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1 7 4 H a r t f o r d The Associated Construction Company The Associated Construction Company is, first and foremost, the success story of a young immigrant boy, hailing from a small town in Northern Italy, who came to the United States to realize the American Dream. A rriving in Deep River, Connecticut at the age of 13 with his family, who was trying to escape the danger in Europe brought on by World War I, Angelo J.M. Giardini quickly adjusted to life in the land of opportunity. Graduating as valedictorian of his high school class, Giardini earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY in 1932. He then spent ten years honing his skills as a builder with two old-line contracting firms. It was in August, 1942 that Giardini set out to fulfill a lifelong dream and start his own business. Giardini originally opened the doors of Associated in Groton, CT to take advantage of the military defense contracting needs of the U.S. Navy (where several of his buildings still stand today). However, Associated's shoreline location was far from ideal. "He kiddingly said that when he took out his protractor and drew a circle around Groton CT, half of his mar- ket was in Long Island Sound," remembers his son, Thomas M. Giardini, now the company's President. "He didn't have 360 degrees of land around him." Angelo thought it made more sense to move Associated to the capitol city of Hartford, where opportunities lay in both public and private sector work in both the city and its rapidly growing suburbs. In 1946, the offices of Associated moved to a farmhouse at 1010 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford CT where the business still resides today, occupying an award-winning masonry office building which serves as the gateway to the South End of Hartford. Hartford turned out to be the perfect choice for Giardini. Associated Construction's work can be seen throughout the area. The original Bradley Field Airport Terminal Building in Windsor Locks, The Hartford Steam Boiler Building at One State Street, Bushnell Towers and Plaza, the Criminal Court Building on Lafayette Street, the WVIT Channel 30 Digital Media Center near I-84 in West Hartford, and major office buildings on ESPN's campus in Bristol, CT are just a few of the many notable landmarks that Associated has constructed over the course of its 70 year history. In addition, the company has also built more than 3,500 units of multifamily housing, 40 sew- age treatment plants and over 30 school projects. The diversity of the foregoing projects reflects a commitment to Angelo Giardini's vision and the suc- cessful business model which has allowed Associated to flourish in an industry where many have failed. "My dad was a believer in diversification because, in any given year, you never knew what the construction requirements for the area and its industries would be," says Tom Giardini. "We've always been a general con- tractor from the beginning. While others may have started as trade contractors and then later grew to offer general contracting services, Associated provided general contracting and construction management services from its first day in business. The business model of diversification has worked well for us. It has allowed Associated to withstand the booms and busts of the construction industry and always come out with our head above water. With the experience of a good management team in place to pave the way we've been able to work our way through challenging times, maintain the company and keep our people employed," says Giardini. An enduring reputation for quality workmanship has kept Associated on many firm's short lists for major projects. "The company has maintained the stan- dards started by my dad back in 1942, and even though the business has become more sophisti- cated, we still go back to the principle of giving our client the highest quality project for a competitive price," Tom says. He goes on to state, "We've estab- lished a company with people who have many different areas of expertise and we've maintained the same level Associated Construction Company Headquarters Building, 1010 Wethersfield Avenue, Hartford.