More than 50 years ago, Frank Montesano Sr. started Montesano Bros. with a commitment to hard work, family, and building something that would last.
What began with one generation has grown into a company now led by the next generation of the Montesano family. And today, that legacy continues even further, with members of the brothers’ children working in different areas of the business and learning what it takes to carry Montesano Bros. into the future.
That history makes an issue facing the construction industry today especially personal to us: Who will build the next generation?
The Construction Industry Needs Its Next Generation
Across the construction industry, contractors and unions are facing a growing need for skilled workers. Experienced tradespeople who have spent decades mastering their crafts are getting closer to retirement, while there simply aren’t enough young people entering the industry to replace them.
At Montesano Bros., we are proudly pro-union, and we believe contractors, unions, schools, and industry organizations all have a role to play in changing that.
We can’t simply wait for young people to find construction. We need to bring construction to them.
That’s why Montesano Bros. is partnering on campaigns designed to introduce more young people to the opportunities available in the trades. We’re going to college campuses, participating in career events, and having conversations directly with students about what a future in construction can look like.
Showing Students a Different Path
For generations, young people have often been told that there is one primary road to success: go to college, earn a degree, and find a traditional office career.
We want them to know there are many paths.
Construction offers opportunities to learn a skilled trade, operate advanced equipment, work on major infrastructure projects, move into management and leadership positions, and build a career where you can physically see the results of your work.
And there isn’t just one type of construction career.
Our industry needs operators, laborers, mechanics, project managers, estimators, engineers, safety professionals, office staff, and many other talented people working together.
Through our partnerships and campus outreach, we want students to meet the people actually doing these jobs. We want them to ask questions, learn about union apprenticeships and training, understand the different career paths available, and see construction as an industry where they can build a future.
We Know the Value of Generational Knowledge
This mission means something different when you’re a multigenerational family business.
Frank Sr. built the foundation. His sons learned the business, carried his values forward, and eventually became the generation responsible for leading Montesano Bros. Today, another generation of the family is already working within the company in different capacities.
They aren’t simply inheriting a company. They’re learning it.
They’re gaining experience from people who have spent decades in the industry, just as the generation before them did.
That’s exactly the kind of knowledge transfer our entire industry needs.
Some members of the Montesano team have been with us for more than 20 years. They have knowledge that can’t be learned from a textbook alone. When an experienced operator, mechanic, superintendent, or tradesperson takes the time to teach someone entering the industry, decades of knowledge continue instead of disappearing when that person eventually retires.
That’s why mentorship matters so much.
A Partnership Between Generations
Solving the skilled labor shortage isn’t something one contractor can accomplish alone.
It requires contractors and unions working together. It requires partnerships with colleges, trade schools, high schools, and community organizations. Most importantly, it requires experienced people being willing to teach and young people being given an opportunity to learn.
That’s what we hope these campaigns can accomplish.
We want to put real people and real career opportunities in front of students. We want them to understand what union construction can offer and to see the pride that comes from building the infrastructure their own communities depend on.
More Than 50 Years Later, We’re Still Building
Our equipment has changed dramatically since Frank Sr. started the company. Our fleet has grown to more than 150 machines. Technology has transformed how projects are planned and completed. The size and complexity of our work have continued to evolve.
But some things haven’t changed.
Hard work matters. Taking pride in your work matters. Learning from the people who came before you matters. And giving the next generation an opportunity matters.
Frank Sr. created an opportunity that ultimately became a multigenerational family business. Today, we have an opportunity to help introduce another generation, both within the Montesano family and throughout our communities, to an industry that can provide meaningful, long-term careers.
We’re proud of where Montesano Bros. came from.
Now we’re working with our unions, schools, and industry partners to make sure there are talented people ready to carry construction forward for the next 50 years.
Because the best way to honor what the generations before us built is to make sure there’s another generation ready to keep building.
