Nathan Peck and Jane Kaplan Peck
Title: President, Chief Operating Officer, Kaplan Construction
Age: 35, 34
Experience: 12 years
A 38-year-old general contractor and construction management company in Brookline is passing the reins from one husband-and-wife team to the next generation. Kaplan Construction this month named Nathan Peck its new president, while his wife, Jane Kaplan Peck, became chief operating officer and majority partner. Her parents, Ken and Cathy Kaplan, founded the company and are retreating from the day-to-day operations. They have taken on the titles of chairman of the board and senior advisor, respectively. Nathan Peck joined the company in 2012 after working at Turner Construction in Boston as a senior project manager.
Q: How did you settle on a three-year transition period?
A: Nate: We started the process with a sufficient period of time to incorporate me and my experience into the company, to learn the ropes and the history of Kaplan and the client base, and allow [Ken and Cathy] to move to more of an advisory role.
Q: Before you joined the family business, Jane worked at Shawmut Construction and Leggat McCall Properties. Was that important to get outside experience first?
A: Jane: My parents both said, “You’re welcome to come work here and see what this business is about, but you have to get experience elsewhere.” Through my experience at Shawmut and Leggat, it also meant more buy-in from employees because you’re not coming in as the daughter. You’re coming in as someone with experience.
Q: What’s the busiest construction sector for Kaplan right now?
A: Nate: Our institutional and health care are probably the two most active right now. We just finished up some projects at Boston College and the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute and Genzyme. Those are the two most active and with all the residential work, we’ve got a few projects in that market.
Q: What effects do you see from the new Massachusetts law on construction retainage fees that takes effect in November?
A: Nate: I don’t think it’s going to have a huge impact, at least for us. Our clients and contracts have a fairly responsible approach to retainage. For most of our clients, it’s reduced to 5 percent once we’re 50 percent complete, if both sides are happy with how things are proceeding.
Nate and Jane’s Top Five Local Restaurants:
- La Morra
- Ribelle
- Washington Square Tavern
- Lineage
- Barcelona Wine Bar
