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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 9, 2026 11 Vincent J. Fortunato, P.E. is the founder of Fortunato Construction Group, a commercial construction management and general contracting firm celebrating 36 years in Connecticut and the Northeast. Lindsey Fortunato, AIA is President & CEO and is leading the firm's next generation of growth. T hirty-six years ago, Vincent Fortunato started Fortunato Construction Group with a handshake, a reputation for showing up, and a belief that commercial construction management was ultimately a business built on relationships. The projects were the work. The rela- tionships were the foundation. That philosophy built something that outlasted dozens of market cycles, recessions, and the kind of industry disruptions that swallowed competitors whole. "The company's core values are rooted in its legacy. Trust and integrity co-exist in the same space. Quality and safety are the hallmarks of success. Empowerment and accountability cre- ate a balance between responsiveness, agility and risk-taking. Collaboration, mutual respect and teamwork produce the best results." – Vincent Fortunato Nearly three years ago, Lindsey Fortunato officially stepped into the role of President and CEO, and the firm began the next chapter of a story that had been building for a long time. What might look from the outside like a handoff was really something more organic — a gradual passing of weight be- tween two people who had been building toward that outcome together for years. Continuity Is Not Complacency When people talk about succession planning, they often frame it as a passing of the torch — as if the goal is to hand off an identical flame. But continuity, done right, is more nuanced than replication. At Fortunato, the values of trust, integrity, and relationship-building are non-negotiable. They are the reason clients come back project after project, and why subcontractors, architects, and owners' representatives consistently choose to work with us. Those are not up for debate. How those values are expressed in a changing mar- ket is where the next generation gets to make its mark. Vince built trust through decades of face-to-face relationships and a personal commitment to every project. Lindsey carries that same commitment, and she brings a background in architecture that opens new ways to deliver on those same promises. For the firm, it has been less a pivot than a deepening. "As the industry evolves and our business adapts, my decisions are driven by the same principles this company was built on — not out of any obligation to honor the legacy, but because those values are instinctual to me. The firm was built on the same values I was. The DNA is the same." – Lindsey Fortunato Disruption From the Inside Out The construction industry is not immune to disrup- tion. Labor shortages, supply chain volatility, rising material costs, and the accelerating adoption of new project delivery methods and A.I. are forcing every firm to reckon with its business model. For family-owned firms especially, the instinct is to stay the course. The course has worked. But staying the course assumes the current road leads to where you want to go. Fortunato Con- struction Group's response has been intentional disruption from the inside — proactively exam- ining preconstruction processes, technology adoption, and market expansion before the market forces that change upon them. The transi- tion of leadership has actually made that process easier: with both founder and successor involved and aligned, the firm has been able to move with confidence rather than hesitation. That kind of shared clarity is not automatic. It is the product of years of working alongside each other, of honest conversations about where the business has been and where it needs to go. For many family businesses, the most valuable thing about a planned and gradual succession is ex- actly this: the overlap period, when institutional wisdom and new energy operate together. This is where the real transformation happens. A Lesson for Every Evolving Family Business There's a quiet irony in our work: we help clients plan, manage, and deliver some of the most complex con- struction projects of their business lives — expansions, relocations, new facilities — and yet the human com- plexity of running a family business often gets less structured attention than the square footage. The same disciplines that make a capital project succeed — clear communication, defined roles, early risk identi- fication, and a single trusted partner managing the pro- cess — are exactly what makes a leadership transition succeed. Owners who have walked beside us through the construction of their facilities tell us the process gave them a new vocabulary for managing change in their organizations. That is not a coincidence. Integrity and relationship-building look the same in both worlds. "There's a deep sense of responsibility in holding the trust of others in a moment that is so pivotal for their business, and often for their family. This company represents decades of trust that owners have placed in us, and that means something to me. My privilege is to honor that and build on it." – Lindsey Fortunato For Fortunato Construction Group, the next chapter is already well underway — not as a departure from the last thirty-five years, but as their fullest expression. The foundation was built on trust. What has been built on top of it, and what continues to rise, reflects the best of both generations. SPONSORED CONTENT Building to Last: Planning for Continuity and Disruption at the Same Time Learn more at www.fortunatoconstruction.com Lindsey Fortunato