Leaders at National Retail Construction Group include (from left) Joe Bonitatebus Jr., President and Owner; Joseph Bonitatebus III, Director of Business Development; Dominick DaSilva, Project Manager; Zachary Bonitatebus, IT Development Manager; and Eric Baumler, Project Manager.

To install a tile mural on the exterior of Crowne Plaza White Plains New York (now Sonesta White Plains Downtown), National Retail Construction Group built a wooden barricade around the tile to help the grout dry during the cold weather installation.

After working 20 years in corporate restaurant, retail and big-box settings, Joseph (Joe) Bonitatebus Jr. believed he knew what these kinds of companies wanted from a full-service commercial contractor.

Throughout his career, Joe, who is President and Owner of National Retail Construction Group (NRCG), had key jobs at companies like Caldor, KFC National Management Company and Abercrombie & Fitch. In those roles, he was often the corporate point person interacting with contractors to build new stores, make facility upgrades and roll out new branding.

When he founded NRCG, with headquarters in Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 2008, he was ready to capitalize on his advantage.

“I know that companies want to be able to call a contractor and express their needs,” Joe says. “Then, they want those needs met. Corporations want quality work, reasonable costs and to have their projects completed in a timely and professional manner."

“We like to be the one to take the projects off their plates. We assume responsibility for the work to relieve them of that stress and worry,” he says.

Although Joe says starting a company in 2008 was challenging because of the Great Recession’s impact on the overall economy, his fledgling company was able to weather the downturn. He says perseverance has paid off because the construction industry has rebounded in recent years.

“Companies are now spending the money to get their projects done. Many are investing more now in their stores than they were 13 years ago,” he says. “Work with box retailers is out there because online competition has forced them to try luring customers back into their stores.”

Looking at the company’s early days, Joe says, “You never forget your first project. Ours was with Full Picture, a public relations and marketing company operating in New York City, to remodel its office space. This very first project provided the wind under our wings to get us off the ground.”

Reputation Helps Grow Business

NRCG’s approach in new construction, remodels, rollouts and special and capital projects has helped build a solid reputation for the 13-year-old company. The contractor has completed multiple projects for corporate offices and facilities in the hospitality, restaurant, retail, senior living and fitness industries.

With NRCG’s experience in remodeling and renovation projects nationwide, it is able to compete successfully for national accounts—even against older and better-known companies. Its client services include preconstruction planning, remodels and refreshes, tenant improvement, fixture installation and reconfiguration, project management and design-build projects.

Joe also knows NRCG’s ability to be flexible helps it respond quickly to a customer’s changing needs. He uses the American multinational beauty company, Coty, as an example.

“When Coty contacted us, we were able to rearrange our schedules in order to be at their offices within a couple of days of their call. They occupy three floors of the Empire State Building,” he says. “For this major corporation, we performed interior office remodeling and secured wall coverings for their elevator lobbies.”

Today, NRCG employs seven people who manage subcontractor work teams. Joe praises two of his Project Managers, Eric Baumler and Dominick DaSilva, who have been with the company since the beginning. He cites their good customer skills and talents as tradesmen—a winning combination in his book.

He also tips his hat to Thomas Corrin, who is Director of Construction-Special Projects, and his son Joseph Bonitatebus III, who is the company’s Director of Business Development.

“These employees contribute to our ability to maintain consistent quality. Our customers feel comfortable working with each of them,” he says.

Name Dropping Portfolio

Joe describes a number of projects that help illustrate the company’s skills.

For AC Hotel New York Times Square, Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square South and Residence Inn Long Island Garden City, NRCG installed fixtures, wallpaper, bureaus and headboards in all guest rooms. The company also performed work in the hotels’ hallways and lobbies, including installing high-end millwork in the lobbies and bars.

“We were really pleased to have been involved in these projects, especially because the hotels are so well known,” he says.

Then, for the Crowne Plaza White Plains New York (now Sonesta White Plains Downtown), NRCG crews performed some exterior repairs and installed a unique tile mural on the outside of the building.

“This was an especially challenging job because we did it in the winter,” he says. “Because of the cold temperatures, we had to build a wooden barricade around the mural. Then, we installed temporary heaters to help the grout dry and adhere to the hotel’s exterior wall.”

Joe cites other projects, like NRCG’s work on a pop-up shop for PacSun SoHo, as a good example of the company’s diverse capabilities.

“We had been performing some refresh and remodel work for PacSun, and they asked us if we would be interested in working with them on a new pop-up shop concept in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. We were very excited to be selected,” he says.

“Not only was this an awesome opportunity for our company, but we happened to be the successful contractor over some big-name local contractor companies,” he continues. “I think we were chosen because we already had a good working relationship with PacSun, so we’d proven ourselves, and the project was right in our wheelhouse.”

NRCG was also selected by DSW in Livingston, New Jersey, for the store’s 20,000-square-foot buildout, the contractor’s first project of this size.

“This work got us into the big-box arena, showcasing our diversity and ability to complete small projects and also manage mid- to larger-scale projects,” he adds.

Excelling at Special Projects

One of NRCG’s recent projects is for Bass Pro Shops Hooksett in Hooksett, New Hampshire. The hunting, fishing and camping gear company wants to grab the attention of drivers passing near their store just off Interstate 293, so NRCG is building and installing a massive ranger tower to give its logo dramatic visual prominence.

“We are great at special projects like this,” Joe says. “We’re flexible enough to take on unusual opportunities of this nature as long as we are given a two- to eight-week completion timeframe.”

NRCG also is adept at assisting with special branding projects. One brand refresh from 2019 involved upgrading the paint and other finishes for Pure Barre, an exercise facility that offers low-impact, high-intensity workout classes.

“Over a six-month period, we also installed new millwork, carpeting and flooring at about 20 Pure Barre locations in the Connecticut and New York markets,” he says.

Even though NRCG is a fairly young company, it is committed to supporting worthwhile community organizations, such as the Housatonic Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Danbury, Connecticut. The store sells home improvement products donated by area companies like NRCG and individuals in the community, he says. NRCG gives the ReStore ceramic tile, millwork and other products that are used in home construction projects.

“We like the home improvement thrift store’s philosophy of recycling, reusing and repurposing items that might otherwise end up in a landfill,” he says. “We also like being a positive force for good in the Northeast community—a community that has supported us and is helping us succeed in business.”