Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 14, 2024 7 DEAL WATCH The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over 50 years, our clients have trusted us to deliver end-to-end facilities solutions, so they can focus on their core business. Experts in: Facilities Services, Preventive Maintenance Programs, Onsite Operations & Maintenance NEMSI SERVICE SOLUTIONS INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY. REDUCE COSTS. 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com MECHANICAL | ELECTRICAL | PLUMBING | SHEET METAL | BUILDING AUTOMATION | FACILITIES SERVICES License #'s: E1-0125666 S1-302974 P1-203519 F1-10498 SM1-192 MC-1134 'In the family' Richard Mulready was a prominent state legislator representing West Hartford. He was also a developer who built, among other properties, the 12-story, nearly 300,000-square- foot Metro Center office building in downtown Hartford in 1986. The development business experienced deep highs and lows. Today, RM Bradley doesn't manage ground-up construction but will oversee interior renovations. Mulready said her father taught her to treat employees like family and to trust them. Richard Mulready retired in 2016, but still maintains the title of company chairman. Fagone recalled a conversation with Richard Mulready about a decade ago, when the company founder asked him if he could spend the coming decade getting Shane ready to take over management. "He envisioned keeping the company in the family," Fagone said. Fagone, 65, plans to keep his home in Simsbury, although semi-re- tirement will allow for even longer extended weekend stays at his Cape Cod cottage. He also plans to spend time practicing guitar, a passion he picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic. "It is time for a change," Fagone said. "Having done this for 39 years, it's been a great ride, a great experi- ence, and we have done some really great things in our company." The COVID challenge The COVID-19 pandemic tempo- rarily emptied office buildings across Connecticut and beyond. Longer term, it has prompted a spike in office vacancy rates with the rise of remote work options. But, RM Bradley's prop- erty management business did not take a hit, Fagone said, because even empty spaces need to be maintained. "It's interesting how the pandemic hasn't changed our company," Fagone said. "We worked through it almost exclusively because someone needs to make sure the buildings are lit, safe and clean, whether people are coming or going. Frankly, we find large buildings more vulnerable to problems when they are empty than when they are full." Leaks and other problems are not noticed as quickly in empty spaces, creating possible delays in cost-saving maintenance. "Our clients did not dial back on our services," Fagone said. "We were lucky and appreciative of that. But I think that's a two-way street. I think clients saw the need for the type of services we brought them in those days." Looking forward While RM Bradley might not have taken an immediate hit from the pandemic, it is keeping a wary eye on longer-term effects. Landlords and building owners struggling with low occupancy and rising costs might decide to bring upkeep and leasing activities in-house, Fagone noted. RM Bradley's path forward, he said, is to prove it can provide strategies that blunt rising costs. Shane Mulready said RM Bradley will continue to bid for maintenance of more state office buildings, but she realizes that's a finite pool of possible work. In September, the company hired Shane's brother, Sean Mulready, as director of new business develop- ment in order to proactively seek new clients. RM Bradley could expand its out-of-state reach and branch into new property types, she said. "I think we thankfully have been able to grow steadily over the past 49 years," Mulready said. "The goal is to continue to do so, to keep providing jobs for our people and keep gaining contracts one-by-one and doing what we do to the best of our abilities." Shane Mulready (left) and David Fagone inside the lobby of Goodwin Square, where RM Bradley is based in downtown Hartford.

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