encourages tenants of commercial buildings to voluntarily implement cost-effective measures that will help reduce energy consumption and ultimately utility costs for businesses. Ayotte and Bennet previously introduced the bill in 2013. The Better Buildings Act was recently signed into law as a part of the Shaheen-Portman Energy Efficiency Improvement Act of 2015, which Senator Ayotte cosponsored.

“I appreciated the opportunity to visit Sullivan Construction to discuss the Better Buildings Act, which will incentivize commercial tenants to responsibly reduce energy consumption,” said Ayotte. “I also learned more about sustainable construction technologies – a key part of efforts to boost energy efficiency across the public and private sectors.”

As building owners across the country strive to distinguish their buildings with the voluntary ENERGY STAR label to help attract tenants and satisfy investors, this bill creates a new voluntary "Tenant Star" certification to reward and recognize tenants that design and construct high-performance leased spaces.
To date, the focus has been on how real estate owners and developers may lower energy consumption at the "whole-building" level. However, office tenants like data centers, law firms, banks, trading floors, restaurants, and retail stores use a lot of energy - especially in areas experiencing large growth and development. The Better Buildings Act takes a holistic approach by considering office tenants' impact on energy consumption and behaviors.

In addition to the "Tenant Star" designation, the bill asks the Department of Energy to study and learn from private sector "best practices" of how commercially-leased spaces are designed to achieve high performance and help reduce utility costs for businesses.
Dozens of organizations from the real estate sector, construction industry and environmental advocacy, among others have endorsed the bill, including the Real Estate Roundtable, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the American Institute of Architects, the National Association of Home Builders, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Real Estate Roundtable, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

 

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Tom _ Senator Ayotte

Sullivan Construction completes two corporate office buildings totaling 78,000 s/f

Portsmouth, NH The Pease International Tradeport, and the seacoast region of New Hampshire in general, has shown strong growth and vitality during the past several years and has become a destination location for corporate office headquarter users. Sullivan Construction, Inc., a Bedford, N.H. design-build and construction management firm, has constructed or renovated numerous facilities and developed an exceptional track record at the Tradeport. Most recently Sullivan Construction has worked on behalf of Tower Hill Development to build two first-class office headquarter facilities on International Drive for Sprague Energy and High Liner Foods.

The Sprague Energy building consists of 40,000 s/f of first-class office space on two-levels. Sprague is utilizing the building for their corporate offices and the building includes a trading floor, conference facilities, audio-video center, private executive offices and an open area office environment. The building includes a structural steel frame with exterior masonry, EIFS, and pre-cast concrete. The project was delivered on a design-build delivery method to meet the owner’s aggressive schedules and budgets. The architect and structural engineer for the project was JSN Associates out of Portsmouth, N.H. and the civil engineer was Hoyle Tanner & Associates.

After an extensive property search throughout the seacoast area, High Liner Foods chose the Pease Tradeport for their new office and culinary training headquarters. This three-story, 38,000 s/f office building included a structural steel frame with a masonry, pre-cast concrete and EIFS exterior. The building was built utilizing a design/build MEP approach and is located adjacent to the newly constructed Sprague Energy headquarters. The building is situated on a high topography with great views of the Tradeport area. The pre-construction team at Sullivan Construction worked closely with the building developer and High Liner Foods to achieve the schedule, budget, and design goals necessary to make the project a success. Included in this first-class building are a full dining area, a culinary research & development kitchen, a culinary training center, advanced technology conference areas, and private and open office environments. A striking entrance atrium was designed to maximize natural light to the building with full-height glass, open stainless steel stairways, and a dynamic color combination. Sullivan Construction’s corporate culture allowed for an ideal construction partnership with High Liner Foods and their strong focus on sustainability, safety, and social responsibility. Packard Design out of Boston was the interior designer for High Liner Foods and JSN Associates was the architect and structural engineer for the building owner.

Sullivan Construction, Inc. works throughout New England providing its clients with customized service. Our specialties include: healthcare, banking, manufacturing, corporate office, education, hospitality and automotive. We have unique skills in working within occupied spaces.

Sullivan Construction, Inc. has been serving corporate users, tenants, and developers for over 45 years with comprehensive design-build services. They are looking forward to continued growth in 2015 and beyond. This success is based on building trusted partnerships with their clients and providing customized solutions, comprehensive pre-construction services, and a focus on safety and sustainability for every project.