Photo / Courtesy Sargent Corp.
Herbert R. Sargent, left, is seen with his grandfather and the company’s founder, Herbert E. Sargent, in 1987 on a job site in Monticello.
Updated: 2 hours ago
Orono contractor Sargent Corp. completes leadership transition
Photo / Courtesy Sargent Corp.
Herb Sargent, left, was succeeded by Eric Ritchie in the role of president last year and CEO this week.
Orono heavy civil construction company Sargent Corp. announced Monday that its leader, Herb Sargent, has retired from day-to-day operations as CEO.
Taking on the CEO role is Eric Ritchie.
Ritchie joined Sargent in 2018. He took over from Sargent as president in May 2024, after serving as chief operations officer. He now holds the combined role of president and CEO.
Herb Sargent will continue to serve as chair of the board.
"Representing the people of Sargent — past, present, and future — has been the privilege of a lifetime,” said Herb Sargent, who led the company since 1992.
Sargent Corp. is the state's second-largest construction company, according to the 2025 Mainebiz Book of Lists, based on 2023 revenue of $224.4 million.
The company focuses on infrastructure projects, including renewable energy, highways, commercial site work, landfill cells, airport runways and underground utilities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region.
Origins
Sargent Corp. traces its beginnings to 1926 in Alton, when Herb’s grandfather, Herbert E. Sargent, bought a used REO dump truck and set out to make a living, according to the company’s website. In the early years, he hired out his truck in the summers and cut wood and plowed snow in the winters.
Herb grew his business over the ensuing decades, with his son, Jim, joining the company full-time in 1957.
In 1988, the family sold the company to Razel, a much larger construction firm in Paris, France. By that time, Jim’s son, Herbert R. Sargent, had worked full-time for the company for five years as a foreman and superintendent.
In 1991, Herb R. left H.E. Sargent Inc. and began his own site preparation company in Bangor, called Sargent & Sargent.
In 2005, Sargent & Sargent acquired the assets of H.E. Sargent Inc. The two companies merged to become Sargent Corp.
Photo / Courtesy Sargent Corp.
Herbert R. Sargent and his grandfather Herbert E. Sargent are seen in 2005, when Herb R.’s company Sargent & Sargent merged with Herb E.’s company H.E. Sargent Inc. to become Sargent Corp.
In 2013, Sargent became employee-owned.
It now has over 550 employee-owners.
Long-term plan
The leadership transition is part of a long-term succession plan, the company said.
“As we approach the next century, we are well-prepared and positioned for the future, continuing to grow with our employee-owners,” said Ritchie.
Since joining Sargent, Ritchie has been instrumental in developing two company-wide strategic plans, in 2018 and 2023, and overseeing a period of record growth and profitability, according to a news release.
Sargent Corp. received the 2024 Maine Governor’s Award for Business Excellence in the rural revitalization category.
Late last year, Sargent Corp. acquired a 160-acre quarry in Bowdoin called Bowdoin Aggregate Sales, which supplies heavy gravel, quarry stone and spec gravel for the construction industry.
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