“It’s part of our company DNA,” says Wright-Ryan vice president Greg Greenwald. He’s just finished describing a particularly challenging build taking place on a Casco Bay island. The house in question is located on a previously undeveloped site, a rocky outcropping over the Atlantic with terrain so uneven that “you couldn’t even drive an excavator over it.” However, the team was able to bring things back on schedule by constructing a series of panelized frames on the mainland and shipping them to the site. “Island logistics are quite complicated,” Greenwald adds. “But we’ve always done it, so we know what to expect.” 

The company’s founders, John Ryan and Tom Wright, grew up going to Cliff Island and working on the waterfront. “Our company’s history is tied to the bay,” Greenwald explains. “It’s our experience there that gives subcontractors and homeowners the assurance that, if they step onto one of our remote sites, it will still be planned properly and staffed properly.”  This emphasis on preparation and hard-won experience is just one of the “core values” that have kept the company afloat during rough patches (including the recent pandemic). “It’s about responsibility, regardless of the challenge,” says Allison Barton, Wright-Ryan’s marketing manager. “We believe that, even when it’s tricky, working through the issue will make us stronger in the end.” 

In their 40 years in business, Wright-Ryan has evolved and adapted to Maine’s changing economic conditions and shifting climate. They’ve also grown mightily, and in 2016 the owner decided to sell the company—right back to the employees. Since the early 2000s, there’s been a noticeable rise in worker-owned construction companies. “Because we’re one hundred percent employee owned, I think we all feel a sense of ownership and respect for each other,” says Barton, who has been with Wright-Ryan for over 20 years and participates in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Barton quickly came to appreciate the company’s commitment to local causes and engagement with the immediate community, values that were present at every level of the firm. “I had never worked for a company like that before, one that actually gives to nonprofits regularly. I was blown away by the kindness of the people here, and the intentionality of what we did.” 

For Barton, this is part of what kept her at Wright-Ryan, moving up the ranks from office assistant to communications coordinator to marketing manager. Over the years, she’s seen Wright-Ryan build a number of local landmarks in the nonprofit community, from expanding and renovating Preble Street’s facilities in Portland to constructing new buildings for Youth Alternatives, Portland Stage, the Maine Audubon Society at Gilsland Farm, and the new Tekαkαpimək contact station at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. When Wright-Ryan throws a party or holds a corporate event, it often takes place at one of these spots. “If we are going to spend money, where should we spend it?” asks Barton. “That is always a consideration for us.” 

The leadership at Wright-Ryan also puts a lot of thought into bringing on new team members. As with any employee-owned service provider, it’s essential that all involved understand their role and are willing to embrace the bigger-picture goals. Incoming president Alan Sparn points out that houses aren’t just shelter; they’re dream homes, they’re huge investments, they’re risks. “The clients we work with come to us because they trust us. Often, this is the biggest investment they will make in their life. If we put a superintendent on the job, they will be face-to-face, day in, day out, with the owner. They need to have those communication skills,” he says. “Technical skills are obviously very important to us, but we take company culture very seriously, too.” 

While Wright-Ryan does all sorts of builds, there is something they don’t do: design. “We work with architects from around the globe,” says Greenwald, “which is really exciting and stimulating for us. We get to learn about different materials, building techniques, and traditions.” They’ve built with shou sugi ban, a type of Japanese siding that preserves wood by charring it with fire, and Cor-Ten steel, a weathered red metal that gives great character and texture to outdoor spaces. “Our team doesn’t want to build the same house over and over again,” Greenwald says. “There’s a lot to learn, and sometimes there are pitfalls.” Many of these can be avoided, however, if communication is strong and the entire design-build team comes together early in the process. 

“I think that’s the best service we can offer clients,” says Sparn, “to get involved really early in the concept stage to set a budget and a schedule.” It helps everyone, from the architect to the site manager to the homeowner, when there are clear expectations articulated at the outset. As Greenwald points out, sometimes an architect from a warmer climate might not know what kind of insulation a contemporary coastal Maine home requires. “We’re quick to speak up if we see something that isn’t robust,” he says. “Surprises are usually a bad thing in our business,” adds Sparn. “I take pride in our people and their unique capabilities. They can take very stringent details on paper and make them work in real-life situations.” Greenwald adds, “We have a lot to be proud of.”