President & Managing Member, Bear Contracting, LLC and Bear Utilities, LLC
By Amanda Larch & Samantha Cart
Growing up in Clarksburg, WV, Mark Urso struggled with dyslexia and dysgraphia. While his challenges with reading and comprehension meant he had to put in twice as much as effort, it was his family’s support, his inclination for hard work and his competitive nature that pushed him toward success. As a result, today he is the president and managing member of two construction companies, Bear Contracting, LLC and Bear Utilities, LLC.
“Growing up, I learned that some of the smartest people you will ever meet or work with may have very little education, getting dirty is a good thing, common sense can take you a long way in life and anyone willing to work hard can be successful,” he says. “I got to where I am now with hard work and a never-quit mentality. You might be more book smart, but you will never outwork me. I have always believed if you fight to move forward in business, you can persevere through anything.”
As a teenager, when he wasn’t playing sports or working his first job cutting grass, Urso was busy observing. He fell in love with construction while watching a construction company install a gravity sewer system in his neighborhood. While he tried working in insurance and sports marketing for a time, he eventually came to the realization that the construction industry is where his passion lies.
“My passion for construction leads me to try to improve every day and to learn more to benefit myself and our companies,” he says. “Nothing excites me more than building something and doing it right. It is so rewarding when you see your team’s hard work complete, and it makes you want to do it again and again.”
Both of Urso’s companies have seen great success in multiple facets of the construction industry, including the natural gas market, pad construction and reclamation, bridge and road repair, environmental upkeep, mechanical maintenance and pipeline monitoring. He also finds joy in mentoring and encouraging up-and-coming young contractors.
“Over the last four years, our companies have seen a shift in average age from 54 to 39, which has required a lot of coaching,” he says. “While mentoring, it never fails that I learn something about myself and my business that actually benefits me when I am truly trying to help others. It’s amazing how the man upstairs works.”
When he’s not overseeing the day-to-day operations of those companies, Urso finds time to give back to his community. In 2018, he created Building Hope, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on anti-bullying in schools that he hopes to someday expand into all 55 counties of West Virginia.
“The program works with grade school, junior high and freshman high school students throughout West Virginia, teaching them about empathy and respect for their fellow classmates,” he says. “The program also builds hope in high school freshman that they can be successful in whatever they put their heart and mind into, whether they go to college or not. College is not for everyone, and if I can be successful, they can too.”
Urso also helps with construction needs at his church and serves as the utility division director of the Contractors Association of West Virginia (CAWV), a member of the Mountain State Young Presidents Organization, co-chairman of the CAWV Workforce Development Task Force and a board member for MedBrook Children’s Charity, Inc.
“There is no greater feeling than giving back. No matter how much success you have in life, helping others—especially kids—is the greatest feeling and highest reward of all,” he says. “I also feel it is important to not forget my roots and the roots of my employees, so I try to encourage my management team to help out and give back to the communities from which they came. I try to give regularly to Robert C. Byrd, Bridgeport and Notre Dame high schools, Bridgeport youth athletics and West Virginia University. Each hold a special place in my heart, and I truly believe the more you give the more you receive.”
While he has lived and worked in other states, returning home to live, work and start his businesses was an easy decision for Urso.
“I just love the people of this state,” he says. “In my years of travel, I have been a lot of places, and nothing compares to the hardworking, down-to-earth people of West Virginia. Its beauty and history don’t hurt, either.”
1994 Graduated from WVU
2003 Opened Bear Contracting, LLC
2004 Married wife, Angela
2005 Son, David, was born
2006 Son, Gabriel, was born
2009 Daughter, Kate, was born
2012 Opened Bear Utilities, LLC
2015 Named chairman of Associated Builders and Contractors of WV
2016 Named board member of CAWV
2018 Founded Building Hope, Inc.
2019 Named board member of MedBrook Children’s Charity Inc.
