- Record: Senate Floor
- Section type: Floor speeches
- Chamber: Senate
- Date: May 14, 2026
- Congress: 119th Congress
- Why this source matters: This section came from the Senate floor portion of the record.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate Sargent Corporation on 100 years of exceptional business growth and development. From a humble beginning in Alton, ME, the general contracting company has grown significantly, continuing to work with and for Mainers to better our State, one project at a time.
In 1926, Herbert E. Sargent set out to make a living, purchasing a used dumptruck for hauling in the summer and plowing in the winter. Through honest, hard work, Herb offered high-quality services for his community, and demand quickly grew. Just 4 years later, he ambitiously acquired a fleet of trucks and a bulldozer, taking on many more projects. Herb's son Jim took over the family's business in 1957, aiding his father and building on his reputation as an honest, reliable contractor. Two decades later, Jim became company president. In the 1990s, after some very successful projects near Baltimore, Sargent expanded beyond New England to the Mid-Atlantic region.
from Herb R. Sargent, the founder's grandson. Since then, the company has been entirely employee-owned. Today, more than 500 employee-owners throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic remain invested in and supportive of the success of Sargent.
various projects, such as recent work at Eastport Airport, the Downeast Wind Farm, the Maine Turnpike, and many more. Through these public and private projects, Sargent's work has improved environmental health, energy production, and transportation infrastructure across the State. Due to the high quality of performance and record of safety at Sargent, the company has won a plethora of awards in my home State, including the Build Maine Award 16 times since 2010. These rewards affirm what I know firsthand about Sargent: The company has maintained their priorities in performance and safety.
work 100 years ago, and as they adapt with the times, these values hold true. Today, I thank Sargent for its tremendous impact on our communities and congratulate it on its milestone anniversary.