Fontaine Bros. promote David Fontaine Jr. to vice president

Date: 3/13/2014

SPRINGFIELD – Fontaine Bros. Inc., a fourth generation family owned and operated construction company with more than 80 years of history, recently announced the promotion of David Fontaine Jr., to vice president.

David, as a fourth generation builder, has been involved in Fontaine’s operations for more than a decade, in capacities ranging from field labor to project management, green building, business development and operations.

Fontaine has been involved in Fontaine’s completion of well over one million square feet worth of new construction and renovation projects, including work in the areas of academia, historical renovation and commercial construction.

David has been an integral part of the firm’s strong growth in the green building industry, overseeing the construction of several projects certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program as well as under the standards of the Massachusetts Collaborative for High Performance Schools program.

The firm recently completed several academic projects including the new 241,000 square-foot Minnechaug Regional High School, serving the towns of Hampden and Wilbraham and the three-story Easthampton High School located in Easthampton.

In addition to state-of-the-art classrooms in the Minnechaug school, the building includes an impressive auditorium, a large media center, a new swimming pool and many green features.

The new Easthampton High School was designed to meet the needs of current education programs and provide flexibility to address potential future curriculum changes.

Easthampton students welcomed the start of the 2013 school year with an entirely new facility boasting the school’s media center, auditorium, gymnasium and fitness center that support the scholastic experience.

“Our rich history of providing quality construction for academic institutions has earned Fontaine Bros. a highly regarded reputation,” David Fontaine Sr., president, said. “We are working throughout the state and recently completed the East Bridgewater Junior High School. In addition to local projects underway, we are also building the new Monomoy Regional High School in Harwich, Mass.”

The Fontaine Bros. reputation for excellence extends beyond the public market including an award winning historic renovation of Berkshire Hall at The Berkshire School located in Sheffield.

This complex gut-renovation of the Berkshire School’s century-old landmark building showcases the advantages of working with Fontaine Bros. Completed within an extremely tight 15-month schedule, the project required the complete attention of the entire construction management team led by Jim Mauer, project manager.

Every facet of the building was renewed, including all new mechanical systems, classroom spaces and faculty offices.

The project included the intricate removal of a sloped auditorium that passed through the third floor and structural reconstruction of the slab on deck while construction continued throughout the building.

The project was awarded the Paul Tsongas Award, the highest honor bestowed upon projects by Preservation Massachusetts. Subsequent projects have included the phased renovations at Allen Hall and the school’s new state-of-the-art Bellas Dixon Math & Science Building, which opened for the 2012-2013 school year.

“Historical renovation projects are something that we take great pride in, and our portfolio of projects in this area demonstrating our experience affords boards and community members great confidence when selecting Fontaine to complete renovations to beloved landmarks,” David Fontaine Jr. said. “We are really proud of our work renovating the Holyoke Public Library where our crews self-performed selective demolition, concrete and carpentry on the project as well.”

Regardless of the industry served – Fontaine Bros. also specializes in commercial, housing and municipal building – sustainability has become a core component to all projects undertaken by the firm.

Noteworthy completed projects include the White Street Fire Station in Springfield, Figge Hall at Holy Cross in Worcester and the Berkshire School Math and Science Center, all of which achieved LEED Gold certification.

Additionally, the John Olver Transit Center in Greenfield was constructed as a Zero Net Energy building and the Freeman Centennial School in Norfolk was recently MA-CHPS certified.

“Whether or not project documents specify the need for green building certification parameters, we are always in the mindset of providing longevity through our work,” David Fontaine Jr. said. “Sustainability is not only a general best practice for environmental reasons, but certain standards are likely to become mandatory in the not-so-distant future. We plan ahead on behalf of our clients to abide by the latest advances in green building and design.”

David Fontaine Jr., the fourth generation of Fontaine’s to continue the Springfield-based practice was encouraged to explore all avenues before joining the firm, but ultimately was drawn to the unique opportunity to build on the firm’s three generations of history.

“Fontaine Bros. is a family business and we are delighted that Dave Jr. shares our passion,” David Fontaine Sr., said. “He is incredibly business savvy and has without a doubt helped us expand the business. We are excited about the future as we enter our fourth generation of family leadership.”