M&R Contracting, a privately-owned corporation, was founded by Jim and Shelia Russo in the late 1980s to provide commercial and institutional contracting services throughout Central Pennsylvania. The business is located in Lock Haven, PA–Clinton County, in a commercial building on Bellefonte Avenue that serves as the company headquarters. In 2019, Jim and Sheila, joint owners and principal shareholders, decided it was time to begin executing their succession plan and transitioning the business operation to a pair of family members already employed by the company: Long, brother of Sheila, and Carley Anderson, daughter of Jim and Sheila. The two acquired the business through a stock purchase/transfer.  

M&R Contracting, Inc. is a trusted company in the high-quality Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Construction Industry. They’re well known for providing a wide variety of highly professional services to meet individual customer needs and budgets. M&R is dedicated to providing quality construction, technical and management services to their customers. The owners and employees strive to create long-term relationships with their clients, which results in a strong referral base and significant repeat business from larger commercial customers.  

The new owners, Jeff and Carley, are certainly no strangers to the operation. Jeff began with M&R Contracting as a carpenter when the company was still in its infancy in 1989 and worked his way up through the ranks as the company grew, ultimately becoming the Vice President of Operations. Jeff wore many hats in that role, including overseeing and scheduling jobs and manpower, troubleshooting problems in the field, and answering daily operational questions. Carley grew up in and around the business and started working full time at M&R Contracting in 2016 to assist with clerical work. In the past three years she moved into a Design Consultant role, becoming an asset to the company and client base. She’s worked closely with M&R’s customers through the entire design process of a build or renovation, creating working 3D renderings and drawings for the client so they can get a visualization of the finished product.   

On January 10, 2020 final loan approvals were secured and shortly after the assets of the corporation were transferred to Jeff and Carley, who now have joint ownership of M&R Contracting. Jeff serves as President and Carley is the Secretary/Treasurer. The business acquisition was funded with debt financing provided by Northwest Bank and the Clinton County Revolving Loan Fund, administered by Seda-Cog. Additionally, Jim and Sheila Russo agreed to hold a portion of the financing with a seller’s note to be repaid over a 10-year term. Jim, the backbone of the business since day one, will continue to work for the company for another five years as part of the ownership transition plan. He’ll serve in the role of Marketing Director with oversight of the bidding and contracting functions of the business, particularly with larger projects.  

In the end, Jim and Shelia couldn’t be happier with the outcome and knowing the business they worked so hard to build up over the years will stay in the steady hands of family. Jeff and Carley are look forward to continuing the family legacy M&R Contracting was built upon. They are well poised to keep the business thriving and growing for generations to come.