The Summit Company, a family owned and operated general contracting firm located in Livonia, MI has been a proud member of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Southeastern Michigan since 1999 providing quality commercial construction services.
According to Wendy Belsley, founding partner with her late husband Dale, they have made a point out of putting family and faith first with their company stressing the importance that they care about their employees both on and off the job.
“Dale always made sure to be in our children’s lives growing up,” said Wendy. “He knew that to be a good businessman he had to first be a good husband and father. Not to say that there were not sacrifices made and many sleepless nights, but he knew the foundation to a strong company started with a strong family. That care and commitment has served us well and provided our clients an honest, dedicated partner in building and developing their projects on time and on budget. We don’t cut corners here (Summit) or at home.”
The story of The Summit Company begins with owner and founder Dale Belsley. Having come from a family with a long history in the construction business, Dale gained experience and knowledge of the industry early on. He earned his degree in construction engineering and went on to work for several large general contracting firms in the Detroit Metropolitan area. For close to a decade, Dale successfully ran a reputable general contracting firm as chief operating officer. With a passion and motivation to own his own general contracting firm, Dale risked his other opportunities to start The Summit Company. It was then that he decided to join ABC SEMI and establish himself with fellow contractors.
“Dale had gotten to know many of the members at ABC and really appreciated the value and networking that the organization offered,” said Wendy. “The marketing and assistance it offered was certainly helpful in the early years, but it was the struggles, camaraderie, and philosophic values shared with his peers that Dale valued most. He loved his years on the ABC Board, and he felt like it was his responsibility to impart his knowledge of the industry to others. Frankly he thought of them like family, and they returned the sentiment.”
It was with that passion to develop the industry that Dale brought his son-in-law Anthony (Tony) Dattilio into the company and saw him grow into the president of Summit. Sadly, Dale passed away in 2019 after a long struggle with cancer, but true to form made sure that both his family and company were on solid ground.
“Dale thought of others first,” said Dattilio. “He rarely thought of his own needs and always asked what he could do every day to make someone else’s life better. He had strong faith—he told me you had to have that in this line of work—being a contractor can test you not only when times are bad, but even when they are good. He said it was important to never sacrifice integrity or take short cuts, that he believed if you put your best out there you would get the best back. That reputation is the cornerstone to his legacy and one that we carry with us every day here.”
Over the past 23 years, The Summit Company has specialized in construction projects large and small and offer their customers a broad range of construction services—from completely new buildings (conventional and/or pre-engineered maintenance buildings) to performing specific trade work. Their recent projects have included site work (foundations, concrete flat work, curb & gutter, asphalt, storm systems, etc.) and interior renovations including excellent finish carpentry work (studs & drywall, flooring, painting, wallcovering, ceilings, roofing, doors, glazing, cabinetry, trim work, etc.).
“Most of our regular customers are tier one automotive suppliers,” said Dattilio. “We consistently renovate their facilities to accommodate the constant changes required for operations. That is our bread and butter. But the tremendous demands in the industry today require us to be much more diversified in the services we provide—we really want our clients to feel confident that their project from the first shovel in the ground to the last coat of paint will be handled. That peace of mind allows them to focus on their work and not worry about ours.”
The Summit team is comprised of a tight knit group of experienced construction professionals who all share the same hardworking values and commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. Dattilio stressed the reputation is built on our principles of honesty and integrity and dedication that Dale brought to building trusting and lasting relationships with their clients.
