CIANBRO and STARCON Announce Strategic Alliance

Agreement Expected to Create Job Growth for Both Firms

In a move designed to combine the strengths of two leading U.S. construction firms, The CIANBRO Companies and STARCON International, Inc., are announcing an agreement today which sets up a strategic alliance between the businesses.  The alliance is expected to expand the market share for each company, while providing unprecedented service to the heavy industrial construction and maintenance markets across the United States.

“This alliance creates an industry powerhouse which will leverage our ability to capture and execute large scale capital, turnaround, and maintenance construction projects for our clients,” said CIANBRO Chairman Peter Vigue and STARCON CEO Michael Uremovich in a joint statement announcing the move.  “The alliance is made possible by the close alignment of our individual companies’ culture, core values, and team member focus.”

STARCON primarily offers mechanical and industrial services to petrochemical clients in the Midwest, the Gulf Coast and the West Coast, and has international project and maintenance experience. CIANBRO provides a wide array of heavy construction services to industrial, civil, and private clients on the eastern seaboard of the U.S.  Both firms have significant experience mobilizing to perform large construction and maintenance projects throughout North America. CIANBRO operates a world class module facility in Brewer, Maine that is sized to service the global fabrication market.  STARCON enjoys a stellar reputation in the refinery and chemical plant industry across the nation and in Latin America.  Combined, the companies employ nearly 4,000 team members and maintain over 3,000 pieces of major industrial equipment.

Management from both companies recently completed strategic meetings to develop plans for aligning efforts in business development, project planning, and manpower and equipment sharing. “We know the collective resources are stronger than the individual companies are able to offer,” said Uremovich.  With CIANBRO’s wide range of equipment, facilities and heavy construction skills to back up its new ally, STARCON expects to expand into projects that were out of reach before now.  With STARCON’s well-earned reputation in the petrochemical industry, gained across nearly three decades of high performance, CIANBRO is making plans to expand into refinery and chemical plant work.  The alliance brings the promise of new job opportunities for team members from both firms.

“Our teams are extremely excited about the opportunities this alliance will create for our team members and our clients,” said Vigue.  “Joined together, our ability to broaden our geographic reach and smooth out our seasonal business demand is very powerful.” Both company leaders noted that clients should experience no changes in the next few months, but will notice the benefits and opportunities created by the alliance as those attributes develop during the coming year.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of people that are really surprised when they see that CIANBRO and STARCON have come together,” adds Uremovich.  “I think it’s going to shock the industry, in a good way.  I think it’s going make some of our competitors afraid of what we’ve created here.  But long term, with the cultures lining up so well, and the opportunities lining up so well, we’re going to end up with one really great organization here.”

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ABOUT STARCON – STARCON provides comprehensive industrial and mechanical contracting services to a wide variety of process industry clients.  Services include capital construction, plant maintenance, turnaround execution, project management, specialty welding, insulation and scaffolding.  With an uncompromising commitment to safety, quality, training and innovation, STARCON serves clients in the refining, chemical, food processing, metals, paper and power industries. STARCON is headquartered in Manhattan, IL and has offices in La Porte, TX, Fairfield CA, Gonzales, LA, and San Nicolas, Aruba.  Visit www.starcon.org for more information.

ABOUT CIANBRO – CIANBRO is an employee owned company and a leading health and safety innovator providing construction and service solutions to clients throughout North America. With the ability to self-perform all aspects of heavy industrial and civil construction projects, CIANBRO also provides steel fabrication, modularized construction and construction management services. CIANBRO is headquartered in Pittsfield, ME, with major operating facilities in Brewer, ME, Portland, ME, and Baltimore, MD, and regional offices in Bloomfield, CT. Visit www.cianbro.com for more information.