KBE Building Corporation Names Two New Principals

From KBE Building Corportation: Avon residents James Culkin and Robert Dunn have been named principals at KBE Building Corporation, a $300 million commercial construction firm located in Farmington, CT.

James Culkin joined KBE in 1996 as a Project Manager and was later promoted to Project Executive. He was named Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President in 2015 and became a Principal this February. He oversees KBE’s Preconstruction and Estimating teams, which includes Certified Professional Estimators and Specialists in Mechanical/Electrical, Site, and Building Information Modeling services. He is closely involved in all aspects of the firm’s field operations, as well as long-range strategic planning. Jim’s construction industry career began in 1986, working on projects in New York City and Long Island, among other locations. He received his BS in engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Jim is a member of the Connecticut Building Congress and has served on its Board of Directors since 2015.

Robert Dunn joined KBE in 1999 and is a Vice President and KBE’s in-house general counsel. He was also named a principal this month. He holds a BS in Architectural Engineering from the University of Kansas, and received his law degree from Suffolk University Law School. In addition to general compliance oversight and duties as KBE’s ethics officer, Bob proactively oversees contract negotiations, risk management, and dispute avoidance efforts to strengthen relationships among KBE’s clients and vendors, and to ensure the success of KBE’s projects. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Connecticut Bar Association, the Hartford County Bar Association, and the Architectural Engineering Institute.

High-resolution images of Mr. Culkin and Mr. Dunn are available at

• James Culkin: http://www.kbebuilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/JimCulkin_2016_CL-pix.jpg
• Robert Dunn : http://www.kbebuilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/BobDunn_2016_CL-pix.jpg

“We are very excited about the growth and leadership opportunities these four new principles offer to KBE,” explains Michael Kolakowksi, President and CEO. Kolakowski acquired the firm in 2007, along with Simon F. Etzel, Jr. and Eric Brown. Prior to acquiring the business, Kolakowski, Brown, and Etzel had been long-time senior managers of the major East Coast commercial construction services firm, which was founded in 1959. “Simon, Eric, and I are very pleased to have these four focused and dedicated individuals as our business partners.”

Two additional principals were also named: Antonio Mancini, Vice President of Field Operations; and Timothy M. O’Brien, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President.

Images Courtesy Of KBE Building Corporation