WATERTOWN — After serving in the U.S. Army for four years, stationed at Fort Drum, Matthew McMacken decided to stay in the area he had grown to love. After working for others in the construction industry, McMacken decided to start his own business two years ago. What began as the flooring company Travani Tile soon […]
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WATERTOWN — After serving in the U.S. Army for four years, stationed at Fort Drum, Matthew McMacken decided to stay in the area he had grown to love.
After working for others in the construction industry, McMacken decided to start his own business two years ago. What began as the flooring company Travani Tile soon branched out into much more including flipping houses — the more TV-ready term for whole-house renovations.
“We do full-scale renovations,” McMacken says, adding that his business is currently working on about five renovation projects as of press time.
To better reflect the growing array of work, he changed the company’s name to Travani Construction, LLC at the end of 2021. McMacken now serves as company president and is the majority owner with business partner Mike Hall.
“We do commercial work for the most part,” McMacken says. “We’re not just doing floors. We’re doing drywall, electric, plumbing.” The company’s typical project ranges between $100,000 and $200,000.
While Travani Construction does occasionally take on a residential project, commercial work is its bread and butter, he says. It’s also the main reason McMacken, who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, decided to apply for the state’s Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) certification through the Office of General Services’ Division of Service-Disabled Veterans’ Business Development.
Small businesses that are at least 51 percent owned by a service-disabled veteran and that operate in or have a significant business presence in the state, among other criteria, are eligible to apply for the no-cost certification.
While there was a bit of paperwork involved, McMacken said the process was simple and he’s proud to acknowledge his veteran status. “Veterans bring a lot to the table in regard to their work ethic,” he notes.
The certification is more than just a piece of paper though. It’s necessary for businesses that want to bid on certain state contracts. The Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Act set a 6 percent goal for participation on state contracts by service-disabled veteran-owned firms.
Along with putting Travani Construction in the running for some of those contracts, McMacken says it helps add an air of stability to his company.
“Probably one of the hardest hurdles is convincing people you can really complete a project,” he says. The state certification helps show potential clients he’s serious about his business.
“I see myself getting more into heavy commercial work,” McMacken says. “That’s the main goal.” He expects the company’s new certification to help get him there and for the firm to continue to grow.
“We started off with two guys,” he recalls of Travani Construction’s beginnings. Today, the business has 14 employees.
Travani Construction moved in August into new offices at 332 Arsenal St. in Watertown, and McMacken is looking to add a construction building as well.
“We’re definitely growing,” McMacken says. “We’re definitely moving forward for sure. We’re not stopping.”