THE TEAM

Martin Downs, P.E., serves as Chief Executive Officer of J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, where he leads one of the region’s premier infrastructure construction companies with a focus on operational excellence, safety, innovation, and long-term growth. Since joining Creamer in 2002 as an intern, Martin has built his career through a series of leadership roles across the organization, earning a reputation for developing strong teams and delivering complex utility, transportation, and heavy civil infrastructure projects.

After beginning his full-time career with Creamer as a project engineer in the heavy highway sector, Martin advanced through positions of increasing responsibility, including area manager, vice president, and president. Over more than two decades with the company, he has helped guide major infrastructure work throughout the Northeast and has played an important role in strengthening Creamer’s capabilities, culture, and client relationships.

Martin is known for his people-first leadership style and his commitment to building the next generation of industry talent. He has emphasized the importance of mentorship, workforce development, and sustainable growth while helping position Creamer to meet evolving infrastructure and energy demands. A graduate of Stevens Institute of Technology, Martin earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2004 and his master’s degree in 2005, and he is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Rick joined J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. in 1991 following his graduation from the State University of New York.

He spent his first three years at Cream Ridge Construction as a foreman, then became superintendent, where he primarily supervised paving and restoration for multiple utility companies.  When he transferred to J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. in 1994 as superintendent, he expanded his project management experience to utility, water main rehabilitation, and heavy highway projects. His demonstrated ability to multi-task, along with his strong leadership skills, earned him a promotion to general superintendent in 2007. Rick has no set working hours. He is on call 24/7, responds to all emergency work throughout New York and New Jersey, and has supervised water main cleaning and lining projects throughout the United States. Rick was promoted to operations manager in 2014, where he oversaw all facets of utility and heavy construction projects. In 2016, Rick was promoted to Vice President of Operations where he leads the company’s construction and fleet operations.

Rick has gained a solid reputation within the company and with many clients for consistently completing all of his managed projects on schedule and within budget. Rick is also a well-respected Creamer spokesperson when he interfaces with key company clients.

Rick has always recognized safety as a critical component in the construction industry and a priority at Creamer. He has had extensive OSHA safety training, including 10 Hour OSHA Construction Safety, 30 Hour OSHA Construction Safety, OSHA 40 Hour HazWoper, OSHA Competent Person Training, and CPR.  He has also rounded out his training with the Tunneling Short Course at the Colorado School of Mines.

Rick plays an active role in numerous professional and community organizations, including serving as a member of the Bergen County 200 Club and as a Trustee for the Teamster’s Local 560 Welfare and Pension Fund.

Rick has supervised several major utility and heavy highway construction projects, one of the most memorable being his supervision of the reconstruction of the Route 4 and Route 17 Interchange in Paramus, NJ, United Water New Rochelle NYDEP Shaft 22 Interconnection, and the construction of the United Water Toms River Berkley Treatment Plant.

Rick graduated from the State University of New York with an Associate Degree in Civil Engineering Technology.

Daniel Fowler serves as the Vice President of Corporate Services & Special Projects at J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc., where he provides executive leadership across several key operational areas, including Safety, Training, Risk Management, Technology, and People Services. In addition to overseeing these critical functions, Daniel plays a strategic role in select business and project development initiatives that support the company’s long-term growth and innovation.

Daniel began his career after graduating from Rutgers University with a B.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering. After gaining early experience in design, he then joined Creamer in 2002 as a Project Engineer. In 2004, he ventured into entrepreneurship, co-founding a communications and audio-visual contracting firm. Over the next decade, he honed his expertise in estimating, site supervision, project management, business development, corporate strategy, and finance. His firm served a diverse client base, including Rutgers University, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and numerous K–12 school districts across New Jersey.

Returning to Creamer in 2015, Daniel rejoined the company as a Senior Project Manager, leading a wide range of infrastructure projects across multiple business lines. His innovative thinking and business acumen led to his promotion to Director of Corporate Services in 2020, where he spearheaded the reorganization of the company’s back-office operations. In 2022, he was elevated to his current role, where he continues to drive operational excellence and strategic development across the organization.

Daniel is actively involved in industry and community initiatives. He serves on the boards of the ACE Mentor Program of New Jersey and the Commerce & Industry Association of New Jersey. He is a passionate advocate for workforce development and is committed to fostering the next generation of industry professionals.

A licensed Professional Engineer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, Daniel is also a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He holds multiple OSHA safety certifications and has contributed to several high-profile infrastructure projects, including the NJDOT Route 21 Project in Newark, multiple 69kV upgrade projects for PSE&G across northern New Jersey, and the 6th Street Sewer Upgrade in Jersey City.

Jason Newman is President of J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc., a nationally recognized infrastructure contractor consistently ranked among the ENR Top 400 Contractors. A longtime leader within the organization, Jason brings more than two decades of experience with Creamer, having joined the company in 2002 after graduating from Clemson University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Over the course of his career, he has developed deep expertise across the company’s lines of business, with particular strength in underground utilities, trenchless technology, and complex infrastructure project delivery.

Before being named President, Jason served as Vice President of Construction Management, where he was responsible for the execution of all projects constructed and directly supervised the area managers that lead Creamer’s branches. His leadership has helped advance Creamer’s trenchless and rehabilitation capabilities, including spray-in-place pipe applications and other specialized infrastructure solutions.

In his new role as President, Jason leads J. Fletcher Creamer & Son with a strong foundation in field execution, operational leadership, and technical innovation. His career reflects a hands-on understanding of the business and a long-standing commitment to delivering safe, high-quality infrastructure solutions for our clients and the communities we touch while developing strong leaders to ensure Creamer remains at the forefront of the industry.

Pete is the Vice President of Estimating for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. Pete oversees the department responsible for bidding, negotiating, and securing contracts for the company, in both the public and private sector. Developing and maintaining client relationships is the foundation of their success.

Pete graduated from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and knew that heavy civil construction would be his career path.

After graduation, he spent 10 years working for a small family-owned bridge builder in Connecticut as an office engineer, project engineer, and estimator. A move to New Jersey was next, and over the next 11 years he worked for several heavy civil contractors in New Jersey and New York. Pete spent 4 years in the field as a superintendent and then transitioned to estimating as a senior estimator.

Pete found his way to Creamer in 2005 when he joined the team as a senior estimator. In 2009, he was promoted to Chief Estimator, moving to the Linden office. In 2018, he was chosen to join the management team as Vice President of Estimating. Pete’s vision is to encourage the collaboration of his estimating group. Each member exhibit strengths and expertise that compliment those of the rest of the team. Having been the lead estimator on many projects in his career, he sees the value in a team approach to estimating. It’s a great feeling when you can share the success of securing a contract with your colleagues.

Chris Anthony serves as Controller at J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc.

A 1998 graduate of Marist College with a B.S. in accounting, Chris started with Creamer in 2001. Over the past 20 years, Chris has progressed within the company, holding the positions of junior accountant, staff accountant, senior accountant, and assistant controller before his current role as controller in 2019.

Over the years, Chris has been instrumental in Creamer’s continued growth, most notably by assisting with Creamer’s valuation and purchase accounting for its acquisition by APi Group in 2016. Chris has been vital in Creamer’s adoption and compliance of Sarbanes-Oxley. He also oversees all accounting associated with Creamer’s joint ventures and all company audits.

Chris is a member of the Construction Financial Management Association, holds an eCornell Servant Leadership Certificate, and is currently studying for the Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional certification.

Bryan Schmalz is the Business Manager for both the Wall and Linden New Jersey offices.  The main lines of business for these locations involve utility, guide rail, and signs, as well as heavy civil work.

After interning with Creamer during college, Bryan graduated from Rutgers University with honors with a degree in civil engineering. Upon graduation, Bryan began his career as a project engineer. Over the years, with a strong work ethic and great mentors to guide him along the way, Bryan worked his way up to superintendent in 2005 and again to a project manager in 2006. Bryan was most recently promoted to his current position as business manager in the fall of 2018. Bryan continues to work on developing the future leaders within the company to create an ever-growing business with limitless potential.

Bryan is a member of UTCA Young Professionals and has become more involved with the professional associations in the state pertaining to the construction industry. He’s also involved with local recreation programs.

Bryan holds several professional certifications and trainings including, but not limited to: OSHA 40-Hour Hazmat Training, OSHA 8-Hour Hazmat Supervisor Training, OSHA 30-Hour Training, CPR, Concrete Construction Technology Course Lifetime Certification, Crosby Rigging Training, Explorer Training, and Drilled Shaft Management Training.

Andrew Puk currently serves as a Business Manager for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc for both the Folsom (NJ) and Beltsville (MD) offices.  Andrew has experience in multiple lines of business, ranging from roads and bridges to underground utility installation.

Andrew has been with Creamer since 2011, when he started as a Project Engineer. In 2015, he was named a Project Superintendent before being promoted to Project Manager in 2018. In 2022, Andrew was promoted to Senior Project Manager until moving into his current role of Business Manager.  As a Senior Project Manager, he was responsible for the oversight of $40 million per year in various underground utility and heavy construction projects throughout New Jersey.  

Andrew is a member of UTCA Young Professionals and has become more involved with the professional associations in the state pertaining to the construction industry.

Cody Cammarata serves as Business Manager for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc.’s New York branch. With more than 15 years of experience in civil construction, Cody has built his career across a broad spectrum of infrastructure work, with a particular focus on subsurface utility installations and the construction of water treatment facilities.

Cody began his career with Creamer in 2010 as an intern and steadily advanced through the organization, taking on roles of increasing responsibility including Project Engineer, Senior Project Engineer, Project Manager, and Senior Project Manager. In 2024, he was promoted to Business Manager and now leads all New York-based project execution and business development efforts.

Over the course of his career, Cody has played a key role in several complex and high-profile projects, including the Bergen-Linden Corridor 345kV Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) Circuit Installation Project, the Sterling Lake Tank Improvements, and the Lake Tappan Shoreline Armoring. His leadership and technical expertise have consistently contributed to the successful delivery of challenging infrastructure initiatives across the region.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Roger Williams University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in both New Jersey and New York. Cody is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the Construction Industry Council of Westchester & Hudson Valley (CIC), and the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

Nelson Sanchez serves as Business Manager for J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc.’s Hackensack office, where he leads operations across North Jersey and oversees work across several of the company’s core business lines, including utility installation, water and wastewater treatment plants, electrical substations, and heavy highway/civil infrastructure. 

With over 20 years of experience in the construction industry, Nelson brings deep technical knowledge and field-tested leadership to his role. Since joining Creamer in 2022, he has been instrumental in managing some of the company’s most complex and high-profile projects, including the Portal North Bridge Project, Route 7 Drainage Improvements in Kearny, and the AirTrain Newark Conrail Crash Wall. His broader career portfolio includes contributions to regional megaprojects such as the Pulaski Skyway Rehabilitation, 72nd Street Station Cavern Mining, and East Side Access Tunneling. 

Nelson began his career in 2003 and has progressed through a wide range of roles—from Field Engineer and General Superintendent to Project Executive and Senior Project Manager. His ability to manage multidisciplinary teams and deliver challenging infrastructure projects has made him a trusted leader within the organization. 

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology with a minor in Coastal Engineering. Nelson is fluent in both English and Spanish and maintains numerous industry certifications in safety, track operations, and construction management. He is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Mining Engineers, General Contractors Association of NY, and Associated Construction Contractors of NJ.