S3 Builders Celebrates New Sun Valley Digs

Scrappy Sun Valley firm S3 Builders just celebrated its 15th anniversary with an expansion. Led by founder Marc Rapisardi and his professional partner of 10 years, John Epperly, S3 Builders hosted a Burbank Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new digs June 13 to tout the upgrade from a cramped, 1,000-square-foot shared space down the street to an airier, expansive 5,000-square-foot spread at 7684 Clybourn Ave. The new second-floor environment boasts a contemporary hybrid of industrial and rustic flourishes, including exposed brick and large pipes, elegant bathroom space which the builders erected in two days, and an elegant Eames conference table shipped in from upstate New York. Since its 2004 inception and initially made up of a clutch of Burbank-based Woodbury University alumni, S3 Builders has amassed a steady flow of projects from major companies. In addition to their alma mater, the company’s rapidly growing roster of clientele includes the Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel Entertainment and ABC Television; Tishman Speyer; Unibail-Radamco-Westfield; Siren Studios; Cedars-Sinai; CBRE Group Inc.; and Colliers International. The firm is currently doing tenant improvement work for Comcast Corp.-owned NBCUniversal in Universal City. At the party, Assistant Project Manager Johana Rodriguez, Director of Operations Carol Monroy, Accounts Manager Josie Mora, Bid Coordinator Daisy Sandoval and Controller Manuel Lopez mingled with Brian Young, vice president of Studio Operations at NBCUniversal; Woodbury’s Dean of Architecture Ingalill Wahlroos-Ritter, Burbank Chamber of Commerce officials led by Chief Executive Tom Flavin; and field deputies representing the offices of State Sen. Anthony Portantino and Congresswoman Laura Friedman amid a spread catered by Kitchen Italian Café and Pizzeria in Pasadena. Also present: John and Carolanne Rapisardi, Marc’s proud parents. “This is just another milestone for us,” Rapisardi told the Business Journal. “It’s been remarkable and a great journey.” Monroy, also with the company for a decade, added that the move, which rolled out across March and April, was necessary “to accommodate our needs. We always wanted to stay here locally. (The Sun Valley area) is a good hub.”