It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation and reference for the construction management firm, The Palombo Group (“TPG”). I have worked closely with TPG on two major building projects, including the Beacon Fire Station renovation currently underway in Beacon and the SUNY Ulster Satellite Campus project in Kingston for which I served as Ulster County’s Project Manager.
I have found The Palombo Group’s management team to be very knowledgeable, professional, detail-oriented, and dependable. Their insights regarding project planning, bidding, and managing contractors during the construction process have been invaluable throughout both projects. They have assisted us in making both large and small decisions whenever we have come up against significant design issues, site constraints, and unforeseen contingencies. Most importantly, they have provided the leadership necessary to keep all the contractors working together and on schedule and within budget.
The City of Beacon’s current firehouse project has faced a number of difficult obstacles, but TPG has managed those challenges quickly and effectively before they impacted the project timeline, budget, or quality. The project more than fifty percent complete, and the experience and diligence has made the project run smoothly. On a personal note, it has been a pleasure to work with both the site and office staff at TPG.
Based on my recent and prior experience with The Palombo Group, I would recommend them without hesitation. If you would like to discuss TPG further, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at cwhite@beaconny.gov or (845) 838-5009.
We have, and will continue to, recommend TPG to anyone looking for a professional, knowledgable and competent construction manager.
In May of 2016 our District retained the services of TPG to manage the capital project that was approved by the voters in December of 2014 and have worked directly with Luis Rodriguez since that time. Our only regret is that we did not have TPG on board during the planning and design phase of the project.
The initial bids were received in November 2016 and came in $2.5 million over budget based on estimates from our architect. Mr. Rodriguez repackaged the bid documents and assisted our Board of Education to modify the scope of the project, which maximized the work completed within the approved authorization.
Prior to working with TPG, the District had numerous construction managers who did not represent the interests of the District, namely our students and taxpayers. We often found ourselves in costly litigation. During the scope of the work completed over the last four years, TPG has navigated our projects so that we were well within our budgets and timelines. Mr. Rodriguez and his team have been very responsive and attentive to the needs of our schools and have done an excellent job holding the contractors accountable.
Historically, it has been very difficult to gain the support of the community for capital projects in our District. In December of 2019, with the help of Mr. Rodriguez’s planning, a referendum was approved by the voters in the about of $19,995,000. We are very confident that TPG will continue to provide the same level of professionalism and oversight to bring our project to completion, both on time and within our budget.
Based on the quality of TPG’s prior work in the District, I, without hesitation, would recommend The Palombo Group to any school district. If you have any questions, or if there is any other information I can provide to enhance their candidacy, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I have been fortunate enough to have worked closely with The Palombo Group and specifically Luis over the last 20 years spanning five Capital Improvement Projects ranging in scope from $3 million dollars to $33 million dollars, for a total of over $86 million dollars.
Throughout all of these projects, which included various phases from pre-referendum, public
information campaigns, construction budget, collaboration with architects, managing subcontractors and labor, through close-out and punch list, The Palombo Group has been nothing but professional, thorough, and most of all, an advocate and friend to the District they represent.The Palombo Group’s attention to detail, communication to all parties and overall performance is second to none! Each and every project they have managed has come in “on time and under budget.” A true testament to their caliber of services is the overall satisfaction and support that the community and its constituents have expressed at the beginning, during, and conclusion of each Capital Improvement Project!
Mr. Rodriguez has provided construction management services for a variety of projects including the renovation of nine science classrooms at our high school, security and technology upgrades district wide and major HVAC upgrades at the elementary school. In each of these projects pre-referendum services, including comprehensive construction budgets and detailed schedules, provided quality information to share with the residents of the district. Evidence of Lou’s commitment to the project, and the district, has frequently been displayed at project meetings. His knowledge of the construction documents, industry standards and the local market allow him to advocate for the district when challenged by prime contractors. I believe these attributes have served to minimize change orders and control costs.