WINCHESTER — Howard Shockey & Sons Inc. in Frederick County has been named one of the nation’s largest general contractors in terms of revenue by the construction industry magazine Engineering News-Record.
The 121-year-old general contracting and construction management firm ranks 390th on a list of the Top 400 Contractors in the magazine’s May issue.
Shockey has appeared in the trade publication before, on lists of top Virginia contractors and top contractors in the Mid-Atlantic.
“We see significant opportunities for growth in 2017,” company president Jeff Boehm stated in the release, adding that the company is hiring.
Shockey is one of nine Virginia-based general contractors on the list.
In 2015, the company expanded its presence in Richmond, opening an office in the Shockoe Bottom area and building the T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge over the James River and a new event space at Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center.
Three Shockey companies — Howard Shockey & Sons Inc., Shockey Precast Group and Shockey Realty — are all headquartered at the company complex at 1057 Martinsburg Pike (U.S. 11).
Boehm said on Tuesday the companies collectively employ about 450 people.
Howard Shockey & Sons is the oldest of the three companies. It was founded in 1896. The company motto is “the partner of choice,” which informs the company’s growth, though growth is not the ultimate goal, CEO Don Shockey said on Tuesday.
“We never try to be the biggest,” Shockey said, adding that it’s more important to grow steadily while treating clients and employees well. “We just try to have an improvement each year.”
Shockey, who has worked for the company for more than 50 years, said business is good right now.
He added that new technologies and materials, energy efficiency standards and green building techniques are becoming the norm in construction and that his company aims to stay at the forefront of a changing industry.
“We try to look ahead,” Shockey said.
Source: ONOFRIO CASTIGLIA | The Winchester Star