By Paul Post
Hilltop Construction thrives in a challenging, competitive industry with a mix of commercial and custom home residential projects.
It’s a strategy the Queensbury-based firm has followed since its founding in 1976.
“We try to be diversified in what we do, which helps in different economic environments,” co-owner Dan Washburn said. “If the residential market is healthy and commercial isn’t, we’ve got the residential side to work with and vice versa. It makes it easier to adapt to ever-changing conditions that affect different industries.”
“Business is really good now on both sides,” he said. “We’ve got a solid workload into spring of 2025.”
This summer, Hilltop is doing everything from a ZZ Mobil Mart convenience store in Malta to a passive solar home in Brant Lake and a new Stewart’s Shop in Hoosick.
Washburn handles commercial projects while his brother-in-law, Tom Albrecht Jr., oversees residential development. Washburn, his wife, April (Treasurer/Office Manager), and Tom Jr.purchased Hilltop several years ago from its founders, Tom Albrecht Sr. and his wife Cindy.
The new 5,000-square-foot ZZ Mobil Mart is scheduled for completion in early August and is located on a parcel at 2429 Route 9, in Malta, previously occupied by a small Getty station. The site is just south of Dunning Street, near Luther Forest Technology Campus, making it an attractive place to stop for the thousands of workers at GlobalFoundries’ huge semiconductor plant. Features include new state-of-the-art gas pumps, a deli, pizza store and expanded beer cave.
Hilltop is no stranger when it comes to convenience store projects. The Stewart’s Shop in Hoosick is the 75th new store it’s built for the company in addition to more than 50 other large upgrades at various shops.
Work is slated to begin August 5 and be completed by early October. Aside from its ability to do jobs quickly and efficiently, Hilltop has a deep commitment to detail and highly-quality workmanship, ethics and etiquette, making it a highly reputable company, which generates significant business.
“We don’t do a whole lot of advertising,” Washburn said. “Work comes because we’ve been in business since 1976 and we’ve got a reputation that speaks for itself. With most of our work, clients seek us out.”
Also, Hilltop has strong working relationships with many of the tri-county area’s architectural firms, who quite often refer clients to Hilltop when it comes time to build a new home or do a business expansion project.
Among its many jobs, the firm is currently nearing completion on a new distribution warehouse for Garvey Hyundai on Dix Avenue, in Queensbury. The 7,000-square-foot, pre-engineered steel building was manufactured by Kirby Building Systems.
Hilltop is also doing a big office renovation and updating facilities at a U.S. Department of Agriculture building in Greenwich.
On the residential side, in addition to the Brant Lake passive solar home, Hilltop will start a custom lake home in Cleverdale on Lake George and a “Mountain-Modern” home in Stony Creek. Work was recently completed on a new custom home on Lake George, in Cleverdale, featuring unique construction with hand-hewn barn wood beams and an outdoor kitchen
“Residential projects are always interesting,” Washburn said. “What’s neat about the custom home aspect is that they’re all different. You get to work with a lot of different products and manufacturers. There are new products always coming out. It’s always evolving. With custom homes people want the latest and greatest. The home we did just recently on Lake George has old wood beams tied into the architecture, which adds a lot of class.”
The company employs about three dozen people. In addition to its many projects, the firm’s owners are starting to do more to encourage young people to consider careers in trades. They are working with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Southern Adirondacks on an event that will highlight all the great jobs this industry has to offer.
“It’s a physical job, but it’s a very rewarding job,” Washburn said. “There’s a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day when you can see what you’ve built with your own two hands. When you go home at the end of the day, you’re probably tired, but you can see something done and for the right personality that is very rewarding.”
Dan started working construction during the summer of 1995 where he found a passion for the building industry. That passion led him to Hilltop Construction in 1998.
April has kept the office organized and running smooth since 2004. She handles day-to-day operations from phone calls and emails to human resources and accounting.
Tom Jr. joined the family business full-time in 1998. After four years of training under Hilltop’s top foremen, he was promoted to foreman and started running his own crew.
Fourteen years later, he transitioned to project manager, learning to bid projects, track job cost and similar duties.
Tom and Dan began running the day-to-day operations of scheduling jobs, employees and bidding in 2012. From that point on the company doubled in size to where it is today.