About Us
Our Story
Owners Serge and Todd Lessard have decades of experience building for the area’s most successful companies. We leverage this experience to lower costs, provide industry-leading best practices and execution, and perform with the highest level of integrity.
Leading Edge Construction is the most recent addition to the Lessard Family portfolio. Our new company will allow us to focus on the needs of our commercial and industrial clients while sustaining the high level of performance we’ve been known for around the region for decades.
Our Values
We leverage our experience to lower costs, drive process efficiency and industry best practices, and perform with the highest level of integrity.
Exceptional Performance / Client Satisfaction
We leverage our experience to lower costs, drive process efficiency and industry best practices, and perform with the highest level of integrity.
Clean & Safe Job Sites
Continuous safety training program, pre-work checklists & review, apply debris/waste management program.
Sustainability
Our team works diligently to reduce waste, recycle materials properly and repurpose products creatively within project scopes.
Best Talent
Strive to assemble a team with the most qualified, creative and hard working talent available to deliver our services.
Social Responsibility
Expect the highest level of respect and personal behavior from our employees, sub-contractors and suppliers.
Quality Craftsmanship
We pride ourselves on creative solutions, thoughtful details, with exceptional craftsmanship.
Strong Relationships
Our goal is to establish relationships with clients that share our business philosophy and commitments to quality and ethical behavior.
Efficient Project Delivery
We invest in pre-planning our projects and apply emerging technology to efficiently track and report on our project progress.
Company Leadership & Staff
Serge Lessard
Owner, Construction Operations
Serge Lessard migrated from Quebec, Canada at age 18 and immediately began working in the construction industry. He has over 30 years of experience and the past 20+ years as a licensed General Contractor.
Serge specialized in residential and commercial construction, taking clients from initial conception through architectural design with a focus on integrating their long-term vision into the construction results. With a commitment to excellence, safety, tradition, and integrity, he has a long history of tailoring every project to the individual needs of his diverse clientele, bringing steadfast dedication and efficiency to every job.
Todd Lessard
Owner, Project Executive Services
Todd Lessard is one of the owners at Leading Edge Construction and also as the leader for all project executive services.
He started his career working for his father’s drywall business during his summer breaks from school. He worked as an apprentice cleaning floors and learning the skilled trade. This experience laid the groundwork for a lifelong passion for the design and construction industry.
He expanded his experience when he took a position with a regional general contractor. He learned the business quickly and eventually rose to Vice President of the company. In this role, he provided services to United Technologies (Raytheon) and their Collins Aerospace division located in Windsor Locks. His drive and performance was recognized by this client leading them to offer him an opportunity to join their in-house Capital Projects team where he oversaw several complex and high profile commercial office and industrial type projects.
In 2020 he decided to rejoin the family business by creating Leading Edge Construction with Serge Lessard. This venture affords him the opportunity to build upon his family’s legacy while delivering his expertise in commercial and industrial construction to clients throughout this region.
Serge P. Arel, RA
Director, Business Development
Serge P. Arel is a registered architect, experienced planner, project manager and leader of facilities services and has been active in the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island markets for several years.
After graduation from the Boston Architectural College in 1990 he pursued a career working in the Hartford area design firms while pursuing his professional Architectural registration in 1992. Immediately thereafter, he accepted a position as the Facilities Architect for Aetna working in all regional properties located in Hartford, Middletown and Windsor. With the passage of ADA Legislation, he led efforts to evaluate all corporate properties for accessibility requirements and developed plans required to achieve proper accommodations for disabled employees and public spaces accessed by the community.
In 1993, he joined Connecticut National Bank and oversaw the project management of corporate facilities and real estate activities driven primarily by the bank mergers with Shawmut, Fleet and Bank of Boston. In this role he established key strategic alliance partnerships in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island for design, construction, furniture and moving service providers.
In 1999, he joined USI and accepted a position managing the design & construction services for UTC. Over an 18-year assignment, he assembled a team of talented designers, construction project managers, furniture specialists and administrators that worked within the corporate real estate organization. This team expanded into dedicated on-site teams located at P&W and Collins Aerospace for managing facilities and capital improvements.
In 2018 he left to pursue other interests that have led him to join Leading Edge Construction as the Director of Business Development.
Generations of Exceptional Craftsmanship
Precision | Experience | Craftsmanship | Technology
Leading Edge Construction uses both traditional methods and new construction techniques along with emerging technology to deliver the most responsive service and highest quality workmanship at competitive pricing. Our leadership team closely collaborates with design professionals and trade craftsmen to influence project results. We leverage available technology to drive efficiency and quality. We are a family-owned business that approaches each project individually and assembles a team that is best suited to met the needs of our clients.
What Our Clients Say....
"Thanks for jumping on this project and completing it on time!"
- James Fielding, Coordinator of University Construction, Eastern Connecticut State University
“Proud to be partnered with Leading Edge making a difference in Norwich, Connecticut! We appreciate the teamwork!”
– Kevin Brown, President of Norwich Community Development Corporation (NCDC)
“Thank you so much for attending Serge! We really enjoyed the soft open. Your team did an amazing job, we lost count on the number of compliments that we received on the place.”
- Adam Burwin – Owner’s Project Manager for Tri-It Taproom
“Thank you and your company for everything! It was so great that you guys came to our soft opening with such a short notice! We really appreciated that. We are all so pleased with how everything came out. I think it looks amazing! We are constantly getting compliments on the interior, so I never miss an opportunity to sing your praises!
– Michelle Norris, Owner, Tri-It Taproom
“We have had nothing short of a great experience working with your team. We are excited about the prospect of partnering together on more projects in CT and potentially MA as well.”
- Nick Borseti, Falkbuilt New England
“Thanks to you and Leading Edge Construction for your sponsorship of the V Foundation Event this year. It is much appreciated and this year we raised the MOST EVER for our CT-based event where more than $40,000 went direct to the V Foundation where 100% of all proceeds go to cancer research.”
– Scott Tibbo, Managing Director, Sireas Inc. & V Foundation Planning Committee Member
"Thank you thank you for your help with the flood. I have heard very great things about you and your willingness to help out! Much appreciated."
- Sue Boronski - Facility Planner, Callaway Golf
"The Leading Edge team has been fantastic, I definitely look forward to opportunities to work together in the future!"
– Melissa Spiga, NCIDQ, IIDA, Interior Designer, CHK Architects
