Restani gains competitive advantage and empowers trade partners with Constrafor

Since the early 1980s, Restani Construction has been a pillar of New York infrastructure, built from the ground up by a Sicilian immigrant who instilled values of integrity and doing right by partners. Today, this family-owned general contractor manages critical bridge, highway, and infrastructure projects across New York. As they've grown, Restani encountered a common industry challenge: long payment cycles from government agencies were creating a downstream impact on their trade partners.

The Challenge

Like most GCs managing public projects, Restani could handle extended payment timelines of three to four months. However, they recognized that these delays shouldn't dictate when their subcontractors got paid. "Liquidity is critical in this industry because of the long cash cycles, and the smaller the partner, the more critical liquidity becomes," explains VP of Corporate Development Stoya Maglova.

Restani saw an opportunity to strengthen their position in the market by ensuring reliable payment terms for their trade partners, regardless of when project owners released funds. This wasn't just about doing right by their subcontractors—it was about creating a competitive advantage. "Giving the option to the vendor themselves to get paid whenever they want gets them more excited to work with us," explains Project Manager Moe Doughan.

What Restani needed was a financing solution that would allow them to guarantee payment terms to their trade partners while maintaining their own operational efficiency. This capability would help them attract and retain the best subcontractors in their market, ultimately supporting their continued growth.

The Solution

After researching various financing options, Restani selected Constrafor as their partner for accelerating payments. "The big factor in favor of Constrafor was the ease of the process," explains Maglova. The relationship also played a crucial role in the decision. "Tony knows how to maintain the right balance between formal and informal, which in construction is very important. His patience and persistence ultimately led to our partnership today."

Beyond implementation, Restani found a partner who understood their vision for vendor relationships. Constrafor's team provides dedicated support to help subcontractors understand and access the early payment program. "The support from Tony and Courtney made a huge difference," notes Doughan. "When subcontractors call saying they need help making payroll that week, we can tell them 'Yes, we have a solution. You can get paid whenever you want—it's completely at your discretion.'"

Building on their early success, Restani and Constrafor are focused on making the program as accessible as possible—working to simplify the contract process and begin introducing EPP at the start of new trade partner relationships. "It's better for everyone when subcontractors know this option is available from day one," notes Doughan.

The Results

The impact of Restani's early payment program has been transformative—for both Restani and their trade partners. "We're retaining our good partners, and they feel comfortable enough to grow with us," explains Moe Doughan. The program's value is so clear that subcontractors actively seek it out. "They ask to use Constrafor even before payments are due," notes Doughan. "And once they try it once, they use it every time." This level of engagement has helped fuel Restani's growth, with revenue projected to increase two-fold in the next five years.

Benefits felt by trade partners have been equally significant. "The small truckers that owned one or two trucks now have four or five because they know they can get paid whenever they want," says Doughan. This creates a win-win scenario: subcontractors can confidently grow their operations, while Restani builds a network of reliable partners capable of supporting larger projects. "Vendors are running to work with us again," notes Doughan. "We're making good on our promises, and they're comfortable doing more business together."