The decades that followed defined Willy, Dino, Mario, and Henry as owners who built a lasting legacy. Through increasingly complex projects, they extended the reputation inherited from their father, James, earning trust across California’s construction community. Their reliability and integrity were so consistent that a handshake was often all it took.
That reputation was built project by project.
1955–1960: Building Credibility
• On Wolfe Grade, crews completed a pedestrian overpass overnight-an uncommon feat at the time.
• In San Rafael, they built all five segments of San Pedro Road over two decades, spanning eight miles from McNear’s Beach to China Camp.
• On 4th Street’s “Miracle Mile,” they paved eight blocks in a single Sunday so traffic could resume Monday morning.
1960–1970: Gaining Traction
• At Northgate Mall in San Rafael, they became the project’s largest site-work contractor.
• They also completed major site improvements at the Marin County Civic Center, further strengthening their reputation in the Marin County.
1970–1980: Asphalt Ambitions
• The company opened its first branch office in Santa Rosa, with Richard Ghilotti managing day-to-day operations.
• By decade’s end, operations extended across Marin and Sonoma counties, with offices in Vallejo and San Francisco—and a fleet of 55 trucks.
1980–1990: Nature Pushes Back
• Rapid emergency response became a defining 
strength as crews mobilized for floods, landslides, earthquakes, and coastal damage repairs.
• Following the 1982 Bay Area floods and a Waldo Grade landslide, crews restored critical infrastructure and reopened Highway 101 in just two days.
• Storm recovery projects at Stinson Beach and Pacifica included seawalls and placement of 50,000 tons of coastal protection rock within 60 days.
• By 1984, the company had grown from a 12-
person, $100,000 operation in 1950 to a 250-employee heavy civil engineering firm generating $20 million annually.
• In 1989, after the Loma Prieta earthquake and the Cypress Street elevated highway collapse in Oakland, they repaired and repaved critical roadway sections leading to the Bay Bridge.
• Near Ukiah, they secured a $25 million Highway 101 widening project, expanding five miles from two lanes to four using some of the company’s largest equipment.
