Petrillo of Yonkers Contracting Co. hosts celebration for 80th anniversary

Yonkers, NY 400 employees and guests including Westchester and Yonkers elected officials were on hand October 3 for a celebration of Yonkers Contracting Company’s (YCC) 80^th anniversary led by its visionary chairman Carl Petrillo.

Among those speaking at the event held at the company’s maintenance facility on Midland Ave. were Westchester county executive Ken Jenkins, Yonkers mayor Mike Spano and Westchester County district attorney Susan Cacace. They spoke of Petrillo’s inspired leadership and the company’s many contributions to the economic growth of Westchester County and entire Tri-state region.

Founded in 1945 by Edward Petrillo and now led by his son Carl, YCC has grown from a traditional road and bridge builder into a diversified infrastructure powerhouse. The company has transformed the region’s infrastructure from major highways to bridges to tunnels to commuter rail lines. In a sense, Yonkers Contracting has literally paved the way for the region’s economic growth. For 80 years, Yonkers Contracting has been at the center of New York’s growth story — not only building infrastructure, but also building opportunity, resilience, and a reputation for excellence.

“Our business strategy values relationships. Many people here today have developed long-term relationships with Yonkers Contracting Company that ultimately elevate the performance of our company and at the same time provide good business for our partners. It is our goal to maintain existing relationships and seek out new ones,” said Petrillo. 

“The focus of today’s celebration are Yonkers Contracting’s employees,” he said asking all Yonkers employees attending the event to please stand. “In our 80^th year these are faces of Yonkers Contracting, this is the 2025 team we fielded. Please join me in recognizing this most important resource of our company – the people.”

Among its many milestones, the company has completed more than 1,350 projects at an estimated cost of $13 billion across Westchester and the New York Metro region. Its fleet of modern traditional equipment and specialized foundation and road machinery is geared to today’s complex construction challenges — resulting in winning bids, meeting schedules, and delivering profitable, high-quality outcomes.

YCC’s evolution reflects its ability to adapt and expand with the times. Beyond bridges and highways, the company now constructs electrical substations, treatment plants, parking structures, railroad facilities, and commercial and industrial buildings. This breadth of expertise is a testament to the YCC team’s ability to grow, pivot, and capture new markets while delivering successful projects to both public and private owners. And it has remained true to its roots, calling Yonkers home for 8 decades and counting!

The company’s most challenging project to date was the World Trade Center PATH Restoration Program (2002) following the 9/11 attack which involved restoring critical transit links for the Port Authority.

The company’s single largest project is the Design/Build Contract in 2024 for the NYS Department of Transportation on the Bronx River Parkway to replace a multi-span bridge over MTA Train Yard with a new 1,500 linear foot viaduct. Other landmark projects include the Brooklyn Bridge Emergency Deck Replacement, LaGuardia Airport East Parking Garage, and Route 17 Design-Build Project to reconstruct the highway interchange of Route 17 & Route 32, including a diverging diamond interchange that increased safety in the corridor by 50%.

“I believe my father would be very proud of his business today. We best honor his memory by continuing to conduct business in the same manner people have come to expect of us. - a corporation that provides gainful employment, has a social conscience and renders a distinctive service to its clients,” Petrillo said.