ABC Names Delmarva Veteran Builders a National Top-Performing Construction Company
Salisbury, Maryland, Feb. 9 —Delmarva Veteran Builders (DVB) based in Salisbury, Maryland today announced it ranks 187 on Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2026 Top Performers lists, an annual publication established in 2018 that recognizes its contractor members’ outstanding achievements in health and safety, quality and project excellence, ranked by number of hours worked.
“We’re honored to be recognized as an ABC National Top Performer for 2026. This award reflects the dedication, grit, and excellence of the entire DVB team.”— Kathryn Ellis, Vice President and Owner, Delmarva Veteran Builders
As an ABC Top Performer, DVB achieved Diamond status in ABC’s STEP® Health and Safety Management System, which helps the best-performing contractors achieve incident rates nearly seven times safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average, according to ABC’s Health and Safety Performance Report. DVB also must earn ABC’s Accredited Quality Contractor credential, which recognizes excellence in quality, health and safety performance, talent management, craft and management education and community relations.
DVB also received an Excellence in Construction award for its build out of the Ocean City Firestation #3 in Ocean City, Maryland.
“Contractors like Delmarva Veteran Builders—which build the most enduring, innovative, high-quality construction projects—develop smart strategies that create a clear path for success, regardless of the circumstances,” said Michael Bellaman, ABC president and CEO. “ABC Top Performers all share commonalities like participation in ABC’s STEP® Health and Safety Management System and ABC’s Accredited Quality Contractor credential. They find opportunity amid uncertainty, embrace competition, cultivate positive company culture, prioritize safety and total human health, invest in leadership and workforce development and implement new technologies. Congratulations to DVB for being an employer of choice.”
Through robust programs like STEP and AQC, DVB demonstrates it can:
· Sustain and grow their business, financially and economically
· Offer market-competitive compensation, benefit and retirement packages
· Commit to industry-leading health and safety
· Commit to workforce development, education and creating career opportunities
· Develop opportunities for their employees to achieve their career dreams
· Cultivate committed leadership
The eighth-annual ABC Top Performers lists identify the Top 250 Performers, Top General Contractors, Top Trade Contractors, Top Electrical Contractors, Top Plumbing/HVAC Contractors, Top Specialty Contractors and Top Performers by Market, all of which have earned the elite Accredited Quality Contractor credential. The Top Performers were ranked by the number of hours worked in 2024, as reported in their 2025 STEP applications. The rankings also include lists of top-performing companies in 19 market segments, such as airports, data centers, education, health care, industrial, infrastructure, military and sports complexes.
ABC’s 2026 Top Performers are presented by Construction Executive, ABC’s award-winning magazine for the business of construction. View the 2026 Top Performers lists at abc.org/topperformers.
About DVB: Delmarva Veteran Builders is a fresh, gritty commercial construction firm igniting potential and doing epic things. Led by two owners, Navy Veteran Chris Eccleston and former architect Kathryn Ellis, DVB has become the contractor of choice on the Eastern Shore. In just over ten years, they have earned local and national accolades as the firm to watch. Recipients of the Pentagon's Freedom Award and the #HireVets Medallion Award, DVB empowers both veterans and civilians. From state and municipal developments to hotels and convenience stores, their impact is clear. Beyond delivering first-rate builds, DVB fosters a strong company culture, veteran spirit, community involvement, and even a children's book about construction saving the world. Their work stands out with signature WWII-style graphics and the battle cry—"Grit Leads to Greatness." More than builders, DVB is a movement, redefining leadership, innovation, and excellence while inspiring the next generation of builders.
About ABC: Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and more than 23,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC helps members offer a robust employee value proposition, develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at abc.org.
