JPICONE.

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JOHN PICONE INC.

John Picone Inc.’s $56 million Ave. V Pumping Station
project broke ground in late-2007.

Tackling Complicated Jobs

John Picone Inc. says it has developed a reputation for quality work, and strives to tackle complex proj-
ects throughout New York City that many companies of its size are not capable of taking on.

By Kate Burrows now serves as the firm’s CEO, while continuing to help

S ince its inception in 1950, John Picone Inc. has pro-

vided high-quality construction services for clients
throughout the Northeast. Based in Lawrence, N.Y.,
the firm was founded by John Picone Sr., who drew from
his family’s extensive experience in the utility construc-
tion business. “The Picone family had been in the utility
construction business for many years before John Picone
Sr. started this company,” President Bob Taikina says.
“The firm operated as a small- to mid-sized utility con-
tractor in New York City for many years after that.”
The company began to experience several large growth
spurts starting in 1980. The company
John Picone Inc. – Ave. V
Pumping Station project had led by John Picone Jr. PE, a graduate
www.johnpicone.com of Cornell University with a degree in
Sales: $250 million Civil Engineering, for the previous 28
Headquarters: Lawrence, N.Y.
Employees: 500 years. John is currently the chairman of
Service: Heavy construction con- the board at Picone Inc. His partner,
tracting Gerald Rossettie PE, is also a Cornell
Bob Taikina: “The key to our
success to this day has been graduate and was the long-time general
[our] engineering background.” superintendent for the company. Gerald
manage the field supervision. The balance of the senior
management team includes Robert Wessels, VP and gen-
eral counsel, and Ken Durkin, VP and general superin-
tendent.
Taikina says the firm’s extensive experience in the
industry sets it apart from the competition. “The key to
our success to this day has been the engineering back-
ground of our senior management team,” he explains.
“We are able to take on more difficult projects than our
competitors because of the combined construction expe-
rience and engineering background of our employees.”
Due to the dedication and expertise of its employees,
Taikina says, John Picone Inc. regularly takes on compli-
cated projects, developing innovative methods of con-
struction to complete jobs successfully. For example, the
firm recently completed the Spring Creek Water Control
project in Brooklyn N.Y., which required it to lower a 10-
to 12-acre concrete roof by 10 feet. “This was very much
an out-of-the-norm type project,” he explains. “We re-
searched a company in Holland, met with them several

64 ■ WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2009