Diversification pays off.

Although it is clear that real estate and its related industries are currently affected by a tough economic cycle on a national level, our immediate world is still functioning well.

Unlike circumstances that occurred in the last recession a decade ago, there is work in many sectors, which brings us to a key point: mid-size construction firms, such as ACC Construction, have ample opportunities for projects, but they arrive in all shapes and sizes--and from all markets.

When ACC Construction was founded nearly 20 years ago, we were a Long Island City-based general contracting and construction management rum, specializing in corporate interiors. Our client base was primarily made up of real estate developers and building owners. But over the years, we extended our services to other markets, including institutional, retail and health care, as well as ground-up construction.

When I became president of ACC Construction in 1995, my goal was to expand our client base and pick up a larger share of the market in other boroughs, suburbs, ere,, throughout the region. Moreover, since all markets have varying economic cycles, we wanted to establish our firm in several different industries to stay consistently active.

For example, at this time, healthcare is still holding its own in the New York metropolitan area and institutional construction is also strong. Retail banking fit-outs are flourishing and there is still a fair amount of activity in the retail sector, in general.

Our goal to expand our business in several different markets and commercial sectors has been met. To that end, we have moved our offices into Manhattan, because it is a more central location, and have recently hired four top construction professionals, including a senior project executive, Sean P. Gann, two project managers, Eric Bartels and Alexander Fridlin, and a veteran project superintendent, Barry Meduri.

Still at the core of our plan is the commitment to become experts in a wide range of market sectors. Thus, with the expertise of our talented and diverse personnel, ACC has been awarded an interesting array of projects.

This year alone, ACC Construction completed a 7,000-square-foot film and video production studio and teaching facility on West 60th Street in Manhattan for Fordham University. Then we segued into a fit-out of a 20,000-square-foot Modell's Sporting Goods store in Riverhead, New York. It was an aggressively scheduled eight-week project that we completed three weeks ahead of schedule.

In addition, we recently finished a two-and-a-half year, out-of-ground construction project for St. Mary's Hospital in Brooklyn. The St. Mary's Outpatient Health Center is a three-floor facility that houses methadone maintenance and medically supervised alcohol treatment programs. The first floor features large sky-lit program and waiting rooms, counseling offices, examination rooms and administrative offices. The second and third floors accommodate additional program areas, counseling offices and support staff. The entire facility is ADA compliant and the building is a steel moment frame in compliance with recently adopted New York City seismic codes.

This summer, we were awarded two more distinct project types: a 3,700-square-foot core-and-shell construction of a retail bank, Commerce Bank in Westbury, NY; and the fit-out of an 8,000-square-foot office for a law firm at 780 Third Avenue in Manhattan. While the law firm project entails the build-out of exterior offices, conference rooms and high quality finishes, the bank, which has an eight-to-ten week fast track schedule, includes the demolition of an existing automobile station and complete removal of existing pavement and storm drainage systems.

ACC Construction continues to expand as a company, in both its personnel and service lines. Our initial plan to work in a variety of milieus has ensured consistent activity for the firm. In addition, we have recruited talented professionals who have contributed to the range of experience we need to compete in almost any building environment. But the ultimate key to our company's success is a reputation for unimpeachable standards and excellence in performance.