Partner Spotlight: How 34 Group Is Building Community and Resiliency In Western New York

When Erie County, New York, needed a partner to retrofit the electrical infrastructure for their 16-story county administrative building, they called on two partners they’ve known for years: e2Companies and 34 Group.

The project included the installation of e2’s Virtual UtilityⓇ with a two-megawatt R3DiⓇ System that will ensure the building stays online through severe weather or grid disruptions. The system also allows the county to earn an estimated $500,000 in additional revenue each year through utility incentives.

It’s just one of many projects 34 Group has helped deliver for the benefit of the community.

The New York State Certified Minority Business Enterprise, founded by Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas, focuses on construction for public buildings, healthcare systems, and nonprofit organizations.

We spoke with CEO Ron Juliano about 34 Group’s recent projects and the growing role of reliable, resilient power.

A Passion for Building Community

Thurman Thomas founded 34 Group in 2014 with his wife Patti, building on a long family tradition in construction.

The company is a self-performing contractor providing commercial carpentry, painting and labor including demolition, framing, and drywall installation. They also serve as a general contractor and provide construction management services.

34 Group works with local unions, with field crews ranging from 30 to more than 100 people depending on the size of the project. Its recent work includes installing 60,000 seats at the newly completed Highmark Stadium.

The company’s Minority Business Enterprise certification helps it access public contracting opportunities with minority business participation goals.

But certification alone doesn’t secure the work, Juliano said.

“We just want to get the work, continue to prove ourselves, and build a trusted relationship with our customers. That’s something I think we’ve been really successful at and proud of.”

Over the past decade, its reputation for doing great work has grown as the company has focused more intentionally on projects where they have previous experience and know they can succeed.

That has included Buffalo’s Northland Corridor, a multi-phase redevelopment project for an underused stretch of the city, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Erie County Medical Center, and ongoing work with other local construction managers.

Juliano joined six years ago to lead operations and administration, bringing extensive experience in construction management, while Thomas continues to build relationships with decision-makers and oversees the team’s workload.

“[Thurman Thomas] knows what's going on at any given moment, who's working on what, where we are, and just making sure that the team that he put together is working as a team and as good as we can be,” Juliano said of the Buffalo icon and entrepreneur.

The Partnership With e2Companies

Photo provided by 34 Group

The connection between 34 Group and e2Companies traces back to Thomas' friendship with Jeffrey Bonerb, now vice president of strategic business partnerships at e2Companies. The two knew each other before Bonerb's energy career, and their conversations eventually turned to e2Companies' R3Di® technology. Thomas presented the idea to Erie County leadership himself.

"He just has a way," Juliano said. "You get him in a room, and he's got the heart, and you can't help but love his vibe."

While e2 brings the technology expertise, 34 Group supplies crews that know the local trades, the permitting process, and the buildings. They also support logistics, including using heavy cranes to lift the two R3Di Systems onto the roof of the fifth floor.

The lifts placed more than 50 tons of equipment above a busy downtown street.

"Placing that anywhere is not easy," he said. "Placing it on a roof in downtown Buffalo is that much harder."

The job also meant coordinating multiple subcontractors and trades on the team, many with little experience on projects like this. "It was very, very heavy on electrical and a lot of technology involved that we have not done a lot in the past as a company," Juliano said. "We like to challenge ourselves and this was a challenging project for so many reasons, but that makes it exciting. You prove to yourself, and to other firms what you can do.”

Erie County and e2Companies completed the project working with National Grid and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority supporting the work alongside federal incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.

"This investment strengthens the resiliency of one of Erie County's most important public buildings while supporting the essential services our residents depend on every day," said William Geary, commissioner of the Erie County Department of Public Works.

The Rath Building project demonstrates what e2Companies and 34 Group can accomplish together and provides a model for organizations with similar power needs.

Now that 34 Group has had time to reflect on what they learned through the multi-year project, they’re looking at where they can offer that experience next.

What's Next

Photo provided by e2Companies

While 34 Group handles projects of all sizes, Juliano said he looks forward to getting involved in bigger projects now that they’ve completed the stadium project, Rath Building, and others.

We have more name recognition, and people understand what we can do,” he said. “ So I think we should be able to be more of a trusted partner on larger projects.”

34 Group has also contributed to projects with deep significance for the community, including a memorial honoring the 10 people killed in the May 2022 white supremacist attack at Tops supermarket. The memorial space includes trees and art installations.

“Overall, we want to continue to prove we’re bringing value to the table, we’re a good company, we do things the right way,” Juliano added.

The Rath Building is the first of several public-sector microgrids pairing 34 Group with e2Companies' distributed power technology.

In July 2026, Wayne County selected e2Companies, with 34 Group again serving as construction manager, to build a similar microgrid that will supply uninterruptible power to other critical county facilities about two hours from Buffalo.Several other projects are in development to build more reliable power systems to large buildings in the area.

"Our partnership with Wayne County builds on the momentum we've established across Western New York," said Bonerb. "Following the commissioning of our Microgrid and Resiliency Solutions Project with Erie County, it's exciting to see the success continue across the region. Together with 34 Group, we've built a strong local team focused on delivering tailored energy solutions that help communities strengthen resilience and prepare for the future."