Wearing Same Shoes as Great-Grandpa

Few people can say they sit in the same spot their great-grandfather once sat.

Christopher Manlove of Barrington can. He is now the president of the company, Swanson Construction, started by his great-grandfather in 1923.

“He was a Swedish immigrant,” said Manlove, 42, who is the fourth generation of the Swanson family to run the business based in Attleboro, Mass.

Manlove moved to the company on Oct. 1 from Site Specific in Providence, where he served as a senior project manager. He stepped into the president’s post with the retirement of his uncle, Steven Erickson, who spent three decades at the company.

Manlove actually worked for Swanson Construction from 2004 to 2007. And his father ran the company when he was growing up.

“I kind of grew up in the business,” he said.

Manlove moved to Barrington with his wife, Erika, and their two sons about seven years ago. He was familiar with the area because his family has spent summers vacationing in the Touisset section of Warren since the 1920s. His son are very active in Pop Warner football and lacrosse.

The construction company has been serving commercial and industrial clients in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts for most of its almost 90 years in business. It also has taken on more residential construction, including additions and renovations, in the last few years.

“This is a very exiting opportunity for me and my cousin, Keith (Erickson)," said Manlove.

He was referring to the new vice president of the firm, who took over that role at the same time Manlove moved into the top spot.

“Given Swanson Construction’s long history, we’re particularly pleased to be able to play a role in the company’s future,” he said.

Among the company’s more recent projects are the Attleboro YMCA, the Rehoboth/Seekonk Medical Center, the Home for Little Wanderers in Plymouth, Mass., and a host of church projects throughout the area.

“That’s a piece of the business we’ve always been involved in,” said Manlove.