Company signs Community Benefit Commitment setting goals for workforce hiring and supplier diversity during construction.
Today Saint-Gobain celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony to mark construction toward a new administration building on its flagship abrasives manufacturing campus in Worcester, Massachusetts. The construction marks the next chapter in Saint-Gobain’s long history in the Worcester community, where it is a major employer and its abrasives products subsidiary, Norton Abrasives, has operated for more than a century.
The event, hosted at the future site of the facility, featured remarks from Patrick Dwyer, Vice President of Abrasives North America and Abby Marschke, Executive Director of Marketing, Retail and Customer Services for Abrasives North America, who were joined by Massachusetts State Senator Robyn Kennedy, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, and Timothy P. Murray, President & CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Developed by Pure Development and under the lead of design builder DPR Construction, the 47,000 sq foot building will exemplify Saint-Gobain’s commitment to sustainability, utilizing several of the companies light and sustainable solutions including SageGlass electrochromic glass, GCP waterproofing materials, CertainTeed Glasroc gypsum sheathing, and Decoustics panels. The project is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy in January 2026.
“We look forward to working with our local partners as construction gets underway on our new state-of-the-art administration building and thank all of the stakeholders who have made this project possible,” said Patrick Dwyer, Vice President of Abrasives North America. “Worcester has been our home for more than a century and today’s groundbreaking ceremony reaffirms our commitment to a community that has always supported our work. We are excited to begin the next chapter of Saint-Gobain and Norton in this amazing city we call home.”
“It is an honor to work with Saint-Gobain, aligning around sustainability and continuous innovation through prefabrication and the latest in material technology as our teams join forces to efficiently deliver the new administration building. As a leader in the built environment, DPR Construction has used and installed their products on many projects. We are excited to have the opportunity to implement these materials directly for Saint-Gobain as we self-perform these scopes to ensure the installation reflects the high standards of their brand,” said Patrick Cusson, DPR Construction Boston Business Unit Leader. “As a longtime Worcester resident, it is exciting to see the investment that Saint-Gobain and Pure Development are making within the City. Our team is committed to prioritizing local hiring and providing workforce opportunities for residents as we support the redevelopment of the site and the growth of the community.”
The project comes after Saint-Gobain’s contribution of approximately 51 acres to the Worcester Business Development Corporation as part of its Greendale Revitalization Plan, which included land occupied by its current administration building. As construction begins, Saint-Gobain has signed a Community Benefits Commitment, agreeing to workforce hiring and supplier diversity goals. These include a commitment to hire local residents, utilize companies local to the Greater Worcester area, and hire people of color, women and those currently in apprenticeship programs.
Today’s ceremony in Worcester follows several other growth investments taken by Saint-Gobain to grow its business in North America in recent months:
- In June, Saint-Gobain announced that it had completed its acquisition of The Bailey Group of Companies, a leading manufacturer of metal building solutions in Canada. This is Saint-Gobain’s third major acquisition in Canada since 2022 with the acquisitions of Kaycan and Building Products of Canada.
- In May, Saint-Gobain entered into a partnership with TimberHP, a manufacturer of insulating wood composites based in Maine, allowing CertainTeed Canada to be the exclusive distribution partner of TimberHP products in the country.
- In February, Saint-Gobain announced the acquisition of International Cellulose Corporation, a leading manufacturer of sustainable spray-on thermal and acoustical insulation products.
- In November, Saint-Gobain broke ground on a new, state-of-the-art roofing manufacturing and distribution center in Bryan, Texas, the company’s first new roofing plant since 2016.
- In October, Saint-Gobain announced that it had acquired the remaining equity interest and assets from Seven Hills Paperboard LLC, including a gypsum paper board liner manufacturing facility in Lynchburg, Virginia, from its joint venture partner WestRock.
With over 145 manufacturing locations in the United States and Canada, every current and future member of the company’s team plays a vital role in achieving its sustainability goals. A current list of job openings at all Saint-Gobain locations, including in Worcester, can be found on the company’s career website.
About Saint-Gobain Abrasives
Saint-Gobain Abrasives offers powerful, precise, user-friendly solutions, which enable customers to cut, shape and finish all materials in the most complex and challenging applications. By working closely with end-users and grinding expert partners, Saint-Gobain Abrasives designs and provides customized solutions to secure the best option for performance, cost and safety. Leveraging its global manufacturing presence, Saint-Gobain Abrasives serves its customers locally through its structured sales operations in over 27 countries, employing over 10,000 people.
About Saint-Gobain
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.
€47.9 billion in sales in 2023
160,000 employees, locations in 76 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050
Media Contact:
Saint-Gobain in North America:
Peter Clark
Saint-Gobain Corporate Communications
Media@saint-gobain.com
