One of the nicest and most telling things someone said about Ben Krupinski to us, after his tragic death on June 2 (along with his wife Bonnie Bistrian Krupinski, their grandson Will Maerov, and pilot Jon Dollard), was that as a builder, no one ever spoke ill of him. The person (who is a builder too) said, “Every other contractor in the Hamptons, you hear grousing and complaints about from someone. But never about that company.”
The company’s loyal clientele will be happy to hear that the company, founded in 1986, is now owned by long-time employees Stratton Schellinger and Ray Harden. “Our intent is to carry Ben’s legacy forward,” says Schellinger, who worked closely with Mr. Krupinski for 31 years. “We will honor Ben’s legacy through our mutual passion and mission to deliver consistent excellence to our clients in the Hamptons, Manhattan, Westchester and Connecticut. We will take the business forward with the same energy and commitment to our clients as ever. Nothing is changing. It is business as usual.”
“Our clients appreciate that we understand the importance of their privacy. We will continue to give them the security they value,” adds Harden, who worked with Krupinski for 16 years. “We will also continue our aggressive approach to each project with the same energy and commitment to deliver projects on time and to budget.”
“Ben’s drive and motivation was always so impressive. He always wanted to do the best job he could do in everything he did. I have always admired his “Never Give Up” attitude. It’s the way I am and I live by it,” says Stratton. “What I’ve learned from Ben is to ‘get the project done,'” comments Harden. “He did not like projects dragging on.”
Notable public projects in the Hamptons include constructing The Parrish Art Museum, renovating Guild Hall, building the Children’s Wing of East Hampton Library, rebuilding Scoville Community Hall in Amagansett and restoring the George Fowler House (thought to be the only surviving Montaukett home) in Springs. “The Fowler House restoration on Springs Fireplace Road was something Ben really wanted to see completed,” Harden says. “It meant a lot to him as he grew up in the neighborhood. We are pushing hard to get this project completed within the next few weeks.”
