“A Reputation Built On Excellence.”
Our Story
BRICK BY BRICK, YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES, CREATIVE CONTRACTORS HAS BUILT A REPUTATION FOR EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WORKMANSHIP.
Led by the traditional values and uncompromising standards of founder Alan C. Bomstein, our team of experienced, dedicated craftsmen have nurtured long-standing relationships and deep knowledge of the Florida construction market to create something greater—contributing to the community while helping businesses and organizations prosper, with every signature we add to the skyline.
While being “big” has never been our intention, with annual volume in excess of $200 million, we are consistently ranked as the largest local contractor in Tampa Bay. We take great pride in building community and institutional projects, including hospitals, schools and universities, cultural facilities, municipal buildings and wellness and recreation spaces—the places where Florida communities learn, heal and gather. Most importantly, we enjoy every minute we spend improving the built environment in Tampa Bay.
Our story began in 1974, when Alan Bomstein started a company building mall stores.
It was the beginning of the enclosed shopping mall boom in Tampa Bay and he called his company Store Builders Inc. He did well and constructed over 100 mall stores in six regional malls. Then one of his mall clients asked him to build a freestanding bank building, and thus began the move into freestanding construction.
In 1978, Alan changed the name of the company to Creative Contractors, a nod to the reputation he garnered for coming up with creative solutions, mixed with a passion for customer service. And he imbued that passion to those who joined him, building a company respected for its integrity and passion for excellence.
Now with the second-generation leadership of Josh Bomstein, CEO & President, we are proud protectors of the heritage and culture passed down by our founder.
From the Beginning to Today
In the Beginning…
November 20, 1974, Alan Bomstein incorporated Store Builders, Inc., the original name of the company, which focused on tenant buildouts in the planned Countryside Mall, a 100-store mall under construction in Clearwater, scheduled to open on Labor Day weekend, 1975. By the time the mall opened, Store Builders had constructed nine of the fifty-five occupied stores. The following year, we built twenty-four of the remaining forty-five stores.
Over the next three years, Store Builders followed the mall boom, building many stores in five malls in the Tampa Bay area. This success led to clients asking Alan to build other free-standing projects including a bank, a doctor’s office, and a small warehouse. With this evolution, Alan realized his name was limiting and in December 1977, he changed the name to Creative Contractors.
1970s – The Fledgling Years
– November 20, 1974: Alan Bomstein received the state of Florida’s approval for the corporate charter of Store Builders, Inc.
– December 1977: Store Builders becomes Creative Contractors, Inc.
– 1978: Creative is approached by the mall to rip out the large courtyard and fountain in the center of the mall and build an ice rink, Centre Ice, which still stands today (now called Tampa Bay Skating Academy). In the same year, Creative won its first government job to build Dunedin City Hall.
1980s – Diversifying the Portfolio
– By the early 1980s, retail centers dominated Creative’s business, with notable projects including Dolphin Village on St. Pete Beach and The Fountains Shopping Center in Palm Harbor.
– 1981: Creative ventures into large office structures by building the new headquarters of Life Savings & Loan, prominently situated on US Hwy. 19 in Clearwater.
– During this decade, Creative also built its first hospital project, an endoscopy unit at Morton Plant Hospital, and constructed the first two buildings for the nascent Jabil Circuit Co. headquarters.
1990s – Deepening Relationships
– Creative continued expanding its portfolio with significant healthcare, government, hospitality, office, and retail projects.
– 1996: Creative’s first foray into K-12 education came with the expansion and historic renovation of Hillsborough High School in Tampa. This success has led to three decades of collaboration with Hillsborough County Schools and solidified its reputation among other school districts.
– 1998: Creative was selected by Manatee County Schools for the expansion and remodel of W. D. Sugg Middle School, leading to further work in Manatee.
– In the late 1990s, Pinellas County Schools adopted a prototype elementary school designed by Ed Hoffman Jr., and in 2003, Creative was awarded its first opportunity to build the prototype. Over the years, Creative has completed the prototype three times and built more than twenty-five projects for Pinellas Schools.
2000s – Higher Ed and Continued Growth
– 2000: Creative won the contract to construct the iconic St. Petersburg College Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art and Fine Arts Education building on the Tarpon Springs campus. This project opened doors for more opportunities with local universities and colleges.
– 2004: Alan Bomstein’s son Josh joins Creative Contractors as Business Development Manager.
– 2006: Creative began a 14-year span of working on the expansion of Saint Leo University during a period of remarkable growth for the institution.
– 2008: Creative was hired to build USF’s first major project in twenty years on the St. Petersburg campus, the Science and Technology building. Over the years, Creative has constructed numerous other buildings at USF campuses, including the Kate Tiedemann College of Business, the University Student Center and Residence Hall, and the USF Bulls Football Locker Room.
2010s – Shaping Spaces for Recreation and Community
-2010s: Creative completes Largo Community Center, a 30,000 sf wellness center followed by the Highland Recreation Center. Over the next ten years, the firm will build over 200,000 square feet of wellness and fitness facilities including the Bryan Glazer Family JCC, Spurlino YMCA, and Shore Acres Recreation Center.
-2019: Creative opens its first satellite office in Bradenton, Florida to support work in Manatee and Sarasota counties.
2020s – Full Speed Ahead
– 2022: After 40 years in downtown Clearwater, Creative moves to our newly built headquarters on Creative Way. Designed by Ed Hoffman, AIA, the 14,200 SF building achieved Fitwel certification in 2023.
– 2024: Creative opens a new office in Lakeland. With Polk County currently the fastest-growing county in the state, Creative is well-positioned to continue delivering projects for the community.
– 2024: Alan Bomstein transitions leadership of the company to his son, Josh Bomstein, who assumed the role of CEO. Alan remains involved as Founder. Josh has spent the last twenty years learning every aspect of the business and is poised to continue the level of professionalism imbued by his father.
-2026: Creative Contractors is again recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a Best Places to Work! This achievement is a testament to our strong commitment to fostering a positive, empowering work culture. We’re proud of our incredible team, who truly make this possible.
Meet Our Leaders
Leadership Team
“We highly recommend Creative when there is no room for error.”
– John Wolf, AIA
President
The Wolf Group
Alan C. Bomstein
Founder
Joshua M. Bomstein
CEO and President
Alan Holderith
COO
Jerry Siminski
Chief Construction Officer
James C. Cacini
Chief Estimator
Todd Pope
Vice President
Troy Powell
Vice President
Joe Primiani
Vice President
Aixa Santiago
Vice President
Construction Management
We have always believed that ours is a service business. Your building is a by-product of the service we provide.
We have an extraordinary, tenured group of talented estimating and construction team members. Relentlessly focused on client satisfaction and providing long lasting value imbued with efficiency and cost-effectiveness. We put ourselves in the owner’s shoes and view everything we do from the vantage point of the customer. Our talent runs deep and everyone’s rare devotion to excellence is the hallmark of our company.
Some of the smart solutions provided during Preconstruction:
- Value Enhancement
- Cost Estimating
- Scheduling
- Life Cycle Cost Analysis
- Building Information Modeling / Clash Detection
- Sustainability Analysis
- Systems Analysis
- Constructability Analysis
- Existing field condition surveys
- Financial Forecasting
Design-Build
For more than 30 years we have provided successful design-build services for multiple building types.
Since we do not employ architects or engineers in-house, we have the ability to partner with the very best design partners for different project types. We work closely with our design partners to provide seamless communication and value to clients who prefer this model of single entity accountability. We are proud of our successful track record of design-build projects for both private and public sector clients.
