Groom Construction Receives the 2023 Construction Firm of the Year Award
BOSTON – Founded in 1979 by Tom, Dave and Dwight Groom, along with fellow Principal Scott Faulkner, Groom Construction has steadily built a reputation for building exceptional projects and long-term, repeat customer relationships over the past 45 years.
What began more than forty years ago as a residential firm has now evolved into a national general contracting business in 2023. Since its founding, it has remained a family-owned, full-service general contracting firm, offering preconstruction, construction management, design-build and general construction services throughout the US.
From high-profile university work to medical facilities, affordable housing to luxury condominiums, recreational facilities, banking, and national retail work, the Salem, MA-based firm, continues to align itself with customers who are looking for long-term relationships and future-forward partnerships. This business philosophy is evidenced by the firm’s impressive amount of repeat business, alongside a growing client list.
Groom Construction has continued to evolve over the years, winning many awards and plaudits along the journey, including the Youth Build North Shore Community Development Award, the 2018 Family Business Exchange Award along with numerous residential awards including Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston- Custom Builder North, several North Shore Magazine’s Annual Custom Builder Award, among others. Recent years have seen significant growth, leading to its inclusion on the Inc. 5000 List of 2020, as one of the 5000 fastest growing private companies in America.
Principal David Groom highlighted that Groom’s achievements have led to not just industry awards but also greater visibility in the Boston area and increased name recognition following the completion of larger projects. Receiving excellent recommendations and forming strong client, architect and industry relationships has also led to the business recently being awarded several high-profile complex projects.
Groom’s principals and senior project management team has a considerable depth of experience that spans the commercial, multi-family and private residential, retail, academic and non-profit sectors, having completed a multitude of successful projects in these areas, as well as corporate office, banking, healthcare, athletic and other sectors.
The property, once a traditional New England home that was lost to fire, was reimagined by its owners, creating a sleek cascade of marble and glass intermixed with walnut throughout. The home invites the outdoors in with floor to ceiling Schuco windows welcoming in the mature trees and shrubs surrounding the property.
Features include state-of-the-art kitchen, floating walnut staircases with glass railings, 3 European Home fireplaces, Valser stone exterior and interior veneer/flooring, heated exposed aggregate driveway, black Mexican pebble roof ballast as well as a marble encased Wellness Area complete with steam, sauna and temperature-controlled plunge pool.
Groom’s deep sense of commitment to the community is reflected in their relationship with their staff and the community at large. “We strive to support the local economy, inspire youth to enter into the construction industry and stand committed to providing on-going support and leadership to improve the lives of residents in our community,” said David. Always forward thinking, the company continues to seek development opportunities for multi-unit projects and micro-units as well to address the critical escalating need for housing across the country.
With 30 years of experience in construction, Groom Principal David Groom has helped build Groom Construction into the company it is today. He has managed hundreds of construction projects that vary in size and complexity, both as a project manager and a project executive. Along with assisting his brother, Tom Groom, in the day-to-day management of the company, he also leads the generation of new business for the company.
With over 20 years in the industry, Dwight Groom formed and oversees the national Retail Division of Groom Construction along with fellow Principal Scott Faulkner. Totaling over $250 million in retail buildouts, the division has completed hundreds of projects of various sizes and has developed long-standing relationships with major retailers nationwide.
“We are steadily expanding our volume of retail work with our long term existing national clients (Target, Best Buy, CVS, TD Bank) while simultaneously acquiring significant new retail accounts,” noted Dwight Groom. “We selectively choose whom we think best to partner with and have aligned ourselves with companies who share our values and integrity.”
Tom Groom has served as President for over 35 years and heads the Residential Division of Groom Construction. He has helped steer the company with his vision of how a family-run construction company should operate and continues to be responsible for the day-to-day management of Groom Construction along with many projects that vary in size and cost.
Scott Faulkner has spent the past 30 years working in the construction industry, with 25 of those years as a Principal and Senior Vice President of Groom Construction. Faulkner’s responsibilities include managing client relationships, supporting/leading design build efforts, executing fast track projects, and managing day-to-day operations. He is especially adept at coordinating and evaluating value engineering issues with clients, architects and engineers.
The Residential Division also includes larger multi-unit development projects currently under construction or in the design stage. Tom Groom recently completed Fisherman’s Watch, a luxury condominium project located in Swampscott, MA. This $16M development of 28 luxury residences, includes penthouse suites, first floor units equipped with Beacon Hill style gardens, rooftop clubhouse common area, workout facility, and other amenities such as underground parking. Located at the highest point in Swampscott, many of the units offer sweeping ocean views of Swampscott, Nahant, and the Boston skyline. Groom undertook this project as both Developer and General Contractor.
Also recently completed is BRIX, a $24M, 61-unit luxury condo project in the heart of downtown Salem, MA. Located on the grounds of the former District Courthouse, Groom worked closely with developer, Urban Spaces, the Hon. Kimberly Driscoll, Mayor of Salem as well as community members for several years in an open and collaborative team approach to bring this project to Salem. The landmark development of 65 Washington St. comprises sixty-one condominiums (one, two, and three-bedroom units), approx. 3,000 square feet of retail/commercial space, a recreational facility (gym), a multi-purpose library and common space. The project includes lower-level and ground level parking for 61 total spaces, 6 tandem spaces and up to 21 owner purchased stacker units.
A large and growing amount of Groom’s work also includes the affordable housing sector. Groom recently partnered once again with the North Shore Community Development Coalition (NSCDC) on Harbor Village, a $10M+ affordable housing project that included three years of preconstruction planning. Harbor Village created much needed housing to residents in the City of Gloucester. The project is Passive House Certified, featuring healthy, energy efficient homes that save on utility bills while offering convenient access to neighborhood services and jobs. Located in the heart of Gloucester’s downtown, Harbor Village is a mixed-use development consisting of 30 residential, one, two and three-bedroom affordable rental units, three ground floor commercial spaces, and 30 off-street parking spaces. The building is solar ready, which will allow future Photovoltaic electricity generation to further offset the operational energy footprint.
Groom has also completed two multi-unit ground up projects with non-profit developer, Harborlight Homes including Anchor Point Phase 1 (38 units) in Beverly, and just recently, Granite Street Crossing (23 units) in Rockport.
When asked about the future of the firm, David Groom says that the firm is looking to grom in the housing, academic and retail arenas. “From preconstruction through to completion, we are truly a multifaceted firm now embarking on our 45th year in business,” David Groom concluded. “We are recognized in the industry for excellent work, multiple market-experienced, professional staff, outstanding teamwork and the ability to meet construction challenges with a creative thoughtful approach. Our pledge is to always deliver the finest quality workmanship on time and within budget.”
