MacMillin merges with Vt. construction firm

The Keene-based MacMillin Company, one of New Hampshire’s oldest and largest construction firms, has merged with D.E.W. Construction, Corp., a larger general contractor based in Williston, Vt.The merger, announced Tuesday by the firms, will create a company with “great synergy,” said Bill Walker, who has been with MacMillin for 42 years and its president since 1987.The companies, he said, “are alike in management practices and philosophies … The result of the merger will be companies that are stronger and more competitive in the construction marketplace.”MacMillin was founded in Keene in 1946. It had annual volume of $40 million in 2011, according to NHBR’s 2012 Book of Lists. Its completed projects in the past year include the Keene Family YMCA, the Keene Middle School, Marlborough Elementary School and Kilton Public Library.D.E.W. was founded in 1997 by Donald E. Wells. Its 2011 volume was about $150 million, according to the firm. Recent projects include Jay Peak’s Hotel Jay and Pump House Waterpark in Jay, Vt., James M. Jeffords Hall at the University of Vermont, Community College of Vermont Rutland Academic Center, the Putney School Field House, and the Waterbury Fire Stations.Wells said he was eager to expand into the New Hampshire market.D.E.W.’s corporate headquarters will remain in Williston, he added, and the MacMillin Company will retain its Keene offices and New Hampshire corporation status, with Walker continuing as CEO.”It will be business as usual for everyone involved,” said Wells. “The merger will be a seamless transition to ensure integrity throughout the process.” — JEFF FEINGOLD/NEW HAMPSHIRE BUSINESS REVIEW