Real Estate Weekly October 1, 2008 Hire Aragon and you're hiring the ‘best of the best’

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NEW YORK –Alex Getelman founded Aragon construction in 2000 with only three employees. Today, Aragon is New York City's fastest growing general contracting and construction management firm with over 75 professional employees, sales that already exceed $100 million for 2008 and an unrivaled reputation for completing challenging, multi-layered projects on schedule, within budget and with superior workmanship.

The company, which specializes in interior construction fit-outs for both the public and private sectors, has an extensive A-list client roster, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Lazard, W&M Properties, Jack Resnick and Sons and Rudin Management. To all of them, Aragon offers what everyone in the business promises but not everyone delivers: true principal involvement and a commitment to getting the job done no matter what it takes. Getelman maintains close contact with his clients throughout the life of their projects and beyond. He personally visits sites to gauge the work process, and he ensures the quality of the team as the firn continues to grow by interviewing every new hire himself. This also applies to his subs. “Any general contracting or construction management company is ultimately only as good as the companies actually executing the construction project,” he says. “I hire the best of the best. Subcontractors are loyal to me because they know Aragon manages their jobs well so that they can perform with few, if any, problems." In what may be considered rare for the industry, project managers at Aragon have a dedicated assistant project manager working exclusively for them. Clients can also feel confident that the team they meet when they begin the preliminary stages of a project with Aragon will be the team that will show up on the first day of work. “We don't bait-and-switch,” says Getelman. “The project team you meet is the project team you'll get.”

As a result, Aragon has grown from a single, large project that helped launch the firm eight years ago to the completion of an average of 150 projects annually, and can boast more than 500 projects for the elite of the Fortune 1000. That first large project, right out of the gate, was “taking the landmarked production and distribution site for the New York Post and turning it into a storage facility for Manhattan Mini Storage,” recalls Getelman. “This was a huge project for a new firm, and we were thrown a lot of curveballs along the way, but we were able to meet the challenge.” It was from this initial job that Getelman decided to focus on specific and unique projects within Manhattan and the Tri-state area, allowing his company to perform at a superior service level to their competitors.

Some recent projects include the completion of a full-floor build out for General American Investors (GAI) at 100 Park Avenue, andthe renovation of the entire 31" floor of 51 Madison Avenue to serve as the new national headquarters for top private investment firm, Accretive LLC. For GAI's new space, Aragon worked with architecture firm James Barclay Associates, and in just 14 weeks, delivered new interior workstations, a boardroom and conference room, reception area and brand-new bathrooms, kitchen, pantry, and a state-of the- art IT room. Together with TPG Architecture, Aragon delivered Accretive's new offices - “a luminous, sophisticated and dynamic space that is all about light," explains Getelman – within 12 weeks of the project’s kickoff.

Aragon also recently completed a green build-out on the entire 25th floor of the Empire State Building for the internationally renowned architecture and interior design giant Brennan Beer Gorman Architects I Brennan Beer Gorman Monk Interiors' (BBG-BBGM). A major challenge Aragon overcame in this renovation was the installation of two 9,500 pound chillers on the building's setback roof, a task never before endeavored at the Empire State Building. The HVAC system Aragon installed allows the office to utilize a 24/7 cooling system that functions independently of the Empire State Building. BBG-BBGM is pursuing a silver LEED certification for their new offices thanks to Aragon's knowledge of sustainable practices and products. “What we do has a very real impact,” Getelman says. “Our clients trust us to build out their new space, uproot their operations, and relocate their business while making that process appear seamless.”

Aragon has recently branched out into the airline industry. The company expanded and upgraded British Airways’ 30,000 square foot baggage make-up room at John F. Kennedy International Airport and has just taken on a second project for the airline to renovate their first class lounges at Newark Airport.

“The diversification helps us sustain our growth,” says Getelman, noting that Aragon is also pursuing substation work for ConEd. Getelman ensures that Aragon stays at the forefront of the industry by educating his employees (who regularly attend industry conferences and networking sessions) and constantly monitoring and updating his firm’s technology - a key to keeping projects running seamlessly. For example, every super in the field has a networked laptop, and software is always being streamlined to make it more user-friendly. “We recently created a unique tracking program that allows the company to operate and communicate even faster," Getelman says. "We live on schedules and cannot afford to lose a day in this business."

As Aragon continues to grow, the company will adopt new practices and constantly implement new technology. But whatever the future holds for his company, Getelman remains dedicated to providing professionalism and transparency to his clients and challenging the accepted norms of the industry: “I’ve built my business on charting a different, better course,” Getelman says. “I’ll continue to do that.” Getelman is on the committees of various charitable organizations including the AHRC, Muscular Dystrophy Association and the annual Emmory Reagan Shapses Classic to raise funds for tuberous sclerosis. Aragon is located at 142 West 57th Street, in Metropolitan Tower, where they occupy state-of- the-art new corporate offices.