Rick Borden has been a part of the JC&A family for over 25 of our 28-year existence. He’ll tell you that while we’ve grown and evolved over the years, the vision for JC&A and the commitment to our people, our clients, and our community has never wavered. Reflecting on his journey brought back many memories, making it more emotional than he realized.
Rick was hired in October 1998, coming from a large union shop GC. He walked into an office of just 10 people, many of whom were also newly hired that year. The inviting atmosphere, where everyone worked together as a team, immediately struck him. He was assigned a new childcare center to build with a new superintendent running the job. Despite their initial uncertainties about the new company, they soon discovered that Jay, JC&A’s founder and front man, was always looking for the next opportunity and building relationships to keep the company growing. The company’s CFO, Tim Kelly, ensured timely payments so they could pay their subcontractors, solidifying Rick’s desire to stay with JC&A. He knew they had a vision of being “great at what we do” and that the business would flourish.
Rick had recently moved to the South Shore and wanted to start a family. The commuting in and out of the city made him seek a company closer to home where he could be part of their success. He wanted new opportunities to strengthen his construction management skills and push him into challenging situations. At JC&A, he found the support he needed to focus on building and delivering projects on time and under budget.
Ever since college, Rick has wanted to be a Project Manager building complex projects. He excelled at understanding how things were put together, scheduling materials and manpower for project success. JC&A offered him the opportunity to build various types of buildings, fulfilling his desire. Over the years, he successfully completed numerous childcare centers, mission-critical facilities, office park repositions, and tenant improvement projects. He takes pride in the reputation he’s earned at JC&A: “Rick can build anything.” No matter the project, he figures it out, completes it on time, and keeps our clients happy. Repeat business has been a cornerstone of JC&A’s marketing strategy, guided by Jay’s leadership.
Rick joins a special group of JC&Aers including Jim Cahill, Tim Kelly, and Sharie Beagle, who have all been here for more than 25 years. Rick’s proudest moment at JC&A is his 25 years of service. The acknowledgment that he played a part in shaping JC&A into what it is today is special to him. Many JC&A employees look up to him and learn from his experiences. Reflecting on past projects and opportunities, he recognizes how they pushed him to grow and be better. His role has evolved to include teaching other employees the JC&A way.
One of Rick’s favorite JC&A traditions is the annual Thanksgiving turkey Jay gives to each employee. It symbolizes the family-oriented culture Jay fosters at JC&A, emphasizing the importance of enjoying both work and family time. Fun Fact, one of the first JC&A summer outings was held at Rick’s house in Hingham complete with a bounce house and clam chowder.
Rick’s two kids often joke with him about going to “work” because they associate JC&A with all the fun times at JC&A. Nate, now 21, and Lydia, now 19, have been to countless JC&A summer outings, fishing trips, PawSox games, golf outings, and Halloween Spooktaculars where Lydia is known to be the first to smash through the piñata.
Among Rick’s favorite projects are XO Communication and Bright Horizons. For XO Communication, after building two mission-critical Tel/Comm projects in Boston, they asked JC&A to help with their new site in downtown Manhattan. This project required running mechanical piping and electrical work through an old elevator shaft spanning 29 stories. This was one of the 28 mission-critical projects Rick has constructed at JC&A.
With Bright Horizons, Rick constructed 30 different childcare centers. As a repeat client since 1998, they trusted JC&A to handle any project in any location. JC&A helped them from project conception through budgeting and scheduling, always delivering on time. The childcare playgrounds pushed the limits of new features, textures, and colors, stimulating kids to come to school and interact with friends.
To Rick, “The JC&A Way” means working for good people and being appreciated for your work. It means enjoying what you do and wanting to come to work, not dreading it. Since we spend 80% of our day working, it should be enjoyable or challenging, or it’s time to find another job. JC&A fosters a supportive, team-oriented environment where everyone works together to complete projects.
Having seen many people come and go, Rick feels he made the right choice joining the JC&A team. He plans to continue working with JC&A until retirement. He believes no other organization cares about its people as much as JC&A, offering unmatched opportunities to build and grow in the business with new relationships and projects.
