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CIANBRO THE FIRST 50 YEARS
Managing this rapidly expanding company was no small task in the late 1970s and early 1980s with jobs being landed at a record pace. However, the Cianchette brothers had some skilled people on the management team who helped them keep all of the areas covered.
They not only reached the point where they could compete successfully against the out-of-state contractors coming into Maine but, to keep everyone working, Cianbro began to branch out far and afield beyond Maine borders. Ironically the company became one of those out-ofstate contractors winning jobs away from local bidders in other states. By the late 1970s, after 30 years in business — following that meager start with Ralph’s two-bag cement mixer — Cianbro Corporation was diversified and solidly positioned. It had become the largest construction company in Maine
and was expanding into Virginia and Maryland.
Changes: Presidents, employee ownership and heading south
AS THE DECADE
drew to an end, Chuck had assumed the role of president of Cianbro and Bud was the company’s chairman and chief executive officer. However, Bud was readying for another presidency. In 1980, he would be the man at the helm of the Associated General Contractors of America.
These weren’t the only changes at the core of the company, however. On April 12, 1979, a major announcement was made at a company meeting in Portland: Bud, Ken, and Chuck had decided to transfer ownership of the company to the employees. Realizing they weren’t going to be around forever, they felt they needed to take some action. “We could have sold it as a going business,” explains Ken, adding that a Massachusetts contractor had expressed interest in buying the firm. Or they could have had a big auction, sold off several million dollars worth of equipment, and all retired. Neither scenario was acceptable. Their goal was that Cianbro Corporation be perpetuated. They felt that by giving the employees a stake, it would ensure that the company would continue. A plan was put into place to allow employees to acquire ownership by using company profits allocated to them by way of the profit-sharing plan. Meanwhile, a bridge job in Great Bridge, Virginia became Cianbro’s first major contract outside the Northeast. A crew led by Pete Fournier with major