{"id":35481,"date":"2022-07-14T15:06:10","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T19:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=35481"},"modified":"2022-07-14T15:06:10","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T19:06:10","slug":"family-owned-munter-enterprises-thrives-for-50-years-in-regions-construction-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2022\/07\/family-owned-munter-enterprises-thrives-for-50-years-in-regions-construction-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Owned Munter Enterprises Thrives For 50 Years In Region\u2019s Construction Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
From left, John Munter Jr., John Munter Sr. and Mike Munter of Munter Enterprises.
\u00a92022 Saratoga Photographer.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Paul Post<\/p>\n

Munter Enterprises Inc. has not only survived, but thrives in the area\u2019s highly competitive construction industry by paying close attention to detail and staying fully engaged with customers<\/p>\n

\u201cThe personal touch, I think, is what really sets us apart,\u201d said John Munter Jr., who co-owns the firm with his brother, Mike. \u201cAnd we have very talented crews for all the different aspects of a project.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Middle Grove-based firm, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, was founded in 1972 by John Munter Sr. and his wife, Rosemary. Their sons incorporated the firm purchased it in 1998.<\/p>\n

\u201cDad started with GE at their Malta rocket engine development and test site then moved to their ICBM facility in Burlington, Vt., and back to the nuclear sub and large generator facilities in Schenectady,\u201d John Jr. said. \u201cThat\u2019s about when he decided to go into the construction business for himself. Mom was the bookkeeper. They started out doing a lot of work for industry and some homebuilding, all over the region from Lake George to Saratoga County.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/span>Now, with 40 employees, the family-owned business is strictly focused on commercial and industrial projects.<\/p>\n

John Jr. said. \u201cWe recently completed the Impact Athletic Center in Halfmoon and right now we\u2019re working on a new Druthers restaurant in Clifton Park and we\u2019re also working on a new NAPA Auto Parts store and distribution hub warehouse in Milton as well as a day care center for Skidmore College.\u201d<\/p>\n

A few other notable projects the company has built are Galway Fire Co.\u2019s 12,000-square-foot station, SKS Bottle & Packaging company\u2019s 140,000-square-foot distribution and commerce hub, Greenfield Manufacturing\u2019s contract chemical manufacturing facility, Agrochem\u2019s Chemical hygiene solutions production facility and major expansions for Saratoga Eagle all located in the WJ Grande Industrial Park in Saratoga Springs.<\/p>\n

Several years ago, the Munters purchased a 27-acre former golf driving range near Northway Exit 17 in Moreau. Plans call for extending municipal sewage service to that area, which is expected to spur considerable development.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re waiting for the right fit,\u201d Mike said. \u201cWe see a lot of potential there at Exit 17 and that corridor.\u201d<\/p>\n

While fast-growing Saratoga County generates most of the firm\u2019s work, Munter Enterprises goes well beyond these borders.<\/p>\n

They\u00a0 <\/span>recently completed the remodeling of a former TD Bank building, at 350 Canada St. in the village of Lake George, to a new branch office for Saratoga Springs-based Adirondack Trust Co.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0project won the praise of village officials who were concerned\u00a0 <\/span>the beautiful Georgian Revival structure, similar in style to Lake George High School and the village library, might be razed after TD Bank left.<\/p>\n

New Jersey-based TD Bank closed 81 branch buildings last year, citing a widespread shift to digital and online banking.<\/p>\n

The building\u2019s convenient location is a plus for downtown Lake George merchants.<\/p>\n

Munter Enterprises also built new branch offices for Adirondack Trust near Northway Exit 18 in Queensbury, and at the corner of Northern Pines Road and Route 9 in Wilton.<\/p>\n

John Jr. said the company does considerable work in Rensselaer and Albany counties as well such as last year\u2019s construction of a Curtis Lumber store in Schodack and a three-story climate controlled storage facility for Mabey\u2019s in East Greenbush.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, he remains optimistic about his firm\u2019s business outlook despite recent economic trends because commercial and industrial projects aren\u2019t subject to the same volatility as housing.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the industry that we work with doesn\u2019t seem to be affected by what people are calling a downturn,\u201d he said. \u201cWe aren\u2019t quite as nervous as the residential sector, which has a more immediate reaction to interest rates. We have a lot of things coming up that are still very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Munter Enterprises keeps projects moving forward despite an industry-wide labor shortage problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a blanket issue for everyone,\u201d John Jr. said. \u201cAll of our subcontractors and suppliers, everyone throughout the industry, is struggling to find enough labor. We\u2019re kind of in the same boat as everyone. We could use more people if they were available. But everyone\u2019s making do with what they have. Things are just taking a little longer than normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

While working closely together, the brothers have separate and distinct duties. John Jr. oversees the operations side of things, while Mike handles more of the firm\u2019s business development.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother and I are both educated in civil engineering and grew up in the field doing physical work,\u201d John Jr. said. \u201cThose two things complemented each other well. I would gauge most of our success around the fact that we\u2019ve stayed small enough as a company so we\u2019re very involved at every level, from production to staying very engaged with our customers and employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Jr. joined his parents\u2019 business in 1996 after graduating from Manhattan College and working for another local contractor as an estimator and project manager.<\/p>\n

Mike earned his degree at Clarkson and worked as a field engineer for local Saratoga firm, the LA Group, for a while before gettting a job with Air Products and Chemicals out of Allentown, Pa., as a construction manager.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI was involved in construction, right after college, which took me all over the world,\u201d Mike said. \u201cI had an interest in returning to the area. After going all over the place, I realized how cool Saratoga was. It was nice to come back to something and be part of building a future here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The brothers incorporated the business in 1998.<\/p>\n

Customers are offered a full range of construction services beginning with land acquisition and design, through planning and general contracting. The firm provides guidance through all stages of construction, including local permitting and the development of plans and specifications, it says.<\/p>\n

John Jr., 53, and Mike, 50, both have children who are nearing high school graduation or in their early college years. While nothing is definite, it\u2019s possible this next generation of Munter family members will eventually lead the company, which their grandparents started a half-century ago.<\/p>\n

Eighty-four-year-old John Munter Sr. said he discouraged his sons from joining him right away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought going out into the world for both of them was a great experience,\u201d he said. \u201cBut at the same token I was happy to see them gravitate back in, get together and take over the business. They\u2019ve done an excellent job and have probably even improved upon some things by seeing what I did right and what could be done better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike\u2019s sons, Tyler and Jake, have worked for Munter during summer vacations and John\u2019s son, Gabe, spent a full year with the firm while taking a hiatus from college during the COVID-19 pandemic. John\u2019s daughter, Anneliese, just graduated from high school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve liked them to get a taste of this business,\u201d John Sr. said. \u201cBut I also encourage grandchildren not to be centered on what their grandfather or father are doing, but to make sure they go into the world choosing something that\u2019s going to be really important to them. It\u2019s very important to choose a career that you\u2019re satisfied with. That\u2019s what makes all of us successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s still involved with the company, helping out with various volunteer projects such as rejuvenating the former Boyhaven scout camp in Milton, which is now a children\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m probably the type that\u2019s not going to get uninvolved until they carry me out the door, feet first,\u201d John Sr. joked. \u201cI just want the boys to point me in various directions where they see I can still be of some value.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Munters are proud to be part of the positive growth in the area\u00a0 <\/span>and look forward to serving their customers and community for the next 50 years and generations to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Paul Post Munter Enterprises Inc. has not only survived, but thrives in the area\u2019s highly competitive construction industry by paying close attention to detail and staying fully engaged with customers \u201cThe personal touch, I think, is what really sets us apart,\u201d said John Munter Jr., who co-owns the firm with his brother, Mike. \u201cAnd […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":35482,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nFamily Owned Munter Enterprises Thrives For 50 Years In Region\u2019s Construction Industry - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2022\/07\/family-owned-munter-enterprises-thrives-for-50-years-in-regions-construction-industry\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Family Owned Munter Enterprises Thrives For 50 Years In Region\u2019s Construction Industry - 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