West Springfield Record – “Local Company Recognized by Boston Globe”

Last week, Keiter Corporation, a locally-owned construction firm which recently expanded into West Springfield, was named by the Boston Globe as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in New England. The business was started in 2009 by Scott Keiter of Longmeadow, and as of 2023, employs 61 workers and earned a range of $15-50 million in revenue.

“We are extremely proud to be recognized by The Boston Globe as one of New England’s fastest-growing companies,” said Mr. Keiter. “Our continued success is built on strong partnerships, and we are grateful to our clients, partners, and employees who have supported us on this journey.”

Keiter Corporation ranked 32 on the list, with a 34.48% compound annual growth rate and an absolute growth rate of 143.21% from 2020-2023. The company was chosen out of thousands that were considered, and a minimum growth rate of 8.49% was required for inclusion. Those chosen were awarded based on each organization’s revenue and organic growth and independence.

The Record spoke with Brynn Grant, Business Analyst for Keiter Corporation. She described what led Mr. Keiter to form his own company.

“It started out as Scott in a truck with his bullmastiff just building pool decks and doing some small interior carpentry. He’s been doing construction on and off since he was in high school. When he was laid off from a carpentry job in 2008, he decided to start his own business,” said Ms. Grant.

Mr. Keiter earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Economics, followed by his Master of Science in Resource Economics at the University of Rhode Island. He is currently two months away from earning a Master in Business Administration from the UMass Isenberg School of Business.

Ms. Grant is in her 11th year of working for the company and has been able to see the firm’s trajectory over the years.

“It just started off with Scott, and then he slowly started to hire a carpenter here, a laborer here and one thing led to another and our reputation just started really speaking for itself. I think our growth is attributed to our innovative approach to construction management and our core values – trust, respect, growth, accountability and communication. We live and breathe that and really want to excel for the clients,” said Ms. Grant.

She explained what she thinks sets the company apart from others.

“I think what makes us unique is we provide solutions to complex construction projects and we value the partnerships that we’ve built with clients, architects, owners of different institutions, and vendors. Every project we undertake is a reflection of our commitment to excellence,” continued Ms. Grant.

Some of the projects completed by Keiter Corporation in Western Massachusetts feature construction at local colleges such as Smith, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, the Elms, and Western New England University. Other work includes the building of a horticulture facility at Smith Vocational High School, and renovations of Girls Inc. in Holyoke and Overlook Industries in Easthampton.

Additionally, an ‘airnasium’ or an outdoor gym at the Hampshire Regional YMCA was finished last year, as was a new sports facility buildout recently at Bousquet Sport in Pittsfield. A multifamily and retail unit is currently being built in the center of Florence, and the company is breaking ground on a project with Valley Community Development Corporation of 15 duplexes for first time homebuyers, called Amherst Community Homes.

Ms. Grant added that she thinks the rapid growth is due to the company’s work environment and community-centered projects.

“We focus on growth and that’s internal and external, so we really focus on growing our people and getting the best people working for us and people actually enjoy working with each other.

“And I think it’s our consistent relationship with the community. We are big at philanthropic giving and we consistently are looking at ways to better the community around us. And I just think it’s our consistent results, we are consistently exceeding client expectations and I think that that’s part of it,” indicated Ms. Grant.

For example, Keiter Corporation has donated at least $50,000 to the Northampton Chamber of Commerce in the past five years.

The company’s work has also been recognized through other news organizations and business networks, including the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s Readers Choice Awards over the last decade for building contractor, home improvement contractor, green builder, and best place to work.

The Springfield Chamber of Commerce has also chosen the firm for the Super 60 for the past three years. Additionally, the company has also been named the past two years by the Valley Advocate for best building contractor and home improvement contractor. And last year, Mr. Keiter was named as a Difference Maker by BusinessWest.

Mr. Keiter hopes to continue growing the company’s business into the future.

“This honor is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and resilience of our entire team. As we expand into new locations and sectors, we remain committed to driving innovation and delivering exceptional value to the communities we serve,” said Mr. Keiter.

–Abigail Taylor, West Springfield Record