Agustin Arellano, Sr. is well-known in health care construction circles; more than 40 years ago, he started his own company at the age of 26, where he specialized in health care and higher education facilities including projects for Baptist Health, the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial, HCA, Mt. Sinai, and many others. After selling his company to construction giant OHL in 2008 to create OHL-Arellano Construction Co., he stayed on as president and then chairman, but decided about three months ago that something was missing.
“Talking with my son, Agustin Jr., who was the company’s CFO, we realized that we just had more fun when we were partners in our own company,” he explained. “It was in the back of our minds to start a new company when we were approached by two gentlemen who ran two of the largest construction companies in Florida – Gilberto Neves and Jesus Vazquez – and they suggested that we start a business of our own. We agreed that we all had good chemistry and should move forward.”
Neves, NV2A’s president and CEO, is the former president and CEO of Odebrecht USA, and Vazquez, COO of NV2A, is the former COO of Facchina Construction. Arellano Sr. is the company’s chairman and Arellano Jr. is the CFO.
“I left the company that I was working for after 42 years, and Gilberto and Jesus had both been with their companies for more than 30 years,” said the senior Arellano. “Agustin Jr. had been with OHL-Arellano for the last 15. It was quite a big leap for all of us.”
The four partners are bringing a wealth of experience to NV2A, whose name is comprised of each man’s initials. Together they have worked on roughly $7 billion worth of public projects and $1.5 billion worth of private sector work. “All of us bring different things to the table; Gilberto brings a background in public work, like highway and bridge construction and airports, and Jesus has a wealth of experience in commercial and apartment buildings,” explained Arellano. “We are ready to spread our wings—now we can take on healthcare and institutional projects, as well as commercial builds and horizontal work.”While Arellano says that he is not at liberty to discuss prospective projects, he adds that they are in the process of closing on three projects for this year, with the first expected to break ground in October. NV2A will continue to work with many of the same subcontractors and suppliers with whom they’ve established trusted relationships over the past few decades. “We’ve got a large list of people we’ve worked with over the past 15 to 30 years in our three different companies, and we intend to continue to grow those relationships,” said Arellano.
“There’s plenty of work here in the South Florida market for us in our areas of expertise,” he added. “Once we’re established solidly in South Florida, we may inch up into central Florida, but for now, we’re going to concentrate our efforts in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties. We like to stay close to our projects; that way, if there’s an issue, we can be on-site in the same day.”
In addition to their extensive backgrounds in construction, the partners share an interest in giving back to the community as well. “Individually, each of us is involved in a lot of charitable organizations; we feel very strongly about giving back to the community in any way that we can, whether through financial contributions or through our presence and participation on boards,” said Arellano, who has served with the YMCA, University of Miami, FIU and Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, among others. “This will remain part of the new company’s culture.”
As for what sets them apart from other companies in the area, Arellano cites a mix of experience, combined with the latest technology. “Because we’re starting from scratch, we have no baggage – we are putting together a company that uses technology, experience and knowledge to create best practices in the construction field.”
