“You look at that iconic image of the Golden Gate Bridge, and it’s incredible to be a part of it.” —Mike Ghilotti
With the celebration of its 100th year, completion of the new median on the Golden Gate Bridge and the work done on Castro Street, this past year has proven to be monumental for Ghilotti Bros., Inc. The contractor has been a central part in every major construction project in the North Bay, resulting in its fourth year being voted Best Contractor/Builder. “It’s not an award we take lightly,” says President Mike Ghilotti; his brother, Dante, is CEO. “It’s our goal to win this award each year in recognition of our employees and how dedicated they are.”For many years, the company has taken on huge projects all over the North Bay—from creating new roads and tearing down old ones to demolishing and creating a number of structures. The company remains involved in a number of memorable projects, most recently its work on the Golden Gate Bridge.
The bridge project spanned more than seven months with a lot of hard work and many milestones. The accomplishment of the insertion of the moveable median was an experience that impacted all Ghilotti employees. “You look at that iconic image of the Golden Gate Bridge, and it’s incredible to be a part of such a great project that can make a difference in so many lives. We’ve touched every single footprint of the bridge, including projects in the Marin Headlands, Vista Point and the Lone Sailor, the renovated toll plaza and Doyle Drive,” says Ghilotti. The company is ecstatic about the completion of a project that benefits the public. Ghilotti attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for the reopening of the bridge, which celebrated the new, safer median.Ghilotti also took part in opening up the new Highway 12 Jameson Canyon project as well as installing another two and a half miles of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in Novato. “It was so rewarding to be a part of infrastructure projects that improve the quality of life,” says Ghilotti.
The upcoming year will also be significant for the company. The contractor will be continuing work on the Petaluma River Bridge and finishing the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) project. “We had an incredibly active year in 2014, but we expect 2015 will be even bigger,” says Ghilotti.
