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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 24, 2025 B3 SMALL/MEDIUM EMPLOYER CATEGORY (15 TO 199 U.S. EMPLOYEES) | BEST PLACES TO WORK Olsen Construction engenders employee loyalty by offering 'flexibility and freedom' By Susan Gonsalves "F lexibility and freedom" are two reasons New Brit- ain-based Olsen Construction Services has maintained its suc- cess for 25 years and boasts a zero voluntary turnover rate, according to company President Nick Olsen. Olsen said a lot of the construction industry undervalues talent, but that's not the case with his firm. Following a "pretty rigid" hiring process, he said when Olsen Con- struction finds a qualified candidate, "we pay incredibly well, better than the industry standard. We also treat them like family." e business certainly knows about family. It was founded by Olsen's father Robert Olsen in 2000. Today, Nick Olsen leads a team of 49 full-time employees. Growing up, Nick Olsen recalled being surrounded by contractors and working as a laborer on job sites in downtown Hartford. "I liked mixing it up with subcon- tractors, laborers, owners. It was a cool experience," Olsen said. Raised in a construction family, 80-hour work weeks were consid- ered normal, he noted, but that is no longer the case. e firm's workforce is now largely made up of Gen Z em- ployees, who are under the age of 30 and expect and value a better work/ life balance. "We realize work is not every- thing," Olsen said. "It is a lot, but we like to ensure people have the flexi- bility to live their lives and do things with their friends and family." So long as a job site is covered, Olsen's workers are given freedom to take days off. "e younger generation is look- ing for the freedom and flexibility to pursue things outside of work that make them happy," Olsen said. "We give them that." He described the business as "not anti-corporate, but very relaxed," in the way it internally operates. at approach works. With $900 million-plus in com- pleted projects, the firm builds everything from facilities for Fortune 100 businesses to hospitals and healthcare clinics. One memorable project for a client involved re-locating insurance brokerage firm Lockton to the for- mer New York Sports Club space in West Hartford's Blue Back Square. Olsen said he enjoyed incor- porating "a lot of cool aspects," to Lockton's office design, catering to the Gen Z workforce with features like a spacious kitchen/break room, wellness space and contemporary meeting and conference areas. 'Genuine' personalities Keeping with a focus on the future, Olsen Construction recently rebranded and adopted a new logo to better match its culture. So what does "Let's Get Going," mean? "We're a client-based company, serving a lot of corporate America," Olsen explained. "A lot of them need us to move fast. We jump on things quickly, understanding the impor- tance of time." In addition to being swift, the busi- ness is "safe and efficient," he added. "Our logo is basically `we're here, ready to roll, ready to serve you.'" Project Vice President Frank Maruca has risen quickly through the ranks over his four-year tenure. He started with Olsen in 2021 as a project manager, progressing to project executive before assuming his current position. Maruca said he wanted to work for the company because of its family atmosphere and the "genuine" per- sonalities of Nick and Robert Olsen during the interview process. "It's like we have been together a long time," Maruca said of his coworkers. He is impressed by how such a small company can "go the extra mile for clients," and how employees take pride in their work and share a common mission. "We're successful because we do what we say we will and have trans- parency," Maruca said. "We see to it that the project comes to completion on schedule and within budget." FIRST PL ACE OLSEN CONSTRUCTION SERVICES HEADQUARTERS: Berlin INDUSTRY: Construction WEBSITE: olsencs.com TOP EXECUTIVE: Nick Olsen, President