Gilbane, Inc., based in Providence, Rhode Island, is a family-owned, national construction
and real estate development company. Forbes ranked Gilbane as the 108th
largest privately held company in the United States in 2006 with estimated revenues
of $2.83 billion.
Gilbane is one of the nation’s oldest builders.
The company was founded in 1873 by William Gilbane and his brother Thomas
as a family-run carpentry and general contracting shop in Providence, Rhode Island.
Originally known as William Gilbane and Brother, the firm quickly developed
a reputation for quality, and for building some of the finest homes in Providence.
New projects soon followed, including churches, hospitals and other public
buildings that are still in use today.
In the early 1900s, William
H. Gilbane took control of the company and steered it through the lean times
of the Great Depression. In the 1930s, his sons Thomas and William joined the company
and made Gilbane’s reputation as a pioneer in construction management —
first with major defense projects during World War II, and then with the Smithsonian’s
National Air and Space Museum, which opened on time and budget in Washington,
D.C. on July 4, 1976. In 1970 Gilbane expanded its services and formed the
development unit now known as Gilbane Development Company.
Today,
fourth-generation members of the family lead the company, which has more than
25 offices across the United States. Paul J. Choquette Jr., son of third-generation
family member Virginia Gilbane Choquette, is chairman of Gilbane Inc. |
