The employees of Choate Construction know what can be accomplished through great teamwork. The 30-year-old company, which was started in a basement, is now one of the nation’s top construction companies -- with six regional offices and 500+ employee-owners.

So, it’s no surprise that Choate has capitalized on the power of teamwork to do good. The organization earned the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s prestigious Top 2019 National Corporate Team title after raising more than $670,000. The team consisted of employees from across the company, whom participated in six events. This is a significant achievement given there are over 40 National Corporate Teams each year that participate in the Foundation’s Great Strides and Endurance events.

“Our people are enrolled in the shared goal of curing CF, with an understanding that what we’re doing really has an impact,” said Dave Priester, CEO of Choate Construction. “In the workplace, it’s important to go beyond simply being profitable. At Choate, we believe we are stewards of what we’ve been given and it’s our duty and privilege to pay it forward. The CF Foundation makes that easy by providing dedicated support to our efforts and a compelling story of rapid progress and a high ROI.”

Choate has been involved with the Foundation since the company was established in 1989. Founder Millard Choate was launching his construction company when he learned that his daughter Emily’s closest friend, Leann, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Choate Construction’s support of the Foundation naturally fell into place and the partnership, along with the company, has been growing ever since.

Over the years the company rallied to help Leann and others with CF. Unfortunately, Leann lost her battle to CF in 2018, but that has only fueled Choate’s employees to do more. The results speak for themselves.

For Priester, this success is a reflection of his vision for what makes a great team. “First and foremost, you must have a shared purpose, focused goals and results, and communicate extremely well. You must also have good partners. Choate isn’t accomplishing anything in a silo; our industry partners are critical to our fundraising success. Finally, you must have passion and some fun along the way!”