Jorrey Excavating Inc - Construction Industry Council Westchester & Hudson Valley Inc.

JORREY EXCAVATING, INC.

A Certified Women-Owned Business

The Jorrey Family Provides Timely Excavation And Milling/Scarifying Services For a Variety of Clients with Public Works Projects

By GEORGE DRAPEAU III – June 2024

Jorrey Excavating, Inc., is a first-generation site contractor specializing in land clearing and site preparation, sanitary sewers, storm drains, water main construction and, more recently, pavement milling and scarifying. The company works throughout the lower Hudson Valley region into Northern New Jersey and as far north as Albany and Binghamton.

Primarily focused on public works, Jorrey Excavating is a union contractor with 15 employees based in Middletown, NY in Orange County. Over the past three years, the company worked for more than two dozen clients, performing construction and roadway reconstruction, sidewalks, earthmoving, public parks and various other aspects of sitework.

The company was incorporated in 2004, and for the next few years took on small projects as a subcontractor. As the firm grew, it bid as a prime contractor on public work projects. It applied for WBE status with New York State, which was awarded in 2009.

A decisive moment of growth occurred shortly thereafter when Jorrey Excavating was invited to bid on a site clearing project at West Point for an out-of- state contractor. The project was a success, leading to more work with this contractor at West Point.

“We struggle to find qualified workers,” said Mary Jorrey, president and sole owner of the company. It was at this point that she decided to contact the local unions. “By becoming a union contractor, this opened the door to more opportunities and launched us into the public sector as a prime contractor.”

In addition to directing field operations with her three managers/foremen, the Office of the President includes all the administrative responsibilities one expects in a growing construction company; from reviewing estimates, sourcing insurance and bonding to payroll and finances.

“Full responsibility also includes answering the phone in the middle of the night to respond to a water emergency and arrange for repairs,” she said.

Her son, Chris, is a manager and also responsible for the company’s 20 pieces of equipment, which include various capacity CAT excavators, loaders, motor graders and soil compactors.

Following lengthy discussions and market analyses with her accountants, the firm made the strategic decision in May 2021 to compete in the asphalt milling sector of the marketplace.

“The competition for project work over the past few years has been fierce, especially in asphalt milling,” Mary said. “We continue to bid on public works and strive to do every job on time and within budget. Our focus is to get on the job and do it right for our clients—no shortcuts.”

Timely Service – Mary said the company prides itself on always being available for its customers and responding to calls when emergencies occur. “Broken water mains and emergency roadwork repairs live in worlds all their own, without timelines or punch clocks,” she said. “That’s the world we live in, and that’s why one of our company mottos is ‘Time is of the essence.’”