It takes a village to raise a Sheet Metal Contractor of the Year. 

In conversation, Kevin Gill Sr. — CEO of McCusker-Gill Inc. and our newly anointed Sheet Metal Contractor of the Year — is full of Yoda-like insights on how to achieve success in the sheet metal fabrication business. 

However, I’ve saved his most poignant piece of advice for now: “Invest back into your business,” he says. It’s that simple. Only, if you’re really doing it correctly, it isn’t.  

When most contractors hear the word “invest,” they think of buying more sheet metal fabrication equipment. That certainly is a smart investment — especially if you expect to compete and grow in this time of increasing demand and decreasing labor as a sheet metal contractor. But another smart investment, the kind we often overlook, is to invest in the well-being of your employees.

At McCusker-Gill’s 60,000 square-foot headquarters in Hingham, Massachusetts, production is as much of a priority as maintaining the company’s family-focused philosophy. And it shows! With the investment of a new Iowa Precision coil line for the shop floor, the company has also invested in a gym where employees can get a quick workout and shower in at the end of the day.

Outside the business, McCusker-Gill regularly sponsors youth baseball leagues and makes a point to give back to its surrounding community. After all, that is the very same community where the company’s 225 employees live.

When you think about investing as a contractor this way, it all takes on a deeper meaning. That’s the essence of our Sheet Metal Contractor of the Year award — how you build your business and your community. And we are proud to recognize Kevin Gill Sr. and the team over at McCusker-Gill as leaders in this industry who exemplify that message and more.