LeChase Construction Services, LLC

About LeChase Construction Services, LLC: General contractor and construction manager.

Rank on Top 100: 77

Top Executive: R. Wayne LeChase, CEO; William H. Goodrich, president and COO; Richard C. Brienzi, executive vice president and CFO

Employees: 550

Website: www.lechase.com

We asked top LeChase executives to talk about their business.

Question: Tell me briefly about LeChase Construction.
LeChase Executives: The LeChase name has been synonymous with building construction since Raymond F. LeChase founded LeChase Construction in 1944.

Question: How has your company sustained continual growth?
LeChase Executives: LeChase Construction is a full-service construction management and general construction firm with extensive experience in a wide range of industries. Our corporate headquarters are based in Rochester, NY and our regional offices are located in Albany, NY; Binghamton, NY; Corning, NY; Charlotte, NC and Durham, NC. As a premier provider of construction services, we offer:

• Professional Planning and Preconstruction Consulting
• Construction Management
• General Construction
• Design-Build Services
• Facility Management Services
• Realty Services
• Project Solutions

In 2006, LeChase completed in excess of $406 million in building construction with a projection for completed work in 2007 of more than $450 million.

We have a dedicated staff of construction professionals that includes executives, managers, estimators, superintendents, project engineers and supporting staff. We offer expertise and experience in the fields of safety, value engineering, estimating, contracts, scheduling and cost controls.

We maintain our leadership position by consistently creating a safe environment for our employees, subcontractors, owners and the community. We take pride in exceeding the expectations of our clients-whether the project is a small renovation or a very large, complex project. LeChase has extensive experience and has performed work for a variety of industries, including education; medical and healthcare facilities; process industrial; cleanroom; corporate office; R&D; commercial; retail; sports/entertainment and multi-resident housing facilities.

As a forward moving company, LeChase aligns itself with customers who are looking for partnerships and long-term relationships. The stability of our company comes from promoting our talent and allowing expertise to grow from within the organization. We provide an atmosphere of professionalism as well as respect for our employees and customers. As evidence that we are "doing it right the first time," we have an impressive amount of repeat business alongside a growing client list.

The continuous stability of LeChase Construction is a result of many factors – the dedication, interest, loyalty, hard work and the "Success Culture" that is defined by our executive team and by all members of the company. This culture has and will continue to motivate and provide the necessary environment to recruit and maintain talented people who are the main assets behind our success.

Question: What does it mean to your business to be recognized by the Rochester Business Alliance as one of Rochester's Top 100 Companies?
LeChase Executives: It is a tremendous honor to all of us to be included on the Top 100. We are proud to be recognized in our community and to have the opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our team along with all of the other Top 100 companies.

Question: Rochester Business Alliance Benefits What additional services can the Rochester Business Alliance provide to help your business?
LeChase Executives: Continuation of networking events would be an area to continue to grow as these events provide opportunities for businesses to connect to one another that they might not find on their own. And of course the training resources that are available are always extremely useful.

Question: Does LeChase plan to expand, thus increasing local employment?
LeChase Executives: LeChase is continually growing in a steady and controlled manner; we will always respect, maintain and enhance the relationships/partnerships we have established over the 60 plus years we've been in business. We will always strive to be the premier provider of construction services in the regions we do business in including our Rochester headquarters. We will continue to recruit new talent and provide a stable environment and culture for our employees, an environment which supports personal growth and professional development, to retain our talent. Our business relies very heavily on our people; they are a huge asset to us. We are always looking for good people that fit our culture.

Question: What trends are you seeing among your customers in terms of preferences?
LeChase Executives: Many of our customers are making big strides in sustainable design and construction practices – we are seeing more and more customers, especially our higher education clients, looking to meet LEED standards whether going for certification or just building to those standards – it is quite prevalent in Higher Education, Healthcare and Public Works.

Green construction is a big initiative for us as a firm also. Our sustainability plan for 2007 is broken out into five main areas of focus that involve how we do business internally and how we are working to help our clients reduce impact on the environment through use of recycled materials during construction and use of less energy from renewable resources after completion.