About

Blue World

Blue World was established to deliver effective and innovative construction solutions to public and private sector clients nationwide. Drawing on the expertise and experience of a diverse team, Blue World has built a reputation for flexibility, reliability, and creative problem-solving across complex and challenging projects. 

Our

History

Blue World was founded in early 2012 through the shared vision of Dennis Petrocelli and Patrick Hunnewell. Both founders recognized recurring challenges encountered on projects they had been involved with along the East and West Coasts — particularly with the performance and flexibility of larger contractors.

Our

approach

The Blue World methodology is site-specific, team-oriented, and technology-driven. We believe in working transparently and collaboratively with our clients, maintaining open communication and responsiveness to schedule, cost, and regulatory needs.

"Preparation and proactive management are key to every project’s success. Regardless of size or complexity, Blue World applies a consistent, disciplined process that includes:"

Health &

SAFETY COMMITMENT

At Blue World, the health and safety of our employees and the welfare of everyone on our worksites is our highest priority. We are committed to ensuring that our work poses no undue hazard and that every employee returns home safely each day.

Meet Our Team

Pat Hunnewell - President

Co-Founder

Site and Civil Construction Specialist

Leads technically complex projects with collaborative, hands-on leadership backed by three decades of field and executive experience across engineering and integrated construction systems.

Shawn Cooper - Southern Regional Manager

DBB & EPC Specialist

Construction Project Executive

Civil & Remediation Project Manager

Delivers nationwide projects across diverse industries, successfully managing multidisciplinary teams and complex delivery models from remediation through heavy civil and mechanical construction.

Tom Gilliam - Western Regional Manager

Construction Expert

Civil & Environmental Construction Specialist

Brings ground-up perspective from operator to executive, ensuring practical decision-making, field-level accountability, and efficient execution across western operations.

Michele Rogers Zelarayan, PE - Director, Design Build Services

Civi & Environmental Engineer

Former NYC Brownfield Board Member

Remediation & Land Development Specialist

Provides rigorous engineering oversight, regulatory expertise, and strategic due diligence experience, strengthening project feasibility, compliance, and successful close-out outcomes.

Phil Laubenstein - Director, Construction Services

Turnkey Design Expert

Civil, Mechanical, Design

Construction Systems Integration Specialist

Combines consulting insight with construction execution, guiding turnkey projects from concept through long-term operation with cost-conscious, solutions-driven leadership.

About Blue World

Blue World was established to deliver effective and innovative construction solutions to public and private sector clients nationwide.

Drawing on the expertise and experience of a diverse team, Blue World has built a reputation for flexibility, reliability, and creative problem-solving across complex and challenging projects.  Over the years, Blue World has expanded its capabilities nationally, offering multi-disciplined construction services designed to meet the evolving needs of our clients with precision and agility.

At Blue World, we foster a culture built on safety, quality, and creativity—the cornerstones of project success. Our teams are dedicated to providing superior, innovative, and costeffective solutions, striving to exceed client expectations on every project. Our commitment to safety, excellence, and innovation drives us to create reliable, collaborative teams that consistently deliver projects on time and on budget.

Our History

Blue World was founded in early 2012 through the shared vision of Dennis Petrocelli and Patrick Hunnewell. Both founders recognized recurring challenges encountered on projects they had been involved with along the East and West Coasts — particularly with the performance and flexibility of larger contractors.
Their vision for Blue World was to provide a consistent, agile, and professional approach to meeting each client’s goals — one that could make well-informed decisions quickly, free from the layers of bureaucracy common in larger organizations.

In its first year, Blue World successfully completed two major projects: a $6 million system upgrade at a Superfund site in Arizona and a $4 million capping project at a former 25-acre landfill in Massachusetts. These early successes earned the company the trust of Fortune 500 clients and regulatory agencies, demonstrating that despite being a new name in the industry, Blue World could be relied upon to deliver exceptional results and overcome complex project challenges.
Since those early achievements, Blue World has completed over 300 projects, generating more than $250 million in revenue, with project values ranging from $1,000 to $25 million. Throughout its growth, the company has remained true to its founding principles — maintaining flexibility, responsiveness, and a client-centered approach across a diverse range of projects nationwide.

  • Comprehensive meeting preparation, presentations, agendas, and documentation
  • Self-performance of over 90% of our contracts, minimizing the need for subcontractors
  • Detailed meeting minutes and action-item follow-up with all project stakeholders
  • Continuous analysis of cost estimates and cash flow
  • Thorough cost-benefit evaluations to optimize project efficiency
  • Direct coordination with regulatory agencies to mitigate risks and avoid delays
  • Complete documentation of permitting and compliance activities
  • Development of alternative work plans to address changing field conditions
  • Regular project updates addressing schedule, cost, technical, and compliance matters
  • Meticulous project management to maintain team focus and accountability
  • Technical review and design support among owners, engineers, and manufacturers
  • Construction management and coordination across all trades, both domestic and international

SAFETY COMMITMENT

At Blue World, the health and safety of our employees and the welfare of everyone on our worksites is our highest priority.
We are committed to ensuring that our work poses no undue hazard and that every employee returns home safely each day. To achieve this, we have implemented a comprehensive, worker-led safety program that promotes safe practices and incentivizes proactive engagement.
All employees follow annual training schedules, with mandatory company-wide training held twice per year. Every jobsite begins with an initial safety plan and review, followed by daily safety talks before work begins. Safety is a culture and attitude at Blue World, applied on-site, in the office, and during travel. It is embedded in every job description, regardless of role, and all employees are authorized to identify unsafe conditions and issue a Stop Work Order when necessary.
Employees are trained to never take shortcuts, recognize hazards, and correct unsafe conditions. We emphasize awareness of the entire project, not just individual tasks. Standard Level D personal protective equipment (PPE) is required on all active job sites, including company-issued hard hats, hi-visibility vests, gloves, steel-toed boots, and safety glasses.
Additional PPE—such as Tyvek coveralls, cut-resistant gloves, fire-retardant clothing, face shields, fall protection, and respiratory protection—is provided as required.
Blue World employs a combination of standard operating procedures and project-specific safety plans to manage risk on every jobsite. Our Corporate Health and Safety Plan (HASP) provides comprehensive guidance for all work tasks and roles and is audited by third-party consultants to ensure OSHA and MSHA compliance. We maintain a standard package of plans for common hazards—fall protection, HAZCOM, and SDS binders—while tailoring additional plans to meet the unique needs of each project. Our team collaborates with field leaders to ensure compliance with client-specific safety requirements, whether for commercial contractors, federal programs, mining, or chemical clients.
To maintain regulatory and client compliance, Blue World holds registrations with Avetta, ISN, and other cloud-based compliance programs.

Patrick T. Hunnewell

A founding partner of Blue World, Patrick became President in 2026 following the retirement of co-founder Dennis Petrocelli. With more than 32 years of experience in construction and engineering, Pat’s career includes leadership roles as Vice President, Project Engineer, Project Manager, Construction Division Manager, and Chief Engineer. Pat’s expertise spans site and civil construction, pre-engineered structures, process system design and installation, system integration, groundwater and wastewater treatment systems, and soil remediation. His hands-on experience and collaborative leadership style are reflected in the wide- ranging, technically demanding projects that define Blue World’s portfolio.

Shawn Cooper

Shawn brings more than 35 years of experience managing civil, remediation, and mechanical construction projects nationwide. His expertise includes Design Bid-Build and Engineer- Procure Construct (EPC) delivery models across multiple industries. He has led teams on remediation projects involving excavation, solidification/stabilization, landfarming, soil treatment, and capping; civil projects such as industrial impoundments, landfill cells, and municipal water systems; and mechanical projects including diesel truck terminals, barge offloading facilities, and pipeline pump stations.

Tom Gilliam

With over 31 years in the construction industry, Tom has developed broad expertise across civil, environmental, mechanical, and oil & gas projects, as well as industrial, commercial, and residential construction. Having served as an operator, superintendent, and project manager, Tom brings a comprehensive understanding of construction from the ground up, ensuring hands-on leadership and field-level insight across Blue World’s western operations.

Michele Rogers Zelarayan

A Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience, Michele has led civil and environmental engineering projects nationwide. Her expertise includes due diligence, design/ build management, permitting, construction oversight, and project close-out for remediation and land development projects. She has provided cost estimation, design investigation, conceptual model development, permitting, and feasibility analysis for both public and private clients. Michele also served on the Board of the NYC Brownfield Partnership for several years, retiring from that role in 2025.

Phil Laubenstein

A Professional Engineer with over 20 years of experience, Michele has led civil and environmental engineering projects nationwide. Her expertise includes due diligence, design/ build management, permitting, construction oversight, and project close-out for remediation and land development projects. She has provided cost estimation, design investigation, conceptual model development, permitting, and feasibility analysis for both public and private clients. Michele also served on the Board of the NYC Brownfield Partnership for several years, retiring from that role in 2025.