Brand Studio
sponsored by:
Transom Builders

Delivering a Level of Reliability and Efficiency in NYC’s Construction Industry

 

Transom Builders Group, a local family-owned and operated general contractor and construction management firm has completed its largest and most ambitious project to date. 

After years of work transforming a parking lot into a 50 story, 353,000square foot tower, the Spanish hotel chain Riu will soon open its doors to a 660 guest room hotel in the heart of Times Square at 145  West 47th Street, which includes state of the art amenities such as a fully automated parking facility,  restaurant, gym, and retail space.  

Working with designer Berg + Moss, architect and developer Tribeach Holdings, Transom’s Mark and  Sarah Walko said that this multi-faceted difficult project required all principal owners’ attention. 

“Building a skyscraper in such a densely populated area required diligent focus on logistics. We wanted to maintain our focus and commitment to the Riu ownership as to the schedule and budget” said Mr.  Walko who founded the company in 2007 with his wife. “ We were brought into the project with the existing structure still in place. We believe that it is important to have the most qualified partners as possible and thusly spent several months vetting the team. Our team was there from day one and it’s been extremely exciting to see an immensely complicated project like this realized from concept to  completion.” 

Building in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic created a new set of circumstances and challenges. The  Transom team proved up to the task. 

“We were forced to close the site in April of 2020.” Mr. Walko said “We came back at about 50% in May and used the next four weeks to ramp up production ultimately running the site 6 days a week with  extended hours to bring the project back to schedule” 

Mr. Walko, who started in the construction industry some 40+ years ago, credits the success of  the company to a division of field and support staff, lead by wife Sarah, intermeshed seamlessly thru daily communication…”We are never unavailable” Mark said. 

“We choose not to be driven by the number of projects but more by the fit of the players on both sides,” he said, “I know exactly what’s going on at all times because I take pride in our work and being able to deliver what the client wants.”

Photography by Holley Bonner – Trust Cos headquarters in Brooklyn


Other recent Transom projects have included the 27-story Riu Hotel at 305 West 46th St, the  American Stock Transfer and Trust Cos headquarters in Brooklyn, and a 9/11 memorial in  Farmingdale NJ built in concert with the Port Authority. 

 

Photography by Holley Bonner – Mark Walko, Transom Builders


“Mark is a real “Mentch,” said Moishe Horowitz of Saul Friedman & Co. “From the moment we hired them to build our building through completion of the job, it was smooth sailing. They are  perfectionists, quick and conscientious” 

Mr. Walko has said that what his repeat customers really appreciate is his ability to find creative ways to save money, solve problems and remain on budget. 

“Unlike many companies, we run an open book with full transparency. My clients know exactly what they are paying for. We fight for them as if it was our own money.” 

The Walkos have a vast repertoire and the projects continue to grow in scale and complexity.  The family business will continue to evolve and maintain the stamp of owner pride and involvement as the landscape of construction continues to change. 

“Our commitment to our client is to remain a trusted advisor advocate and construction  partner …maintaining the highest level of quality and safety at every step”