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Jewett Lands the Cover of Business NH's Top Family Owned Businesses Issue

From home building to big commercial projects, Jewett ranks as one of NH's Top Family-Owned Businesses 

FREMONT, N.H. - During it's 50 years of operation, Jewett Construction has managed to thrive not only in good times but through the great recession and the pandemic as well. The company, which now has the third generation of the Jewett family working in it, was started by Ed and Arlene Jewett in 1972 in Raymond as a residential construction company. Ed started with just a truck and a few tools the day after he suddenly found himself without a job when the manufacturer he worked for in Fremont burned down.

His son Craig has led the company since 2004. "I was afforded an opportunity that's pretty special," he says of being able to lead and grow his father's company. However, he wasn't just handed the reins of the company. His dad had him start as a laborer and work his way up, just as he required of his son Nick, who is now an estimator. 

Not long after Craig took over, the economy entered a recession, so he focused on developing a niche - building auto dealerships - that allowed the business to grow. Back then Jewett Construction was generating $10 million to $12 million annual sales. It has since grown in revenue seven-fold and now has 65 employees. 

The company has since broadened its client base to include industrial, manufacturing, cannabis, nonprofits, and large-scale mulit-family residential projects. He says building relationships has also been critical. "85% of our business is repeat clients," Nick says. "Making dreams become reality for clients is pretty inspiring." 

The compnay has continued to grow during the pandemic, with revenue shooting up 80% between 2020 and 2021. "We never laid a person off but actually hired some great people. We grew our client base," Craig says. And when it outgrew its corporate headquarters in Raymond, Jewett built and renovated a new space a few miles down the road in Fremont, on the very spot where his dad's former manufacturing employer once stood. Jewett Construction also launched an architectural studio and hired five architects, opening new avenues of business. "It's setting us up for the future and allowing us to get to market swifter."

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Jewett Construction is a family-owned construction management company with a 50-year history in New England.  Jewett specializes in commercial construction projects in the office, manufacturing, retail and automotive sectors.  For more information, visit www.jewettconstruction.com.