Cardente Construction in Portland has laid off all three of its full-time staff members and will work exclusively with subcontractors in the future, company owner Matthew Cardente said Tuesday.

Cardente also owns a commercial real estate brokerage and a property management firm, neither of which was affected by the restructuring, he said.

The 2-year-old construction company is growing but was structured in an unusual way that made it difficult to manage, according to Cardente. Many construction firms rely heavily on subcontractors, who can be brought in when needed for a job without making them permanent employees.

“It got to the point where the management of the employees and the liabilities were just too much,” he said.

Cardente also is the founder and president of Cardente Real Estate and Cardente Property Management. He said the restructuring only affected the construction business.