The History of R. J. Grondin & Sons

R. J. Grondin & Sons is a third generation, family owned earth-moving business located in Gorham, Maine, with operations in Southern and Central Maine. The company, which was once a successful dairy farm business in the 1950s, has evolved into one of the premier construction companies in Northern New England.

In 1959, the successful dairyman, Robert J. Grondin Sr. agreed with his two eldest sons, Bob Jr. and Phil, to sell the cows and buy some iron in order to start an excavating company. Over the next decade, Bob and Phil worked on jobs day and night, either preparing estimates or repairing equipment. On the weekends they would go to equipment auctions and try to update the tired fleet with 'not so old' used machines and trucks. Because big salaries and benefits were non-existent, the company was the successful bidder on many local municipal utility installation projects. In the 1960's, to maximize productivity, Grondin bought the new technology, labor-saving laser transits for installing pipe. The hard work and planning was beginning to pay off.

In 1971, the work force had grown to about 8 full-time employees and the old barn was razed and replaced with a maintenance shop on the same foundation. The old milk room was transformed into an office and Tom Hey, now Treasurer/CFO, was hired as full-time bookkeeper and dispatcher, to take the place of their retiring mother, Laurence Grondin. She was spending much of her time taking care of Bob, Sr. who had been diagnosed with cancer and later died in 1972. Today, Laurence is in her 90's, still very active and serves on the Board of Directors. In 1973, Tom's wife Bess, (Bob and Phil's youngest sister) joined the company and is currently the office and credit manager.

In 1972, Grondin bought the first Caterpillar Excavator in Maine (model 225). The company philosophy was (and remains so today) to roll all the profits into acquiring and upgrading the truck and equipment fleets. The 70's were a period of gradual growth with the company gaining a reputation for guaranteeing satisfaction and keeping projects on schedule. In 1979, the company bought a sand pit in Scarborough, which it mined until the mid 1990's. It was then reclaimed into a beautiful upscale housing subdivision project with a 30-acre spring-fed pond in the middle.

The company's growth in the 1980's was in sharp contrast to the 1970's. From 1983 through 1989, sales grew by double-digits annually, and the number of full time employees grew to about 200. It was also a period when the company expanded its gravel and stone resources by acquiring a number of pits and quarries in Southern Maine and leasing a few more. One of the larger locations is the 900 acre gravel pit off Route 302 in No Windham. In 2002, a new major quarry operation was opened on Route 25 in Gorham, Maine. Its location and material resources are excellent.

The new corporate offices were completed in 1988 on the company's 20-acre site in Gorham. In the year 2000, the 15,000 sq ft equipment maintenance shop was expanded and updated and includes two overhead cranes and radiant floor heating. Fourteen mechanics service over 100 trucks and another 100 units of heavy equipment.

One of Grondin's strengths is the depth and quality of family involvement. Three of Bob's sons, Bob III, Chris and Ken, began working for the company in the mid 70's and worked their way up through the ranks. They took on more and more responsibilities in the 80's and 90's and now Bob III is the President of Operations, Chris the Equipment Manager, and Ken is the Executive VP. Chris' wife, Diana, has worked in the office since 1986 in various capacities. One of Bob's daughters, Vicki, manages the office and grounds maintenance. Phil has two sons who are active in the business. Phil, Jr. joined the company in the early 90's and Larry in 1999. Phil is now assistant to the CFO and Larry is a job foreman. Family strength helps keep the business solid, but many other people have worked hard to make Grondin what it is today. There are so many people at Grondin that are like family and have contributed so much to the success it is hard to sum it up in a few paragraphs.