RG Gosselin Inc.

RG Gosselin Inc. (RGG) has been a respected name in the construction industry since 1974. Though the company got its start in homebuilding, RGG eventually moved into excavation and concrete contracting. Today the firm is over 80 employees strong and prides itself on taking on any size job. RGG offers commercial, industrial, agricultural, institutional, municipal, residential, recreational and decorative services. From well drilling to commercial concrete contracting, RGG provides the expertise and hard work ethic to get the job done right.

John Gobeil, the firm’s current vice president of excavation, joined his uncle Roger Gosselin’s company straight out of high school and has been with the firm for almost 35 years, nearly RGG’s entire time in operation. As he sees it, “We’ll do any kind of job. Though we don’t do quite as much residential work anymore, we’re aware of our origins and we never balk at the smaller residential jobs. We’ll take on a project for a new healthcare facility, right down to Mrs. Jones’ four-car garage.”

Currently, the firm operates from one main office in Derby, Vt., close to the Canadian border. According to Gobeil, “The advantage of working in this area is that when times are good elsewhere, times are pretty good here, too, but when times are really tough, like they are now, we don’t feel it as much.” These days, the firm works mostly in the public sector, working on healthcare projects, educational facilities and infrastructural development projects.

In addition to the full-service concrete and excavation contracting, the company also owns a crane division under the name Border Crane. Border Crane supplies crane and special lifting equipment for rent or for hire. Gobeil explains, “The company was formed to allow us to do different aspects of work that we already owned equipment for. Though it is a sister company, it is run by the same core of people [as RG Gosselin].” Also affiliated is another sister company named Gosselin Water Wells, a full-service well drilling and pump company.

One Fancy Foundation

One of the firm’s more recent showcases for its comprehensive services was the construction of a concrete residence for a private client in Norwich, Vt. The engineering was handled by CBI Consulting, and the structure and systems were designed to be energy efficient. To better insulate an entirely concrete shell, RGG used cast-in-place concrete walls with a layer of insulation. “We actually put insulation between two layers of concrete, which is really unusual,” explains Gobeil. “There were definitely some challenges in trying to equalize the pressure on both sides of the insulation.” The firm also employed a certain kind of concrete formulated to provide the smooth aesthetic finish desired by the client.

RGG is also partially responsible for the reinvention of a New Hampshire landmark. The Mt. Washington Resort first opened as the Mt. Washington Hotel and has been an institution of New Hampshire and New England ski culture for over 100 years. By 2008, the hotel had become part of the Omni Hotel & Resorts group, a luxury hospitality group that specializes in Four Diamond hotels, and the hotel had outgrown its original facilities. By 2009, the construction was completed on a 50,000-square foot addition to house the hotel’s spa services, convention center and outdoor poolside facilities, and RGG oversaw the concrete operations.

A Green Approach to Power

In recent years, the company has expanded into some green projects. The firm has built several methane gas digesters and recently finished one for Chaput Family Farms, a dairy farm in Troy, Vt. “We’ve done quite a few of the methane digesters,” states Gobeil. “It’s a technology we’re seeing become more popular these days, and it’s really amazing how a big pit of manure can generate electricity.” The digester measures 106 feet in circumference and over 18 feet high and harnesses the methane produced on the farms by over 900 cows. The energy is then converted into electricity and sold to the Vermont Electric Cooperative.

In the coming years, RGG will continue to maintain its divisions and continue to pursue long-term relationships with commercial and industrial clients. “To me, it’s all about being here in the next few years to weather the storm of these economic times,” says Gobeil. “We’re going to focus on what we do best and continue to look for better market opportunities that fit what we do.”

Additionally, the firm plans on continuing its work for public sector clients and is currently involved in two separate projects at Canadian border crossings. “It seems like there is still a lot of stimulus money floating around, and it has definitely helped,” states Gobeil. “I know we’re driving on an awful lot of new pavement around here wherever we go.”

OSHA-certified for hazard mitigation and fully bondable, RGG has the expertise, reputation and track record needed to not only maintain its market share but also to expand. With its long-term strategies and dedication to providing customers with honesty, quality, hard work and professionalism, RG Gosselin Inc. is poised to continue its legacy well into the future.