The award program judged contractors operating within California based on their records of excellence in three general categories: Business Leadership, Investment in People and Community/Industry Involvement/Leadership.

In a year marked by national economic upheaval, McCarthy’s California divisions excelled in all three categories.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., McCarthy was founded as a family-owned company in 1864 and has grown to employing more than 2,100 people nationwide. Today, the 100 percent employee-owned firm has ongoing projects in California generating more than $5.7 billion. Recent McCarthy projects include the Kaiser Permanente Downey and Fontana medical centers and the hospital network’s Oakland medical center, office building and cancer center; Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital; LAX Tom Bradley Terminal (in a joint venture with Clark Construction); Los Angeles Unified School District Middle School No. 3; and the Soka University Performing Arts and Classroom Building.

Throughout, McCarthy showed itself as a leading innovator in building information modeling, alternative project delivery methods and green building.

McCarthy employees have also shown a generous commitment to the neighborhoods in which they work. Last year, the company donated more than 2 percent of its operating profits to community programs.

Through the McCarthy Heart Hats program, employees are provided days off with full pay to volunteer their skills with local organizations in need. Philanthropic organizations McCarthy Heart Hats support include the Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The Scouts of America, United Cerebral Palsy, United Way and YMCA.