G HILOTTI BROS. BEST COMPANY IN MARIN COUNTY
By Rosie Padilla
J ames Ghilotti founded his company in 1914 on a philosophy that continues to shape Ghilotti Bros. today. “Earn respect by doing a job well, treat employees with courtesy and respect, and do good work for the community in which you live and work.” These goals have earned the contracting company the honor of Best Company in Marin County in NBb’s 2025 Best of the North Bay readers’ poll. In the early 1900s, James established a stone masonry shop in San Rafael conducting his mason work by hand. In 1939, as he and his wife Amalia began growing their family, James changed the company name to “James Ghilotti and Sons.” Four of the sons would eventually enter the family business and purchased the company from their father in 1950, rebranding as Ghilotti Bros. The Ghilotti name has been in business for over 100 years and managed to stay family-owned and operated with fourth-generation Gino Ghilotti now in the third year of a seven-year succession plan. When asked how the company continues to stay successful, President of Ghilotti Bros., Mike Ghilotti, explains that the secret ingredient is its people. “As owners of Ghilotti Bros., we make every effort to treat our employees as family and create a working environment that fosters opportunities for growth, development and continuous improvement in their personal and professional lives,” says Ghilotti. In addition to the company’s first place win, Ghilotti Bros. also secured a second-place Gold award in the Builder/Contractor category. And Mike Ghilotti, who is at the helm of the construction company, received a second-place award in our Business Community Leader category. To further this pursuit of success, Ghilotti Bros. aims to continually innovate and grow. “To champion this effort, we are always looking for the latest in technology and our culture [nurtures] a collaborative atmosphere that fosters the growth and expansion that supports our strategic plan,” says Ghilotti.
Mike and Gino Ghilotti
The American Public Works Association recently selected the Rumrill Boulevard Complete Streets Project as the APWA’s Small Cities/Rural communities Public Works Project of the Year in Transportation for 2025 and Ghilotti Bros.’ worked as the primary contractor on the East Bay project. A message to NorthBay biz readers from Mike Ghilotti: “It is a privilege and a responsibility to support our communities, and we appreciate the acknowledgement of our efforts.” v
Over time the original philosophy James Ghilotti established continues to solidify Ghilotti Bros. as an award-winning company. In fact, according to its website, Ghilotti Bros. is one of the largest employers of construction workers in Northern California. Legacy projects include the complete development of Crissy Field, resurfacing of San Francisco’s Lombard (aka “the crookedest street in the world”), implementation of a moveable median barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge, all architectural concrete work at the Chase Center, the replacement of portions of Highway 101 and Petaluma River Bridge and many more.
gbi1914.com
66 Northbaybiz
Best of the North Bay 2025
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker