[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 18, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3367-S3368]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING BANCROFT CONTRACTING CORPORATION

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize a Maine 
small enterprise that epitomizes the values and commitment necessary to 
excel not only as a business, but also as a leader in the community. 
Bancroft Contracting Corporation, located in the western Maine town of 
South Paris, is one of the leading general contractors in Maine, and 
does superb work in industrial and commercial markets throughout New 
England. I am extremely proud to report that the Small Business 
Administration has named Bancroft's president, Mark A. Bancroft, the 
2009 Maine Small Business Person of the Year.
  Bancroft Contracting is a second-generation, family-owned company 
that provides a wide range of construction and industrial maintenance 
services to an array of diverse markets. Founded in 1977 by Al 
Bancroft, the firm's customers include pulp and paper manufacturers, 
power-generating companies, State transportation departments, and 
cement and plastics manufacturers. Additionally, Bancroft Contracting 
supplies thousands of cubic yards of reinforced concrete every season 
for a variety of projects that include dams, bridges, and large 
commercial foundations. The company employs more than 130 construction 
professionals in the winter months and upwards of 200 in the summer. 
Bancroft's employees represent a wide spectrum of construction 
professions, from structural welders and pipe fitters, to riggers and 
ironworkers, and they all possess an extraordinary level of expertise 
in their specialized areas.
  Bancroft Contracting prides itself on relationship-based customer 
service, and the company responds diligently to all customer requests 
in a prompt and efficient manner. In a similar vein, Bancroft takes 
care to contribute significantly to the well-being of the western Maine 
community. Organizations and institutions that have benefited from 
Bancroft's generous contributions and services over the years include 
the University of Maine, the area school department, the Boy Scouts, 
various local sports teams, Kiwanis, and the Rotary Club.
  As Bancroft's president for the past 7 years, Mark Bancroft has had a 
significant impact on the company's direction. He is a graduate of the 
construction management technology program in the School of Engineering 
Technology at the University of Maine. Notable, he started his tenure 
at Bancroft Contracting at the age of 14 and continued working for the 
company throughout high school and college. Mr. Bancroft learned the 
business at an early age and received critical training

[[Page S3368]]

from many of the company's skilled craftsmen.
  Mr. Bancroft's desire to roll up his sleeves and his ability to 
understand the business from the ground up has earned him the respect 
of both his employees and customers alike. Before becoming president in 
2002, he worked in a variety of capacities throughout the years, 
serving as a project manager, human resources manager, operations 
manager, and vice president of operations. It is this intricate 
knowledge of the business, along with his distinguished leadership, 
that has resulted in Bancroft's tremendous 19 percent growth over the 
last 3 years, defying the downward trend of too many firms during these 
difficult economic times.
  Additionally, Mr. Bancroft serves on several boards of trustees and 
directors, including, the Paris Utility District, University of Maine 
Construction Management Technology Industrial Advisory Council, 
Associated General Contractors of America Education Foundation Trust, 
and Self Insured Workers Compensation Group Trust. And just last week, 
Mr. Bancroft was elected chair of the Associated General Contractors of 
Maine.
  On a personal note, in the winter of 2008, Mr. Bancroft donated the 
use of a crane and several employees to the town of Bethel to help the 
community construct Olympia SnowWoman. This architectural feat is now 
in the ``Guinness Book of World Records'' as the largest snowwoman at 
122 feet and 1 inch tall--and what a record to hold! I am proud that 
Mr. Bancroft played such an integral part in a project that brought a 
great sense of community pride to Bethel and to Maine.
  It is my distinct honor to congratulate Mark Bancroft, an immensely 
deserving individual, as the SBA's 2009 Small Business Person of the 
Year in Maine, and I extend my best wishes to everyone at Bancroft 
Contracting for their continued success.

                          ____________________