From a young age, Thomas Giordano, General Manager of the New York Region for Suffolk Construction, had a clear goal: to follow in his uncle's footsteps and become an attorney, serving his community. After a career that took him from litigation to representing general contractors, developers, and design professionals in legal matters, he joined Morse Diesel Construction in 1999 and moved to Bovis Lend Lease as General Counsel in 2004. For the past four and a half years, he has led Suffolk Construction's New York office in a non-legal leadership role.
Giordano is responsible for improving the company's internal organisational processes and infrastructure. He also ensures that Suffolk is well-positioned for growth and the expansion of construction management projects in the Greater New York area – which for the company includes New York City, Westchester, and Long Island. This covers the hospitality, healthcare, and residential sectors.
Growth and Alignment in New York
According to Giordano, Suffolk Construction's mission in New York is simple: the company aims to achieve a similar standing in New York as it does nationally, not necessarily to be the largest, but the best construction management firm in the Greater New York area, and to establish the Suffolk corporate culture. Although Suffolk has been present in New York for 13 years, the company has gained significant momentum over the past five and a half years. Giordano reported that when he started, the company had annual revenues of approximately $350 million; this has now grown to $1.3 billion, with the goal of reaching $2 billion per year in the next two years.
Initially, Suffolk Construction focused 40 percent on residential construction. Meanwhile, the portfolio in New York City has become more balanced. The company is heavily involved in healthcare, particularly in building hospitals. Projects are also being realised in residential construction and the higher education sector. In hospitality, hotels are being built, and in the life sciences sector, research facilities are being constructed. Public construction projects are also part of their scope of work.
Challenges and Project Management
Suffolk is currently working on several notable projects. On the south side of Long Island, a new six-storey pavilion is being built for Northwell Health, adjacent to an existing hospital. White Plains Hospital in White Plains, N.Y., is being expanded with a nine-storey tower designed to offer innovative and state-of-the-art healthcare. An outpatient centre is being built for New York University in Brooklyn, and another pavilion is planned for Patchogue, Long Island. A major undertaking is the Brooklyn Army Terminal, a complex of two buildings (A and B) constructed in 1918, originally serving for ammunition and supplies during World War II. Today, they are being repurposed to house businesses and manufacturing, including restaurants and climate-focused technology companies. Suffolk is involved in various projects to modernise and fully fit out this vast facility. In hospitality, 'The Torch' at 740 Eighth Avenue is being built, an 1,800-room, 40-storey hotel that will feature a concrete core up to 80 storeys high with an observation deck, two restaurants, and four drop rides.
Building in New York City is challenging due to specific tax laws, wage requirements, and various rezonings and legal frameworks. To keep costs appropriate, Suffolk involves clients early in the process. This allows them to manage the construction aspects of all these factors and refine the design based on requirements. Through constructability analyses and budgeting, it is ensured that planned ventures are economically viable. Giordano emphasised that project success largely depends on how much is paid for the land in relation to what is built on it. Therefore, the company tries to act as a partner even before concrete project development and permitting. A large part of what is required for a successful project is already done before the first spade is put in the ground.
