UCANE’s Contractor Member of the Month

UCANE member Biszko Contracting Corp. had very humble beginnings, not unlike many other UCANE contractors whose founders came to America seeking to provide better lives for themselves and their families. After immigrating to the United States from Eastern Europe in 1912, with limited education and even less money, first generation founder Tydor Biszko came here ready for hard work and a strong desire to learn. A skilled carpenter, Tydor settled in Fall River, Massachusetts and was quick to put his talents to work. He went into business for himself doing carpentry in 1917.

It wasn’t long before Tydor’s four sons were working with him in the family business: Mike Sr., Joe, Ray, and Jake. The Biszko Brothers’ emphasis in the early years was in commercial and residential building construction. Tydor’s untimely passing in 1937 was a blow to the business, but his four sons were determined to carry on. Working primarily in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, the young company was even winning some military work building Quonset huts at the Naval Station in North Kingstown, RI, when business was suddenly interrupted by World War II.

Three of the brothers joined the military, beginning with Mike Sr. who enlisted into the U.S. Navy’s Construction Battalion – better known as the Seabees – and deployed in the Pacific Theater. Creating roads, bridges, and landing strips ahead of combat troops, the Seabees became renowned for their resourcefulness and for the art of building infrastructure by whatever means or unorthodox methods might be required. The combination of bulldozers, pontoons, and steel, mixed with with ingenuity and elbow grease became synonymous with the Seabees, so you can see why a Biszko would have enlisted!

Ray was a Corporal in the Mobile Repair & Reclamation Squadron with the Army Air Forces throughout Europe, while Jake enlisted in the Engineering Battalion also in the European Theater. The fourth brother, Joe, stayed in Fall River and maintained the family business throughout the war, doing both government and private

work. The War took a tragic toll on the Biszko family as Ray and Jake both returned with injuries that followed them for the rest of their lives. After the War, Mike Sr. returned home to help Joe carry on and expand the Biszko Brothers business.

The two brothers were successful at growing the family business through the 50s and 60s. When Joe retired from the business in 1967, Mike Sr. took the reins. The work continued to be primarily vertical construction, but the company did begin to diversify and added some site preparation and underground work to their resume. By the mid 60s Mike Sr. had sons Alan and Mike Jr., working with the company after school and on weekends. Mike Sr. insisted that his sons get a college education, and both graduated with engineering and construction management degrees.

As the second-generation owner, Mike Biszko Sr. was excited that his sons had secured college degrees and hopeful that they both would want to accompany him in the family business. Eldest son Mike Jr., at first, did not follow the script. Upon graduation from UMass in 1970, he decided to pursue his Professional Engineer license while also working for Stone and Webster Engineering in Boston. After three years he took a position as Water Superintendent for the City of Fall River. Mike Jr. eventually began working full-time with the family business in 1978 with his P.E. in Structural Engineering under his belt. Younger son, Alan, fresh from getting his Construction Management Degree in 1972, was eager to put his education and skills to work with the Biszko Companies and started that same year.

continued on page 34

The year 1972 also saw the issuance of the Federal Clean Water Act and by the mid 70s, there was a national priority and massive federal investments being put into sewer and water projects throughout New England. Fall River, as a waterfront City, and with an aging infrastructure, was in a prime position for federal funds. Mike Biszko Sr. followed the money and the company began a shift towards more underground utility work, all the while maintaining a presence in commercial and residential building.

“Through my experience as Fall River’s Water Superintendent, I saw the benefits of mechanical cleaning and lining of old cast iron mains,” recalls Mike Jr. “I knew this method was going to become more popular with cities and I knew we could do this work. I convinced my father to both build and purchase all the specialty equipment and this soon became a major part of our overall operation,” he continued. Biszko Contracting Corp. was formally established in 1975 and soon became a force in the cleaning and lining business throughout New England.

In 1983, Mike Biszko Sr. passed away after 45 years of hard work in the construction business. Nonetheless, Mike Jr. and Alan were well-taught businessmen by then, with Mike Jr. handling the estimating and project management, while brother Alan headed-up the field operations.

For the next 20 years, underground work, in particular, cleaning and cement lining of old water pipes, as well as, new water main construction, represented the majority of the revenues generated by Biszko Contracting Corp. The brothers also kept their hands in vertical construction with Mike Jr’s P.E. stamp at the ready for design/build opportunities whenever they appeared. Bidding work mostly within 50 miles from their Fall River office, the brothers were not afraid to venture out further if the right opportunity arose. “In the late 90s we traveled to Washington D.C., New York, and further for some large diameter lining jobs,” said Alan. “They were tough projects, but we got through them. We came back a little bruised, but a lot smarter.” Alan is quick to give credit for the company’s success to its employees. “Over the years,” says Alan, “we have been blessed by having great construction people working for us. I have been proud to work in the field alongside some of the best talent in the lining business. We took some risky work at times, but our crews always got it done.”

During the 80s and 90s, as both Mike Jr. and Alan were growing their business, they were also growing their families. By the year 2000, Mike Jr.’s son (Mike III) and Alan’s two sons (Tom and Stephen) were familiar faces during summers and after school, working in the garage

or visiting the jobsites. Their fathers made sure the boys learned the business from the ground up. From operating brooms and shovels, they all advanced to loaders, 10-wheel dump trucks, and excavators while still teenagers. By the time Mike III, Tom, and Stephen graduated from college, they all had their hoisting and CDL licenses.

Like their fathers before them, Mike Biszko III and his cousins Tom and Stephen had a natural inclination toward engineering and construction. Mike III graduated from UMass with a degree in Civil Engineering, Tom obtained a degree in Construction Safety Studies from Keene State College, and Stephen a degree in Construction Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology. All three were anxious to jump into the family business upon graduation from college. Under their fathers’ watchful eye, the youngest Biszko men were quick learners and took on ever increasing responsibilities. As of this writing, each one of them has between 15 and 20 years of handson experience and hold key positions in the company.

According to Mike Biszko Jr., “My brother Alan and I couldn’t be more proud of how our sons have progressed in this business. They have expanded our company’s capabilities, challenged us, and moved our business to new levels. Alan and I have been at this for a long time. We are looking to step back a bit and we have extreme confidence that our sons are more than up to the task.”

Since the youngest Biszkos have been active, the company has taken an interest in heavier civil work including pile driving and marine work. They recently comcontinued on page 37

pleted a total restoration of the City Pier in Fall River, MA valued at $6M and have completed multiple boat ramp replacements requiring steel cofferdams and dewatering. They have also expanded their capabilities in sewer and water treatment projects and mechanical systems, recently completing a massive Amphidrome Wastewater Treatment System in Swansea, MA and a total mechanical rebuild of the Forges Field Pump Station in Plymouth, MA.

Biszko also completed a 300,000 gallon elevated water storage tank in Barnstable, MA and has a 40,000 square foot commercial building under construction at the Fall River Industrial Park. The company is the general contractor for all of the vertical construction, as well as the complete sitework packages.

Mike III, Tom, and Stephen Biszko are hard guys to slow down, even for this interview. With several projects still running through the winter, they all wear multiple hats, with Mike III handling much of the management and estimating work, Tom focusing on field operations and production, and Stephen balancing his time between the office and the field. Quoting the office staff, “We need our heads on a swivel to keep up with these guys!”

According to Mike Biszko III, “My cousins and I are fortunate that our fathers were good stewards for the family name and even better teachers for the three of us. We all love to be at full tilt in this business and we have been given a lot of leeway. We’re excited to move this company forward, but we want to make sure Mike Jr. and Alan don’t give up their cell phones any time soon!”

Despite the attention to daily work and detail that consumes the Biszkos, Mike III, and Stephen have found time to be active in the industry with Mike III in his third year as a member of the UCANE Board of Directors and Stephen active on the Safety Committee.