The discovery of dozens of bunk beds stuffed into crude, unfinished industrial spaces in Colchester raises questions about the prevalence of migrant laborers in Vermont's construction sector — and also shines a spotlight on the growing company that housed them. Following anonymous tips, Vermont Construction Company has been fined twice in recent months by the state Division of Fire Safety for operating unsafe dormitory-style housing in commercial buildings at Fort Ethan Allen. On December 5, the Town of Colchester issued an emergency order to evacuate one of the spaces, located at the company's Hegeman Avenue headquarters. Inside, 17 mattresses were arranged in several rooms and hallways, alongside exposed electrical wiring and space heaters. Inspectors did not find any smoke detectors or fire extinguishers; the residence had only one way in and out. "When you walk through the space, it's hard to believe," said Cathyann LaRose, Colchester's director of planning and zoning. Vermont Construction is saying little about its unpermitted dwellings; cofounder Dana Kamencik insisted that Seven Days submit questions in writing, then did not answer most of them. But clues at the sites, LaRose said, indicate they were being used to shelter immigrant workers. Signs were posted in Spanish, and many of the residents' belongings were kept in suitcases. Migrants have long been acknowledged as the force powering the dairy industry in Vermont, but their role in the construction sector remains murkier. Some in the trades, however, say migrants are quietly becoming a disruptive force, particularly in the dangerous roofing business. The revelation that one of Vermont's fastest-growing firms has been hosting dozens of such workers raises questions of fairness and potential labor abuses just as incoming president Donald Trump has vowed to round up undocumented immigrants for mass deportations. The Associated General Contractors of Vermont was quick to distance the industry from the company's housing violations and downplayed the prevalence of immigrant workers. "Seriously, this is just shocking," executive vice president Richard Wobby Jr. said, adding that he was unaware that Vermont Construction — one of the association's members — was using an immigrant workforce. "We have not had the new American wave that you've seen in some of the other states," he said. Nationally, undocumented immigrants make up somewhere between 15 and 23 percent of construction workers, according to an article in the association's October magazine. But the group's surveys suggest that of more than 15,000…