Jane Kaplan Peck and Nate Peck / © Frank Monkiewicz Photography
“Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.” We have all heard this saying, but to the Kaplan family, they have a different take. Four decades ago, they accepted brie and cheddar as partial payment for their first job, a design/build of a wine and cheese shop, and today they are celebrating 40 years in business.
Founded by Ken and Cathy Kaplan, Kaplan Construction has been serving the Greater Boston area since 1976. With a passion for building and a client-focused approach, Kaplan quickly earned an outstanding reputation within the industry for high-quality, cost-effective, and timely construction management services – a reputation that endures 40 years later.
In September 2014 Kaplan announced the culmination of a three-year management transition. Nathan Peck was promoted to president, and Jane Kaplan Peck, majority owner, was appointed chief operating officer (COO). Company founders Ken and Cathy Kaplan took on new roles as chairman of the board and senior advisor, respectively. The company was certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that same year.
While Kaplan has grown over the years, it has remained a family-based firm with a core staff, many of whom have been with Kaplan for 10, 20, or even 30 years, and a second generation of employees has come onboard. Barry Markham, senior project manager of 40 years, and son Evan are the quintessence of the Kaplan work family. Evan had been a frequent fixture at job sites from a young age, even working summers as a laborer under two of Kaplan’s veteran superintendents, Tom Pontes and Paul Pavao. After graduating college, Evan rejoined the company as a superintendent and has since been involved in several phased and fast track renovation projects.
Kaplan’s services include preconstruction, general contracting, construction management, and design/build. Recent projects include:
Commercial: Bornstein and Pearl Food Production Small Business Center
A redevelopment project in Dorchester converted the vacant former Pearl Meats manufacturing facility and adjacent land into a 36,000 SF multi-tenant, light industrial business center with a focus on small-scale food production. Over the course of the project Kaplan employed a significant number of construction workers from the local neighborhood (57%) in addition to minority (36%) and women-owned (24%) sub-contractors from the Greater Boston region.
Healthcare: Longwood Pediatrics
A 75-year-old private pediatric medical practice was renovated to maximize patient-provider interactions and minimize travel with a dedicated check-in, exam rooms, and collaborative team rooms in 7,000 SF spread over two floors of a medical building.
Historic Rehab: Boston Psychoanalytic Society & Institute (BPSI)
A 12,540 SF historic building in Newton was converted into BPSI’s new Educational Center to support more than 500 members and 150 volunteer faculty, providing space for seminars and educational programs for members, students and the public as well as the largest psychoanalytical library and archives in the country. In 2015, the Associated Builder and Contractors of Massachusetts awarded Kaplan a Merit award for historical restoration, as well as honors in safety and sustainability.
Institutional: Northeastern University
Multiple renovation projects, including: interior fit-ups at Egan Engineering/Science Research Center and SMILE lab at Richards Hall; exterior renovations to International Village residence and dining hall; and interior upgrades to Meserve Hall and Nightingale Hall.
Multi-Family: 2101 Washington Street
Extensive renovations to a 44,000 SF historic building, formerly the Tropical Foods supermarket, for Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) created 30 apartment units of affordable housing and ground floor retail space.
Recreational: Brookline Teen Center
Kaplan transformed a former auto body garage into a vibrant, modern environment for teens. Serving grades 9 through 12, the 12,000 SF teen center features a bowling alley, gym, recording studio, lounge, outdoor patio, café, aerobics dance studio, game rooms, and study hall. The project achieved LEED Silver certification in 2015 and has received various awards from the Boston Society of Architects, AIA New England, and the Associated Builders and Contractors.
Worship: Congregation Beth Shalom
The ground-up construction of an 8,500 SF, two-story building for Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills in Milton, Mass. The new facility contains a sanctuary that can seat 160, four classrooms, offices, a library, kitchen and areas for socializing.
“We are proud of the deep roots we have formed after four decades of commitment to our Brookline neighborhood and the surrounding Greater Boston area,” said Nathan Peck, president of Kaplan Construction. “We value our staff and our clients and commit ourselves to fostering these relationships and delivering high quality construction services.”
