Culture. Hard work. Fairness. The alliance between D.M. Sabia & Company and BAC continues to run deep

BAC’s partnerships with signatory contractors are essential to our mission to build North America and prosper together. One of our union’s longest partnerships, with Philadelphia’s D.M. Sabia & Company, is a prime example of how a signatory contractor and the union can work together to bid and build beautiful structures that last the test of time.

“D.M. Sabia is an exemplary employer and partner,” said Local 1 Pennsylvania/Delaware President Dennis Pagliotti. “They have a high standard of excellence and know the best way to achieve that is by employing the best hands in the business.”

“It’s all about the people and always has been,” says Nick Sabia, who today serves as President of D.M. Sabia. “We have the pleasure of working with people who care about the trade, the job, the company and themselves. It’s a mutual respect that has been built in what is a rugged trade. They come to work every day in the heat, the cold, the wind. The people are as tough as the conditions and work they have to face day in and day out.”

One of the recent projects D.M. Sabia worked on — a project that hits at the core of what it means to build partnerships with organizations that share the same vision and goals — is the newly-renovated 5th Street/Independence Hall Station project in Philadelphia. It was a $20 million improvement that included everything from new glass headhouses on the station’s entrances, to LED lighting, a ventilation system that helps refresh the station’s air every two to three minutes — and, of course, instillation and restoration of substantial amounts of tile and masonry. In addition, the station’s low ceiling was removed to provide more headroom, while specially designed panels help reflect natural light into the underground cavern.

Built in 1908, the station provides access to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the National Constitution Center and other historical sites. Designed as a “showpiece” for the transit system, the last upgrade before the recent work was done in 1976 to coincide with the country’s bicentennial celebration.

BAC Local 1 PA/DE members employed by D.M. Sabia were a key component in implementing the architectural design, as well as improving the station’s structural, mechanical and electrical systems.

BAC craftworkers’ expertise was critical in navigating the myriad of challenges to installing the complex brick and stone systems.

One major challenge of the project was that the transit system was not shut down while work was ongoing, so trains passed through the station at full speed without stopping. The workers weren’t concerned, though, because they knew their union and their company had their backs. “Sabia is a great company to work for, and they always put safety first,” explained Brian Gibbons, a 16-year Local 1 PA/DE member and assistant foreman on the project. “A spotter was placed with a horn to blow when a train was coming, and the workers on the edge of the platform would stop and get out of the way. We had regular toolbox talks, and everyone always knew what they were doing.”

Part of the work included refurbishing stairs that open onto the well-lit, spacious platform decorated with enhanced circulation kiosks in white and red herringbone tile. In addition, the original arches in the vaulted ceiling were exposed and made watertight. Red brick was installed above the thin herringbone pattern that was painted in many places with murals depicting historical figures and moments

“BAC’s work on the project, including working on an active subway platform, was just tremendous,” Sabia said. “Thin tile, and thin and full body brick… inscribed lettering, granite, blue stone… Their expertise and craftsmanship can be seen in everything.”

“There were a lot of BAC members working there at some point in the project, including bricklayers, stone masons, and caulkers,” said Gibbons. “Local 1 has the best hands in the business in Philadelphia, and it was the experience and know-how that got this complex and involved job done.”

And all this work was done during the throes of COVID-19, where the logistics and compliance issues were, as Sabia expressed, tricky. “Pictures really only tell so much of the story when you see the final product. We had our share of hiccups, hassles and hurdles, but we got it done together.”

“The Independence Hall subway job is just one out of hundreds in this area showcasing what happens when the best hands in the business partner up with one of the best contractors,” said Pagliotti.

HITTING THE CENTURY MARK

This year, D.M. Sabia celebrates 100 years of operation—a milestone that is epic in any industry. Current president Nick Sabia and his team are proud of the company’s humble beginnings. In his teens, Domenic Michael Sabia moved from New York to Philadelphia. In 1917, he took a job as a masonry apprentice. By 1923, he founded D.M. Sabia & Company Inc., with he and his wife, Elizabeth, and five children living atop his basement office.

A BAC signatory contractor from the beginning, over the last century, the D.M. Sabia team has worked on some of the most high-profile projects in the Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey areas.

“For us, it has always been about working with the best people,” said Nick Sabia. “It means a lot to our company that over the years every job has included masons who are dedicated to doing what they do best. There is comfort, like my father before me and his before him, to know that somewhere a mason is driving with his family and can say, ‘See that, I worked on that job.’ We have had generations of people sharing that story.”

“We have built a relationship with BAC over time that just keeps getting stronger,” Sabia continued. “Every job we have had masonry on in the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas have had BAC members on the wall… It is a group that is as progressive in their thinking as it is tough. They have been very proactive in keeping us involved in training and education, first aid and CPR, scaffolding training, the latest OSHA regulations, and much more. The collaboration is evident in every step we take together.”

“The success of D.M. Sabia shows what a partnership with the BAC brings: a trained and dedicated workforce who know how to work efficiently and safely. This ensures projects are done on time and on budget,” said BAC President Tim Driscoll. “We all here at BAC congratulate Nick and the rest of the Sabia team and family for this significant milestone, and look forward to continuing to work together for another 100 years.”