How many people today have been with their employer for more than 30 years? At Cummings Properties, that number stands at 19. The group – made up of carpenters, designers, mechanics, and more – recently came together at Strega Prime, located at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn, to celebrate their collective 700 years of service.
George Holland of Woburn – an equipment operator and, at 41 years, the commercial real estate firm’s longest-serving colleague – served as master of ceremonies as the group shared stories and laughter over lunch.
Front row (left to right): painter Mike Gentile of Stoneham, carpenter Tom Vigneau of Wilmington, senior groundsworker Keith Yianacopolus of Billerica, senior project manager Scott Ronan of Billerica, and chief design officer Jim Trudeau of Beverly; middle row: mechanic Brian Loonie of Billerica, maintenance specialist Phil Morrissey of Salem, associate division manager Rick Curtin of Onset, equipment operator George Holland of Woburn, Jack Merlino (retired), mechanical systems manager John DiRusso of Tewksbury, and groundsworker Mike Szetela of Woburn; back row: field division manager Mike Sheehy of Reading, carpenter Gino DiVecchia of Wilmington, runner Paul Duran of Woburn, Arthur Colucci (retired), shop team leader Bill Macdonald of Revere, office assistant Kevin Gardner of Lowell, founder Bill Cummings of Winchester, and carpentry team leader Tom Heenan of Medford.
“It was collegiality at its best,” said Dennis Clarke, Cummings Properties’ president and CEO and a 25-year veteran of the Company. “This group has known each other for so long as both colleagues and, in many instances, good friends. The conversation was wonderful, with each person ‘holding court’ at some point during the luncheon.”
Every member of Cummings’ so-called 30-Year Club attended, including two who retired in recent years.
Since its founding in 1970, Cummings Properties has frequently promoted from within. With a portfolio of 11 million square feet of commercial space in the greater Boston area, the firm has in-house expertise in a variety of disciplines, including all of the construction trades, plus architecture, engineering, sales, graphic design, accounting, and legal.
With 360 employees, Cummings’ high number of long-term staff members is significant. The median number of years that U.S. workers have been with their current employer is just over four years, according to a 2016 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At Cummings Properties, that number is 11.
“I have so much fun here, and the work is very rewarding,” said Senior Groundsworker Keith Yianacopolus of Billerica, another member of Cummings’ 30-Year Club. “I love being part of a project from the beginning, watching it evolve, and seeing the end results.”
Interested in being part of the team? Explore current career opportunities with Cummings online.