Shawmut Acquires Full-Service Hotel Renovation Contractor First Finish to Create Unique Offering in the Market

Shawmut has acquired First Finish, a premier full-service hotel renovation contractor, a partnership that combines expertise in large, complex hotel projects with expertise in fast-track, luxury interiors.

With current pent-up demand for refreshed rooms and amenities—particularly in the New York, Los Angeles, South Florida, and Boston markets—this partnership combines the specialties of each firm to provide a more strategic analysis of an overall project, bringing value with a holistic view that identifies and solves challenges upfront. While most full-scale hotel renovations require two contractors or more, Shawmut and First Finish provide one team that can execute structural, infrastructure, public space, and room work cost-effectively.

L to R: Shawmut CEO Les Hiscoe; First Finish partner and executive vice president Bryan Higgins; First Finish president & founder David Burman; Shawmut executive vice president Randy Shelly

“The joining of First Finish with Shawmut creates an offering that is unique to the market, creating an all-in-one solution for clients,” said Les Hiscoe, CEO of Shawmut. “We pride ourselves on our commitment to excellence—in client service, execution, safety, and people. In First Finish, we see a company that shares this commitment.” 

Based in Columbia, Maryland, First Finish is known for combining quality and speed through nimbleness, creativity, and efficiency. Among its recently completed and ongoing projects are the W South Beach, Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, The Shelborne by Proper in Miami Beach, and Sonesta Los Angeles Airport.

“We’ve grown to where we are today thanks to our specialty expertise, market knowledge, and deep understanding of our clients and their needs,” said David Burman, President and Founder of First Finish. “By becoming part of Shawmut, we can grow and scale with existing clients and add larger, more complex work to our resume. The cultural synergy and complementary skillsets with Shawmut create one incredibly strong, all-encompassing expert team.”

First Finish will continue to pursue its own projects in addition to its pursuits with Shawmut, and Burman will retain his position as First Finish president. All First Finish employees will become part of Shawmut, a 100 percent employee-owned company.

With its roots in hospitality, Shawmut’s portfolio of hotel work spans four decades, with projects including The Peninsula New York, Soho Warehouse, Hotel AKA Brickell, InterContinental New York Barclay, Nobu Ryokan, Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina event center, and The Langham, Boston.

FMI Capital Advisors served as financial advisor and Venable LLP served as legal counsel to First Finish. Chartwell Financial Advisory served as financial advisor and Blank Rome LLP served as legal counsel to Shawmut.