Kendrick is one of those people that just lives for genuine relationships. He enjoys knowing people really well, understanding what makes them tick and then working toward a goal. Something that echoes from his time as a former NFL football player. He saw the power of camaraderie, and what good relationships could accomplish.

I like to bring genuine straightforwardness to people. When I know someone, and know how they operate, I can anticipate exactly how to work well with them. I like the challenge of doing this with the entire spectrum of personalities I get to interact with.

Not surprisingly, Kendrick is the champion of Plain Talk, an Optimum core value. Telling the whole truth to bring clarity and direction is the most efficient path to get from an idea to the completed project. A straight conversation is the shortest distance between two points, putting an end to confusion.

Kendrick focuses his energy on knowing people, because he believes that every person operates with a set of expectations. As President and Owner, it’s his job to know what these are and create alignment. His responsibilities cover the gamut of operations, but this is the essence of his role, aligning people’s skills and expectations to get shit done.

Kendrick was a tight end for the Baltimore Ravens before transitioning to a role as a construction manager in Boston. Upon moving back to his home state of Maine, he founded Optimum Construction in 2009, guided by a single principle: Build Better Relationships.

Ryan has been building in the construction industry for over 20 years, putting his hands on over 500 individual buildings during that time. After studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maine, he completed his Green Building Certification from Sonoma State University in 2010. Early in his career, he worked for several construction companies across the nation. In 2012, Ryan joined forces with Kendrick and co-founded Optimum Construction.

Ryan spends most of his energy listening, rather than talking about himself, making him the living embodiment of our core value of Listening.

Seeing an end-product that reflects Optimum’s culture of relationships is why he comes to work in the morning. His other favorite value, Durabeauty, is the physical manifestation of how quality construction work facilitates quality lives (just ask anyone who’s had to deal with endless house problems).

Ryan enjoys working with good people and likes to build relationships that build trust. For him it’s an environment in which anyone can flourish, from clients to architects to subcontractors. As the VP of Optimum Construction, he manages the details of every plan and translates them into execution. He visualizes the end-goal, then organizes the path to completion, making each individual method work together.

In 20+ years of commercial construction in Maine, Sebastien has been involved in a wide range of projects in multiple roles. He’s been around a jobsite, acting as Site Supervisor, Project Manager, and Estimator for projects in the multi-unit residential, healthcare, retail, office, industrial and warehousing, and other submarkets. What brought him to Optimum? A shared appreciation for the creation of new connections and for doing whatever it takes to maintain relationships.

As a Project Manager, Sebastien completed several projects for clients such as Mid Coast Hospital, Maine Veterans Cemetery Association, Bowdoin College, Maine College of Art, Waynflete School, and Maine Today Media. As the estimator on many of these projects, he developed a niche in managing occupied renovations, which allows clients to continue their operations while upgrading their facilities at the same time.

Currently, as Director of Preconstruction, he works with clients to develop initial budgets (which includes value engineering), manages the development of construction documents, solicitations, and contracts with all subcontractor partners. He’s keen on creative problem-solving and pre-planning with a mind to enhancing project timing and client budgets. At Optimum, we leverage his huge experience and sharp skills to benefit all of our relationships, from clients and trade partners to our internal team.

Ryan can be described as the kind of guy who loves a challenge and thrives on bringing it all together. He’s the son of a mother from a large Italian family and an Englishman whose parents came to the New World in search of the American Dream. He grew up on the North Shore of Massachusetts and played high school football at St. John’s in Danvers, which eventually led him to the University of Maine.

At UMaine, where he met Optimum founder Kendrick Ballantyne on the football field, he studied Business Administration and Construction Management. From there, he began his career in the construction industry with a pipefitting company, helping build power plants. This was shortly after the real estate market crashed in 2008. Here, he observed fieldwork and office operations, gaining insight into both.

He spent years on the South Shore working on multi-family and mixed-use property construction. Along the way, he completed coursework in architecture at Boston Architectural College, project and risk management at Northeastern University, and reading plans and estimating at Wentworth Institute of Technology, among other programs.

As Project Executive of the Massachusetts office, Ryan is building a competitive team in the marketplace and leveraging the resources of an established organization. He engages new clients through business development, fosters client relationships by providing value, and continues to build relationships with trade partners. One of Ryan’s biggest challenges is maintaining the company’s culture in a new market, but with the right staff, this is becoming easier.

Shaun is an accomplished Construction Executive and Project Management Professional with over 20 years of experience managing complex commercial construction projects across Maine. A former business owner and seasoned project manager, Shaun has successfully led projects totaling more than $500 million in value, demonstrating expertise in both ground-up construction and historical renovation.

As a former hockey coach, Shaun brings a natural leadership style to his work, mentoring teams, inspiring collaboration, and fostering a culture of high performance. He believes that strong communication and deep client relationships are the cornerstones of successful project delivery.

Shaun is known for his strategic vision, attention to detail, and decisive problem-solving. Whether guiding teams through the unique challenges of historic tax credit programs or managing fast-paced builds, Shaun’s focus remains on delivering exceptional results while exceeding client expectations.

Shaun takes pride in his collaborative and process-driven approach to project management. He views each project as a partnership, prioritizing transparency, thoughtful planning, and a relentless drive to deliver quality outcomes.