Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | May 2, 2022 | wbjournal.com P O W E R 5 0 R E A L E S T A T E KASKA YAWO CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AFRICAN COMMUNITY EDUCATION, IN WORCESTER Residence: Auburn College: University of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire For 16 years, Yawo has been building African Community Education from the ground up, starting as a one-on-one tutoring service for young Liberian refugees. Since then, Yawo has spearheaded his organization's expansion into wraparound refugee support services, crystalized by the $1.8-million purchase of a former charter school this year. ACE's purchase will allow the nonprofit to expand from a small unit in the deteriorating Denholm building to a 65,000-square-foot space on Worcester's Gage Street. ACE has become a pivotal organization and a thought leader in immigration, diversity, and inclusion. Yawo has said the new Gage Street space will serve as a hub for other immigration nonprofits as a shared space centralizing essential services for immigrants and refugees. The organization now helps thousands of immigrant parents transition into Central Massachusetts schools and navigate resources to settling in the region. During the coronavirus pandemic, ACE's staff actually grew, now totalling 36 employees. n What sets the Central Mass. business community apart from the rest of the world? The Central Massachusetts business community offers more opportunities for immigrants and refugees to exercise the unique knowledge, experiences, and perspectives they bring to the table than many other parts of the country and world. ACE is proud to contribute to Worcester's history of being extremely welcoming to diverse populations. n The beginning: My first job in the United States was in the T.J.Maxx warehouse. JIM CHACHARONE PRESIDENT CHACHARONE PROPERTIES, IN WORCESTER Residence: Worcester College: Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute Chacharone Properties has been developing projects in Central Massachusetts for nearly 40 years and owns more than a million square feet of commercial, medical, industrial, and lab space in the region. The company's success can be largely attributed to its founder and long-time president, Jim Chacharone. In August, Chacharone Properties completed Table Talk Pies new Worcester headquarters, which was the culmination of a five-year, $22-million redevelopment of more than 15 acres in Main South into a 145,000-square-foot facility. The firm is at the helm of the burgeoning life sciences industry, thanks to its purchase of Allegro MicroSystems former headquarters in Worcester. Chacharone Properties has rebranded and renovated the flex/lab space and, at a time when life science property vacancy rates are essentially 0%, is seeking tenants for the 130,000-square-foot facility. Chacharone has directed the revitalization of nearly 200,000 square feet of office space in Worcester's Gold Star Boulevard area, and acquired and revitalized more than 500,000 square feet of languishing industrial space. Chacharone holds power in assets alone, but it is his unfaltering ability to revitalize and develop real estate to meet the region's highest needs, which puts him at the top of his industry. n What sets the Central Mass. business community apart from the rest of the world? Businesses, their employees, and graduates from our outstanding colleges and universities, now more than ever, have a reason to establish roots here. You don't need to visit Greater Boston to eat at an outstanding restaurant, attend the theater, or have access to a Class A medical facilities. n Auto enthusiast: I enjoy collecting cars. One of my last purchases was a pair of World War II-era Jeeps. ANTHONY CONSIGLI CEO CONSIGLI BUILDING GROUP, IN MILFORD Residence: Milford College: Harvard University Under Consigli's leadership starting in the 1990s, Consigli Building Group has grown from $1 million to $1.8 billion in annual volume. The firm is now the largest commercial contractor in Central Massachusetts with more than 1,500 employees, roughly 400 of which are local to Central Massachusetts. The family-owned company was founded in Milford 117 years ago and now has nine locations up and down the East Coast. Consigli's success has benefited the region, particularly Worcester. In June, the firm completed a $24-million renovation of YWCA Central Massachusetts' Worcester facility in Salem Square. The project was a landmark as it included Worcester's first-ever community benefits agreement, which resulted in a 100% women-led construction management team. Most recently, Consigli has moved a strong hand into Massachusetts' life sciences industry, which will likely multiply the company's successes in coming years. It has performed renovations on four laboratory facilities for AbbVie and constructed Biogen's headquarters in Cambridge. This is only part of the company's expertise in the construction industry, as it specializes in nearly every type of commercial build, ranging from academic to museums & cultural, and multi-family residential to landmark restoration. In 2020, the company launched Arch Energy, seeking to meet the construction needs for a low-carbon future, and the division has already installed 550 geothermal wells. In March, Consigli was recognized nationally by Forbes magazine as one of the best midsized companies to work for, and received local recognition as a best place to work from publications in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. As part of its effort to lead the industry in creating more diversity in construction – ranging from building crews to executive teams – Consigli has partnered with a number of organizations, including Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wellesley College, and ACE Mentoring of Greater Boston. PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT

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