Luke Griffin’s story of joining JC&A embodies the firm’s familial approach to team-building and emphasis on professional development. Griffin has been with JC&A for more than five years, not counting the two years he spent as an intern (which Jim Cahill is quick to point out).
Griffin started working as an intern while still attending Tufts University and has worked his way up to project manager. During his first year as an intern, he was mentored by Mike Wilson and took in everything he could about the industry from him, including the importance of building relationships.
As a project manager, Griffin says that he continued to be mentored by and learn from his colleagues, including the best superintendents and project executives in the business.
“I gained all of my construction knowledge by sitting in the room with my teammates and learning why they do the things they do and how they do them,” he said.
These countless hours spent walking the jobsite with superintendents provided invaluable learning opportunities. He is grateful that his mentors chose to spend time teaching him when they could have been heading home following a long day at work.
Looking back, Griffin credits his decision to join JC&A to Jay Calnan and Jim Cahill. He grew up playing hockey with Calnan’s son Chris and knew nothing about JC&A. “All I knew about Jay was that his son was one of my best friends and that he has an incredible ability to talk to anyone and truly care about what they are saying,” said Griffin. “He told me to reach out if I was ever interested in getting into the business.”
It was while interviewing with Cahill for his internship that Griffin realized he wanted to work at JC&A.
“When I met with him in the office for my interview, he immediately cracked a joke and told me to call him Jimmy. At that moment and through the rest of the interview, it was like I was talking to a friend I had known for years. That is the type of guy he is. He will always make everyone around him feel comfortable and be themselves. After my meeting with Jimmy, I knew this was the place I wanted to work.”
Luke’s proudest moment at JC&A was completing the Kronos headquarters project in Lowell, Massachusetts. Though there were many moving parts and multiple teams, the project proceeded smoothly, a testament to the JC&A Way, which Griffin likens to “hard work and dedication.” For this major project, he worked alongside an expert JC&A team led by Jeff Cameron, Mike Keaney, Larry Thibodeau and David Perry, as well as the external design team, led by Perkins Eastman and WB Engineers, and the Kronos internal team.
