Masonry construction, restoration firms break ground in Middletown

Words: Matthew AdamsMayor Daniel T. Drew held a groundbreaking ceremony July 29 to welcome two new businesses to town. The event marked the start of construction for the new headquarters site for Armani Restoration and Connecticut Mason Contractors, now located on Bysiewicz Drive.

Both companies are relocating their headquarters to Middletown and expanding their operations here, according to a release from the mayor’s office.

Their presence in the city highlights the growing importance of this location as the “Connecticut Construction Cluster” for state and regional companies working in and with the industry, Drew’s statement reads.

Each specialize in areas of masonry construction and masonry restoration for clients throughout New England and New York.

Along with Drew and other local officials, leadership from Armani Restoration and Connecticut Mason Contractors and members of The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce joined guests at the grand opening.

“With the commitment to Middletown by Armani Restoration and Connecticut Mason Contractors, we are continuing to grow our foot-print as the key geographic location for the construction industry in our state,” Drew said in the release.

Councilman Gerry Daley is chairman of the Economic Development Commission.

“I want to thank former state Sen. Billy Ciotto for referring them to the city for help in finding a location that met their expansion needs,” Daley said in the release.

Thirty jobs are relocating to the city as a result, as well as an expected 170 contractor jobs to be based here during the construction season, officials said.

Also, $28,115 is expected annually in tax revenue from these two businesses after the four-year partial tax abatement, according to the release.
 0
MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 24 Recap: Gary Hensley, VP of Sales at Oldcastle Adams
July 2025

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Gary Hensley joins Justin in Indianapolis to talk about his story within the masonry industry, how he got started, how he's seen it evolve, and where he sees it going. Why the Masonry Industry? Concrete and

Justin Stengel
Read More
The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Shayne Sanders
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More