Fifty-four years ago today, a single signature changed everything. On May 5, 1972, the final papers were signed transferring ownership of a small construction company in Norristown, Pennsylvania, T.W. Faulkner, Jr. Inc., to what would become Danella Companies.
From One Small Yard to a National Presence
Jim Danella, Chairman & CEO, has spent more than five decades building Danella Companies into an organization that includes numerous divisions and lines of business. What began as a single utility contractor in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania has grown into something remarkable.
The early milestones tell the story of steady, determined growth. A breakthrough came in 1977 when Danella won the coveted Bell Telephone maintenance contract for Philadelphia and parts of Bucks and Chester Counties. By 1978, the company had grown enough in geography, revenue, and reputation that T.W. Faulkner became the Danella Construction Corporation, a name that reflected the new identity Jim Danella was building.
The 1980s brought rapid expansion. For the next ten years following 1979, more than ten different businesses were formed, including entities in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Florida, supported by a unique group of ambitious young project managers dubbed the “Traveling Warriors.” In 1986, it became apparent that there was a real business in the rentals industry, and so began the highly successful Danella Rental Systems, offering high-quality truck, equipment, and hi-rail rentals.
By the 1990s and 2000s, Danella’s network of divisions grew nationwide, resulting in twenty-six offices, over thirty-three equipment yards, and more than fifteen hundred employees. The company even answered the call after tragedy struck; Danella responded to the World Trade Center in the early 2000s to restore infrastructure services after the attack and assisted in the infrastructure for the Freedom Tower.
Today, Danella’s reach spans construction in 15 states and a rental footprint in all 50 states.
“Pride in Everything We Do.”
In 2007, those five words were officially trademarked. “Pride in Everything We Do.®” became Danella’s mantra, and it’s not just a slogan. It’s visible in the professionalism of every crew, the quality of every job site, and the commitment that every Danella employee brings to work each day.
That pride extends to the communities we serve. It is Danella’s mission to strategically execute each job on every construction site with an unwavering commitment to the hundreds of thousands of people whose quality of living and working is vastly improved by the quality of our performance.
A Culture Where Safety is Never Static
If pride defines what we do, safety defines how we do it. At Danella, safety isn’t a checkbox, it’s a way of life.
We go beyond compliance with local, state, and federal safety regulations. It is our daily objective not only to perform with excellence, but also to eliminate even the possibility of workplace incidents. Every new employee begins with a full-day safety orientation, and that education never stops throughout a career at Danella.
We believe the true measure of safety success is that every one of our employees goes home every day to their families and loved ones in the same condition they came to work.
That commitment comes straight from the top. Jim Danella was recently recognized as one of the 2025 CEOs Who “Get It” by the National Safety Council, an honor that speaks to a lifetime of leading by example. In his own words: “Safety is never static — we recognize that we need to constantly evolve to meet new challenges, incorporate better practices, and stay ahead of risks.”
This philosophy drives continuous investment in tools, training, and technology. At Danella’s annual Risk & Safety Summit, leadership discusses risk management strategies, safety programs, and innovative practices aimed at preparing all employees to reach the highest levels of safety and operational excellence.
54 Years Strong — and Just Getting Started
From a small utility contractor to a nationally recognized industry leader, the Danella story is one of grit, growth, and an unshakable commitment to doing things right.
We believe our success is built on the safety and wellness of our employees, their families, and the communities we serve. That belief hasn’t changed in 54 years. And as long as there is infrastructure to build, communities to serve, and people who take pride in their work, it never will.
Here’s to 54 years of making life go. And to many more ahead.