Building on a decade of success: Montante Construction celebrates 10th anniversary

BY KELSEY JAMES

Montante Construction of Tonawanda, N.Y. is celebrating a decade of business.

Nine years ago, Douglas Elia was approached by Montante Group’s chief operating officer Matt Montante about leading a new construction company within Montante Group.

“I almost canceled the meeting because I was so engaged with the work I was currently involved with,” Elia said. “I ended up meeting with Matt, and after a few discussions, I realized I needed to take a shot at this opportunity. His vision for the Group was quite distinctive and exciting. ”

Looking back on his near decade as president of Montante Construction, Elia’s favorite projects include the implosion of Gates Circle Hospital, a new manufacturing and office building for Pine Pharmaceuticals, an affordable housing complex for People Inc., renovations to the Evergreen Health corporate offices and the first new-build Amazon delivery facility in Western New York.

The implosion of the former Millard Fillmore Gates Circle Hospital is part of the Lancaster Square revitalization project. Montante Construction prepped the site and took down the 11-story building with a controlled implosion on October 3, 2015.

“I’ll never forget the day that we imploded Gates Circle Hospital,” recalled Elia. “We were a small company at the time, and a building implosion had not happened in Buffalo for some time. In fact, I don’t think one has happened since. The stakes were high as most of Western New York watched either in-person or on television. Seeing that building come down and knowing it landed perfectly made me very proud. I knew the team we had in place would continue to grow and do many great projects in the future.”

Montante Construction is part of the Montante Group, which includes TM Montante Development, Montante Construction and Montante Solar.

“We have a unique group that does construction, solar, development and property management, and that allows us to work with clients in flexible and creative ways to satisfy their needs,” Elia said. “We have talented people that do the right thing for our customers. It’s especially important to me that we do what we say, even during challenging situations.”

A project that highlights these capabilities is the construction of the Amazon distribution and warehouse facility located in TM Montante Development’s

Riverview Solar Technology Park. One of the most significant challenges Montante Construction had to solve was figuring out a way to lay out all the site components around the existing wetlands of the property while providing additional areas for stormwater man- agement. Montante Construction also worked together with Montante Solar to include a roof-top solar array to offset the facility’s power usage. This project spurred a long-term relationship with Amazon, leading to additional projects in Syracuse, N.Y. and Salem, M.A.

In February 2021, Montante Construction announced the acquisition of Tedesco Construction Services, an established leader in the design and construction of pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMB).

“What sets Montante Construction apart from other companies is how wellrounded it is,” said Montante Construction vice-president, Robert Peters. “We have experience in development, general contracting and construction management, as well as a self-performing team and PEMB capabilities.”

As a Tonawanda native, Peters is most excited about Montante Construction’s newest PEMB project: partnering with the Town of Tonawanda to transform the Brighton Park pool into a new ice arena.

“Tonawanda was a great place to grow up given its commitment to parks and recreational facilities for its families, so I’m humbled to be a part of the team trusted with solidifying that legacy as an incredible recreation corridor for the next generation,” he said.

Reflecting on the last decade, Elia takes pride in both the reputation and growth of Montante Construction.

“We are a small, family business that prides itself on doing the right thing, growing responsibility and taking on every challenge as an opportunity to succeed,” he said.

As they approach this milestone, Montante Construction would like to offer their sincere appreciation and thanks to everyone who has partnered with them over the decade. u

CannonDesign, a global architecture, engineering, consulting and design practice that provides services across a range of project types—including healthcare, corporate workspaces, higher education, science and technology, mixed use and more—continues to flourish in its new 36,000 square foot downtown workplace with a price tag of $6 million. CannonDesign moved in during the pandemic and is enjoying the space and greater connectivity to the City of Buffalo.