When G&R Construction Inc. broke ground on a new public safety and public works campus for the Town of Abington, Mass., it was more than just another project. It was the latest chapter in a company story that stretches back more than 60 years and spans generations of builders, from custom homes on Boston's North Shore to some of Massachusetts' most complex municipal construction projects.

Today, G&R Construction Inc. is serving as general contractor for a new $32 million campus that includes a state-of-the-art fire headquarters and department of public works facility. The project showcases not only the company's construction expertise, but also its growing fleet of John Deere equipment supplied and supported by United Construction & Forestry and longtime sales representative Rob Cybulski.

Built On Family Foundations

G&R Construction Inc. traces its roots to 1962 when brothers Gilbert and Roland Morel (whose initials inspired the company name) launched the business after learning the trade from their father and uncles, who were homebuilders on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

"They were carpenters first and businessmen second," said Bob Morel, current owner and son of co-founder Gilbert Morel. "They loved building quality homes. By the time I was growing up, they never really had to chase work. If you wanted them to build your house, you got on a waiting list."

Throughout the 1960s, G&R built large numbers of homes throughout communities such as Lynnfield, Reading, Wakefield, Melrose and North Reading. As the company matured, the founders focused increasingly on custom homes and quality craftsmanship.

Bob Morel spent summers working alongside his father and uncle but was encouraged to pursue formal education and gain outside experience before joining the family business. After graduating from Wentworth Institute of Technology and spending several years with commercial construction firms, he and cousin, Dennis Morel, purchased G&R Construction from the founders in 1990.

The new generation immediately shifted the company's focus toward commercial and public construction.

"We started with tenant fit-ups and smaller commercial projects," Morel said. "But we quickly realized that public work offered tremendous opportunity if you were willing to become qualified and compete."

One of G&R's first significant public projects was the Saugus Public Library in the early 1990s. At the time, the company owned little more than a backhoe and relied heavily on rented equipment. That would soon change.

As G&R grew, Morel recognized that controlling site work was critical to controlling project schedules, quality and profitability.

"We found that doing our own site work gave us tremendous control over the entire project," he said. "It creates a stronger presence on the job site and allows us to react immediately when issues arise."

That decision transformed the company.

Today, G&R self-performs both building construction and site development work. Unlike many general contractors who manage projects primarily through subcontractors, G&R maintains crews of carpenters, operators and laborers working directly under company supervision.

The approach has helped the company steadily expand into larger and more complex projects. Typical projects now range from $20 million to $30 million, while recent work has included libraries, schools, fire stations, DPW facilities, municipal buildings and historic renovations throughout Massachusetts.

The company currently employs approximately 35 people, many of whom have spent decades with the organization.

"We have guys with 10, 15, 20, 25 and even 30 years with us," Morel said. "We take care of them, and they take care of us."

Building New Public Safety Campus

The current Abington project represents one of G&R's largest undertakings.

Located on an existing municipal campus that already includes a police station, the project consists of a new fire headquarters, a new department of public works facility and extensive site improvements spread across approximately six acres.

The fire headquarters will feature four apparatus bays, administrative offices, living quarters and modern support facilities. The DPW building includes vehicle storage, office space and operational support areas.

Site Superintendent Donnie Washburn said the project has presented several significant challenges. Among the most demanding has been the removal and disposal of contaminated soils.

"To date, we've probably removed somewhere around 5,000 cubic yards of contaminated material, and we still have another 1,500 yards or so to go," Washburn said. "Everything has to be tested and categorized before it goes to the appropriate disposal facility."

Groundwater conditions have added another layer of complexity.

"We're only about three-and-a-half feet above groundwater in many areas," Washburn said. "We've spent a lot of time pumping groundwater while installing utilities."

The site also includes extensive stormwater infrastructure, featuring four large detention systems and a major infiltration basin designed to manage runoff before it gradually returns to the surrounding watershed.

Another unique challenge involved foundation preparation for the new fire station.

"Because of the soil conditions, the fire station is being supported by approximately 400 rammed aggregate piers," Washburn said. "They drilled down about 10 to 12 feet and compacted stone columns that the building foundation now sits on."

Construction began in July 2025 and is scheduled for completion in spring 2027.

Equipment Driving Productivity

Projects of this scale require substantial earthmoving capability, and G&R's investment in equipment has become a major competitive advantage.

The company operates a fleet of approximately 25 John Deere machines, including excavators, dozers, loaders, articulated dump trucks and compact equipment.

Among the most heavily utilized machines are John Deere 350 excavators, 210 excavators, a 700K dozer and a 35-ton articulated dump truck.

Washburn said recent investments in GPS machine control technology have paid immediate dividends.

"It works excellent," Washburn said of the GPS-equipped dozer. "It's been a great investment and takes a lot of the thought process out of grading."

Morel agreed.

"We rented a machine with grade control and within a week we accomplished more work than we had done in nearly a month using conventional methods," he said. "It was that impressive."

The company has since expanded its use of grade-control technology and expects to continue incorporating it into future fleet purchases.

Behind G&R's transition to John Deere equipment stands a relationship that Morel said has become every bit as important as the machines themselves.

For years, G&R had purchased equipment from another manufacturer largely because of a trusted salesperson. When that individual retired, communication and support from the dealership disappeared.

"No one even knocked on the door," Morel said. "We had all this equipment and suddenly nobody was calling."

Meanwhile, United Construction & Forestry sales representative Rob Cybulski had spent years building a relationship with the company.

"He wore us down," Morel said. "But in reality, Rob wasn't just selling equipment. He was providing advice, service and support."

Within a relatively short period, G&R transitioned virtually its entire fleet to John Deere equipment.

Today, Cybulski remains closely involved with the account, helping coordinate service, monitor machine health and identify equipment solutions for upcoming projects.

"The relationship is everything," Morel said. "You can argue over dollars and cents, but at the end of the day, construction is built on relationships."

That relationship extends well beyond machine purchases.

Using John Deere's JDLink technology, Cybulski and United Construction & Forestry personnel often receive machine alerts before operators even realize an issue exists.

"If a machine throws an alert, we know about it right away," Cybulski said. "We can often get a technician there before it becomes a serious problem."

For a contractor with no in-house mechanics, that level of support is invaluable.

"We don't want to be in the equipment repair business," Morel said. "We want to build buildings. Having United and Rob handle that side of things allows us to stay focused on what we do best."

Looking Ahead

From its beginnings as a family homebuilder in 1962 to today's role as a leading municipal contractor, G&R Construction has never lost sight of its core philosophy: master one level before moving to the next.

That disciplined approach has allowed the company to steadily grow while maintaining quality, employee loyalty and strong customer relationships.

As crews continue work in Abington, G&R is once again proving that the combination of experienced people, modern equipment and trusted partnerships remains a powerful formula for success.

"We've never tried to grow faster than our capabilities," Morel said. "We've always focused on getting really good at what we do before taking the next step. That's worked pretty well for us for more than 60 years."