Editors’ Note

Antonio Tutino has more than two decades of experience navigating New York’s challenging construction market. As CEO of O+D Builders, he has led complex projects across healthcare, hospitality, interior fit-outs, and new construction, helping expand O+D’s presence throughout the tristate area. Tutino began his career as a Union Carpenter, quickly rising to Labor Supervisor on major projects like the Museum of Modern Art, AOL Building, and Greenwich Hotel. He later served as Project Manager and Executive for top firms, overseeing high-profile projects such as China Construction Bank, KKR Financial, and Fox Television. Driven by the principle “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Tutino continues to pursue excellence and leadership in construction management.

Company Brief

Founded in New York City in 2001, O+D Builders (odbuilders.com) has earned a reputation for excellence across hospitality, retail, healthcare, corporate, and institutional projects. With offices in New York and a growing presence throughout the Northeast and Southeast, the company specializes in interior renovations, façade restorations, and ground-up construction. At O+D, construction is more than just building – it’s about partnership. The company’s team of seasoned professionals brings decades of experience and a shared commitment to precision, collaboration, and client success. From pre-construction through project completion, O+D works hand-in-hand with owners, developers, architects, and designers to deliver spaces that are built to inspire and endure. This approach has led to a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award for outstanding façade restoration at 9 Orchard and Contract Magazine’s Interiors Award for the Bernhardt Design New York Showroom.

How do you describe O+D Builders’ culture and values?

O+D Builders’ culture is built around precision, discretion, and accountability. In New York City, especially in high-end environments, there is no tolerance for chaos. Our teams are trained to plan aggressively, communicate clearly, and execute quietly.

We value preparation over heroics. That means deep drawing reviews, early trade coordination, realistic schedules, and respect for the building, the neighbors, and the client’s brand. Clean sites, controlled logistics, and disciplined documentation are non-negotiable.

Our culture is simple: if it wouldn’t be acceptable in a flagship space on Fifth Avenue or a live healthcare environment, we don’t allow it anywhere.

What have been the keys to O+D Builders’ industry leadership, and how do you define the O+D Builders difference?

The key to O+D Builders’ success in the New York City market has been restraint. We do not chase every opportunity, and we do not compete on lowest price. We focus on projects where planning, coordination, and execution are more valuable than speed alone.

The O+D Builders’ difference is that we behave like long-term partners, not transactional contractors. We invest heavily in preconstruction, constructability reviews, and early alignment with ownership, architects, expeditors, and trades. We identify risk early, even when it’s uncomfortable, so clients aren’t surprised in the field.

In a city where many contractors sell confidence, we sell control.

Will you highlight some of O+D Builders’ current projects?

O+D Builders is currently delivering a portfolio of high-end retail, healthcare, hospitality, and commercial interior projects throughout New York City and the surrounding region. These projects involve occupied buildings, strict regulatory oversight, demanding finishes, and tight coordination with building ownership, city agencies, and design teams.

Many of our projects require executing complex work without disrupting ongoing operations or brand standards, often under aggressive schedules and in highly visible locations.

Our clients engage us not because their projects are easy, but because they cannot afford mistakes.

Selected Ongoing Projects:

• 107 Norfolk Street – New York City

O+D Builders is currently delivering a full gut rehabilitation of a hospitality-driven restaurant project at 107 Norfolk Street on the Lower East Side. The project involves a complete interior transformation, complex MEP coordination, and execution within a dense urban environment where logistics, neighbor considerations, and schedule discipline are critical. The scope reflects O+D Builders’ strength in high-design hospitality spaces that demand precision, discretion, and flawless sequencing.

• Brookdale Hospital Ambulatory Care Project – Brooklyn, New York

O+D Builders is performing an ambulatory care buildout for Brookdale Hospital, with project management oversight by STV Group. The work requires strict adherence to healthcare regulations, infection control protocols, and phased execution to support ongoing operations. This project highlights the firm’s ability to operate in highly regulated environments where planning, documentation, and stakeholder coordination are essential to success.

• Sotheby’s – Long Island City, New York

O+D Builders is executing a full-floor tenant fit-out for Sotheby’s in Long Island City. The project blends high-end finishes with operational functionality, requiring close coordination with ownership, consultants, and building management. The work underscores O+D Builders’ experience delivering refined commercial interiors for globally recognized brands under demanding schedules.

• MooRER Flagship Retail Store – New York City

O+D Builders is constructing the flagship U.S. retail location for MooRER, the luxury Italian outerwear brand. The project involves premium materials, custom millwork, and exacting finish standards reflective of the brand’s European heritage. Executed in a high-visibility retail environment, the space demands meticulous attention to detail and a white-glove approach to construction.

• Capri Holdings Ongoing National Retail Programs – New York City

O+D Builders maintains an ongoing relationship with Capri Holdings, delivering projects throughout the year for its portfolio of luxury brands, including Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors. These projects often involve accelerated schedules, brand-specific standards, and high-end finishes across multiple locations. The recurring nature of this work reflects trust earned through consistency, discretion, and execution.

• Romanoff Equities Tenant Improvement Projects

O+D Builders works directly with property ownership groups such as Romanoff Equities, providing tenant improvement projects across multiple assets, including properties in the Meatpacking District. These projects require an owner-focused mindset, balancing tenant needs, asset value, and schedule certainty within some of New York City’s most active commercial spaces.

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Imaging Suite – 23rd Street, New York City

O+D Builders is currently working on an imaging room project for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on 23rd Street. The scope involves specialized infrastructure, coordination with medical equipment vendors, and strict compliance with federal and healthcare standards. The project reflects the firm’s capability to execute technically complex healthcare environments with precision and accountability.

How important has it been to build the O+D Builders team?

In New York construction, the margin for error is thin, and the consequences are expensive. Building the right team has been essential to our success.

We prioritize professionals who understand emotional intelligence and how to operate in high-pressure, high-visibility environments, people who can manage stakeholders, anticipate problems, and protect the client’s interests while protecting the company. Experience in New York City buildings, agencies, and logistics matters.

A strong team allows leadership to focus on strategy and growth instead of constantly intervening to correct avoidable mistakes.

What do you see as the keys to effective leadership, and how do you approach your management style?

Effective leadership in construction requires decisiveness, clarity, and accountability. New York does not reward indecision. Teams need to know who owns decisions, what the priorities are, and how success is measured.

Our management style is direct and structured. I empower experienced professionals to execute while staying closely involved in planning, risk assessment, and major inflection points. I believe in trust, but verified through systems, reporting, and performance.

Consistency matters more than charisma, especially in complex environments.

What advice do you offer to young people interested in pursuing a career in the construction industry?

Construction in New York is demanding, but it rewards competence and accountability. Young professionals should focus on learning how buildings actually come together – drawings, sequencing, logistics, contracts, and city processes – before chasing titles.

The most successful people in this industry show up prepared, ask smart questions, and take responsibility early. There is no substitute for time in the field and exposure to real problems.

If you treat construction as a profession, not a fallback, it can be an exceptional career.

What is one belief about construction that you fundamentally disagree with?

I fundamentally disagree with the idea that speed solves problems in construction. In New York, rushing without proper planning creates more delays, more change orders, and more conflict than it ever saves.

The fastest projects are not the ones that start first; they’re the ones that start prepared. Time spent upfront aligning scope, logistics, and sequencing consistently pays back multiples during execution.

We would rather delay a start than start wrong. That mindset alone eliminates many of the issues that plague this industry.