Around the Boston area, the name Bob Dobinski is synonymous with I&D, or installation and dismantle. President of Corp-Events New England, Dobinski has offered quality service for local and national companies exhibiting in the city for more than 30 years.
Birth of Corp-Events
Prior to the founding of Corp-Events, Dobinski supervised general services contractor (GSC) labor for organizations located outside of Boston as part of his services under Corporate Communications, an event management firm. While creating a separate I&D entity was not planned, he would later discover that hiring labor independently from GSCs and free from restrictions allowed for more quality control.
“It was not my original intent to do I&D, but given the outcry of my industry contacts and being local to Boston, I found it better to hire labor independently because we had the advantage of adding people to a project by name. This gave rise to us being able to obtain direct union contracts,” Dobinski explained.
With that, and distinguished from Corporate Communications, Corp-Events became a regional resource, servicing national companies without a presence in Boston. Offering services as a partner within the New England region, Corp-Events also works with exhibit houses or individual companies needing local talent.
Strength in Numbers
The merger of two other Boston-area unions created a unique opportunity for Corp-Events. In 2012, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 82 combined with Teamsters Local 82 following the conviction of four of its members for racketeering. Combining union responsibilities included absorbing membership – this grew Local 25’s approximately 400 workers into the thousands, thereby increasing the manpower and level of service to exhibitors.
In the wake of the insolvency of Local 82, Corp-Events entered into a general contracting agreement. Starting with a list of 24 permanent employees, the firm would be able to handpick talent beyond the four permanent employees mandated by I&D agreements that typically require any additional workers be assigned by the union from a referral pool.
“Due to the misgivings of [union] management, the city gained an opportunity to better serve exhibitors from the increase in service level and number of workers,” Dobinski noted.
Along with this change was a strategic decision to service organizations from outside of Boston. Expanding its reach throughout New England, Corp-Events became a signatory to service agreements in niche markets often overlooked by national companies. These areas include Providence, R.I., predominantly serviced by the local laborers union, as well as Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and upstate New York where there are no strong union affiliations.
Key Investments
Over the past year, according to Dobinski, national shows trafficking through the New England area had increased business by up to 40 percent. Gaining recognition from national companies has helped Corp-Events win subcontracts for general service projects.
Continuing to grow its permanent employees list, Corp-Events has also added industry veteran Anthony Greco to its roster as city and regional manager. Greco applied his more than 15 years’ experience at GES, Freeman, Expo International, Nth Degree, and particularly with Skyline Northeast, to his new role. Nationally and internationally Skyline-certified, all Corp-Events laborers have the familiarity and ability to assemble newer systems never before used in Boston.
Additionally, the company invested approximately $500,000 into a customized metal system that largely deviates from the German-based aluminum OCTANORM system. The 4’ x 8’ panel system could be set up in 25 percent of the labor time. With a cleaner look, less pieces and easier shipment than its counterpart, the system is used to create meeting rooms and exhibit pavilions.
Improving quality factored into the definitive decision never to expand outside of the New England area, according to Dobinski, aside from its sales office and warehouse in Santa Cruz, Calif.
“A majority of businesses look to Corp-Events as a service partner given our integrity and long-standing relationships,” he stated.
The final and key investment in building up Corp-Events – to add to the quality of its permanent employees and service details to its clients in Boston and throughout the surrounding New England area.
