OCTOBER 2019 – Rochester Business Journal selected Bob Acquilano, Chief Estimator, to receive the 2019 Excellence in Construction & Real Estate Award for Construction Estimating.
Established this year, Excellence in Construction & Real Estate awards celebrate individuals and companies who are changing the landscape of the Rochester region through design, construction, project management, innovation and more. These individuals and organizations are creating jobs, building healthy spaces, helping families and companies achieve their dreams, and leading the way toward growth and prosperity for the community.
Honorees in the Construction category include developers, architects, general contractors, engineers, home builders, estimators, subcontractors and rising star. Real Estate categories are commercial real estate agent, residential real estate agent and rising star.
“We are pleased to recognize the Excellence in Construction & Real Estate honorees for their leadership, innovation and success,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, publisher of the Rochester Business Journal and The Daily Record. “The construction and real estate fields are multifaceted, and the individuals and companies honored are leading the way in Rochester. Congratulations to this year’s winners.”
Excerpt written for the Excellence in Construction and Real Estate featured publication by Jim Barg:
When Robert Aquilano looks back on his life and career, it’s perhaps not a surprise that he ended up in the construction business. His father was a master electrician and an uncle owned Betlem Service, an HVAC contractor.
“I knew a lot of people who worked in the construction business, so I was somewhat familiar with it,” he says. “And the opportunity to work with my father appealed to me, too.”
Acquilano took that family experience and build a 40-year career out of it. His career includes stints with T.H. Green Electric, Connors-Haas, and most recently O’Connell Electric in Victor. After joining the company in 2007, he became its chief estimator in 2012.
Acquilano has seen first-hand how technology has changed the job of an estimator, from the days of using pencils, scales and green sheets to working out estimates on a computer. “(Estimating has) changed a lot,” he explains. “Instead of a pencil and paper, we have a computer-based estimation system (named Enterprise) here at O’Connell. You don’t even need a pencil.”
“We have a lot of people here at O’Connell with a lot of experience,” he continues. “You don’t have one person that bids a job and then hands it in. We spend time reviewing our bids, and it gives us a lot of confidence before (the bid) goes out the door.”
