McCarthy Building Companies is one of the oldest privately held builders in the US. The general contractor and construction manager has projects worldwide and ranks among the top builders of health care facilities in the US. Contracts include heavy construction projects (bridges and water and waste-treatment plants), industrial projects (biopharmaceutical, food processing, and microelectronics facilities), commercial projects (retail and office buildings), and institutional projects (airports, schools, and prisons). Timothy McCarthy founded the firm in 1864. His great-grandson, chairman emeritus Michael McCarthy, sold the firm to its employees in 2002.