Where we come from

Rocco Colasanti crossed the Atlantic from Italy in 1920 at age17. He worked the railroads in New York and eventually migrated to Michigan. He worked as a cement mason for 17 years. In 1953 he started his own business with his oldest son, Alfred. In 1953 the two of them were joined by Angelo (his second son) in what was known as Colasanti Cement Floor Company Inc. Together, the three men turned that most basic of construction materials, concrete, into the foundation of a large corporation and the building blocks of a city. 

For many people, especially in our market and economy, a job is a job. For Rocco Colasanti, concrete was so much more than a means to earn a living, it was his passion. He studied concrete the way a doctor studies anatomy, learning all the delicate intricacies of each material and chemical reaction that produced this amazing product. He pioneered means and methods from his findings that allowed his company to finish concrete under any circumstance. This exceptional level of understanding of his product translated into ease of preparation and planning in order to overcome any event.

The planning and preparation that resulted from his knowledge told many success stories. “I remember pouring concrete in zero-degree weather,” he reminisced, confidence exuding through his eyes. Rocco was a man that could make anything happen.

Rocco’s vision for the company was starting to be realized. “With every significant project we finished, you could see it, feel it and touch it.” The “it” he was referring to was the aspiration and the dream he had to create an institution that would be passed down for generations.

Officially incorporated in 1953, Colasanti evolved from a concrete flooring contractor to an installer of deep foundations and walls in the ‘70s which led into high rise structural construction.

Rocco passed away in 1969, leaving behind a legacy rooted inintricate knowledge of the product and forward thinking development and implantation of strategy. He built a solid foundation that allowed his dream to be actualized. Our job, as the third and fourth generations, is to continue the “Colasanti Legacy”.

Angelo graduated high school in 1953 and that is when his work career started with the Colasanti Companies. Just like his father Rocco, Angelo was a gifted cement mason and business man. He was the guiding force in the company's evolution from a small concrete contractor to the diverse industry leader it is today.

He is one of the pioneers of successfull large scale automotive industrial slab placements. Angelo and his company were involved in helping place the majority of the automotive plants built throughout the United States 1950's through 1990's. His accomplishments in industrial concrete construction and the contributions made to American Concrete Industry have help to shape the concrete industry today. Angelo served on multiple ACI committees during his career and is a very respected individual within the industry.

Angelo stays involved with mentoring/advising executives and maintaining the numerious relationships he has built over the last 70 years.

Angelo devotes his life for the betterment of his family, company and craft. His motto of God, Family, and Company will forever resound in the people who he has helped throughout his career.