History
1917: How It Started
Joseph (Giuseppe) J. Albanese was born in 1917 in San Jose, Calif., to Antonio and Maria, two Italian immigrants who moved to the United States in the early1900s. Like so many immigrant families in the early 20th century, Joe and his five older brothers and sisters learned quickly that there was no substitute for hard work as they pursued the American Dream.
After returning from serving in World War II, Joe worked for his older brother, Carmen, who later founded Central Concrete. Joe realized his passion for concrete construction and decided to break amicably from his brother to start his own company.
1955: Joseph J. Albanese Inc. Founded
Joe founded Joseph J. Albanese, Inc. in 1955 with the desire to be the best cement contracting company—not necessarily the biggest. He was meticulous when it came to quality and customer service. His attention to detail and unrelenting focus on his clients created the foundation for what Joseph J. Albanese is today.
Joe ran the company through the mid-1980s when he retired and passed the torch to his son John, who had been going to work with his father since he was just six years old. Growing up with the company, John saw firsthand his father’s passion for a quality concrete product.
1985: Passing the Torch to John Albanese
Honored to lead the company and work with his father, John brought fresh energy to the business. Using his military experience in the Vietnam War as motivation, John came up with the “Dogs of War” bulldog mascot and motto, “We Just Get It Done.” He knew that the Joseph J. Albanese employees—his “warriors”—would do whatever it took to complete the job with smiles on their faces.
John saw the potential for the company and bet on its growth. For example, John purchased a Power Curber curb and gutter machine, which expanded the company’s capabilities. One of the first West Coast companies to own this machine, Joseph J. Albanese went on to pour miles upon miles of curbs and gutters throughout the Bay Area.
John further expanded the company's capabilities to include demolition, grading and paving, concrete pumping and concrete sawcutting. He saw the benefits to his clients of having one company perform various scopes, giving them a single point of contact and delivering a smoother workflow for on-time, on-budget completion.
As Santa Clara Valley grew, so did Joseph J. Albanese. John’s leadership ensured that the company had the capabilities and manpower to get the growing number of jobs done. Under John’s legendary leadership, the company grew from a $2 million per year company to a $200 million enterprise. He led the company through tremendous growth without ever forgetting what got him there in the first place—quality, safety, the team and its clients.
The Joseph J. Albanese team and the construction community mourned when John passed away in 2014. After his passing, John’s sons Kevin and Phillip, who grew up with the company, stepped into leadership roles.
“With nearly 70 years of experience over three generations, the Joseph J. Albanese team does the things that stand the test of time while applying the new things that technology and innovation bring to construction.”
— Frank York, President, W.L. Butler
Today: The Legacy Continues
Bridging a new era of leadership, technology and business growth
Today, Phillip Albanese serves as CEO and is focused on keeping the values of his grandfather and father at the forefront of the business as JJA’s “Dogs of War” focus on “Getting it Done Safely.”
“Our ‘Getting It Done Safely’ motto isn’t just a marketing slogan. It is truly our mindset and how we operate. We are driven by our core values of safety, people, quality and truth to get the job done with relentless and deliberate execution. This hasn’t and won’t ever change.”
— Phillip Albanese, CEO & President, Joseph J. Albanese