Our History

Building long-term relationships since the beginning.

Tom Wright and John Ryan, our founding partners, grew up as childhood friends. Early on, they spent their summers on a small island off the coast of Portland, Maine, often working together on odd jobs throughout the 1970’s. Tom went on to pursue a career in construction and industrial arts education while John began his working life as a civil engineer. Though they found their early careers satisfying, whenever they met, their talk inevitably landed on a missing key ingredient: the pleasure of working alongside people who cared about each other and shared a commitment to excellence. The idea of Wright-Ryan, a relationship-driven construction firm, hatched from these discussions.

 

Thirty-five years later, Wright-Ryan has grown into one of the largest and most respected construction firms in northern New England. The firm has centered its efforts on projects that contribute to the communities we live and work in and challenge and engage the spirit and ingenuity of our team. While Tom has since left Wright-Ryan to pursue a life of community service, John and Wright-Ryan’s employee owners continue to build upon the vision of the founders: providing unrivaled customer service characterized by collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to quality.