MATT CALIGIURE, Production Manager of Allen’s Remodel Division, and his team do everything from additions to full house remodels. Get to know Matt with our Q&A.

What do you do at Allen Construction? 

I’ve been an Allen employee-owner for nearly a decade, wearing several ‘hats’ along the way from dabbling in carpentry/labor tasks, estimating and managing projects, to serving as Trustee for our ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).  Currently, I’m the manager of our Remodel division, facilitating our in-house crews, and trying to manage a project here and there in order to maximize my efficiency!

What kinds of projects do you work on?

Our team performs a wide array of projects that fall into the $200k-$1m cost category.  We’ve got a special group of project leaders from top to bottom, full of sharp PM’s and amazing foreman.  I’m really pleased with the team we’ve got and enthusiastic about our direction. I believe that projects in this category embody the heart and soul of Allen Construction.

How did you get started in the construction field?

My father and grandfather are both carpenters back home in Connecticut.  Growing up, over and over I heard the refrain, ”work with your head, not with your back”, and “‘you don’t wanna do what we do.”  Over time, I dabbled with some wood projects and slowly drifted toward the trades.  When we moved to SB, I had the opportunity to start running projects, and it’s been a developing career for me here at Allen ever since.      

Where do you live?

After spending seven blissful years living in a little loft in Summerland, my wife, Bethany, and I moved to downtown SB when our son, Peter, came along.  We’ve also got Poppy dog, who has become a stalwart of the Allen Construction offices and jobsites for the last seven years.  What a life!   

A typical day in the life looks like…

Ask me this question on any particular day and the answer is going to be different!  It has been both a challenging and rewarding time – certainly worth reflecting on the implications. 

Your proudest achievement

Hmmm…..Achievements come and go every so often, but I think the decision to partner up with Bethany and cultivate a life together as a family has definitely been the most rewarding facet of my life.       

Matt with his wife, Bethany, and son, Pete.

What was the last book you read?

The Unbearable Lightness of Being - a novel by Milan Kundera.  A heavy read during the onset of a pandemic, but some of the philosophical undertones are actually very relevant at the moment and also quite freeing. 

We wouldn’t know it to look at you, but…

I fancy myself an amateur naturalist…

What advice would you give someone starting out in the construction industry?

Regardless of your position – work hard, be humble, and look for opportunities to help others around you.  If you want a different path and are up for the challenge, there is room in this industry to create one for yourself.