BOSTON – Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm providing comprehensive building programs across Greater Boston, announced that it has been named a finalist at the Family Business Association’s Annual Awards. The winners were revealed at the dinner and celebration on Thursday, May 16th at the Needham Sheraton.
The Family Business Awards program was created as a way to celebrate and recognize the successes of New England’s many family-owned businesses. From those just starting out to those who have farmed the same land for more than a hundred years, the awards recognize the grit and determination necessary to launch and build a business with family, and to keep that legacy going through subsequent generations. The companies selected represent the backbone of the local economy and their ability to survive and thrive through multiple generations is a testament to their hard work and dedication. The finalists represent business large and small, from first generation with under $1 million in sales to those with a national presence and $300 million in revenue.
“My parents founded Kaplan Construction in 1976 – just a few years before I was born – and I spent a good deal of my childhood immersed in the family business. It is a true honor to be recognized by the Family Business Awards program,” said Jane Kaplan Peck, chief operating officer of Kaplan Construction. “We wouldn’t be where we are today, though, without our incredible staff. In fact, half of our employees have been with the company for multiple decades and we have several who followed in a parent’s footsteps to join Kaplan.”
In 2014 Kaplan announced the culmination of a three-year management transition in which Jane Kaplan Peck was appointed chief operating officer (COO) and majority owner, and Nathan Peck was promoted to president. Founders Ken and Cathy Kaplan serve as chairman of the board and senior advisor, respectively. Since the transition, business has tripled, staff has doubled, and the company and its leaders have received numerous awards, including ranking annually as a Best Place to Work by the Boston Business Journal and a Top 100 Women-Led Business in Massachusetts by The Commonwealth Institute. In addition, Kaplan was honored as a Massachusetts Family Business of the Year by the Northeastern University Center for Family Business in 2017 and 2018.
Jane Kaplan Peck led the effort to have the company certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2014. Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) are entities that are at least 51% owned and/or controlled by women. Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and women owned businesses provide ever-increasing value to the Massachusetts economy, making up the state’s fastest growing business sector in the Commonwealth. In 2016 she was recognized as an Outstanding Woman of Family Business by The Warren Group editorial board.
