Company of the Month: By “Building relationships one project at a time…” Acella Construction celebrates 20th anniversary

Pembroke, MA Continuing to build on its foundation of “Building relationships one project at a time,” Acella Construction Corporation has reached a 20^th anniversary milestone this year, marking two decades since David Dirubbo founded the company known today as a leader in construction management throughout greater Boston.

Dirubbo, initially along with Ryan Klebes, vice president of preconstruction and estimating, and quickly followed by Anthony Dirubbo (Dave’s brother), vice president of operations, and Saul Schrader, president, came together with a vision of bringing large-company experience to a smaller scale, and developing and building relationships with clients, subcontractors, and design professionals from the beginning.

“From day one, everyone that’s been employed here has been entrenched with caring about the client because we care about our people, and our people care about our vendors and everybody else that we deal with; it all flows down,” said Dirubbo. “That’s probably the most gratifying thing about the company – that people appreciate the fact that we care.”

“The 20^th anniversary is a real milestone – it makes me feel proud of what we’ve done,” said Klebes.

“It kind of snuck up on us…it’s a great achievement,” said Anthony Dirubbo.

Back in 2003 Acella Construction operated from a rented 200 s/f office space in Norwell, primarily working with not-for-profits and on the occasional commercial project. Twenty years later, the staff of four (taking on the roles of a dozen people) has grown to more than 50 employees building multi-million-dollar projects throughout academic, community, corporate, healthcare, and retail/hospitality spaces. 

The company also recently announced its plans to move from its 6,000 s/f office it now owns in Pembroke to a new location in Rockland as a result of its continued growth.

From ground-up construction and new additions to complex interior renovations and tenant build-outs, Acella’s mission is to set the standard for excellence in providing innovative and quality construction services tailored to clients’ needs. By building relationships one project at a time, the firm has become widely recognized for understanding and fulfilling each client’s unique vision. 

The firm is also acknowledged for its contributions to local communities by donating time and talents to a variety of non-profit organizations, in particular those that benefit children and families, including My Brother’s Keeper, Rodman for Kids, South Shore Hospital, South Shore YMCA, Habitat for Humanity, and Friendship Home, to name a few.

Despite its consistent growth, the Acella team has remained close-knit and enjoys numerous outside-of-work activities, both social and service-oriented. “There’s a real emphasis on bringing everyone in the company together,” said Klebes.

Schrader attributes that focus to Dirubbo. “He could be considered our chief event officer,” he said. “Celebrating our twentieth anniversary is proof that our culture and the relationships we have developed have been successful,” said Schrader.

“Culture is the foundation of our company, it what keeps people here,” said Dirubbo. “After I hire anyone, when they come on board, I tell them, ‘Welcome to the family.’”

Moving forward, Schrader, who was named president earlier this month, will lead the company. “It’s a natural progression to have Saul take over as president,” said Anthony Dirubbo. “Saul is definitely the right choice in terms of becoming the next leader here.”

Schrader, whose former title was executive vice president, joined Acella Construction Corporation in October of 2004 as a senior project manager.

Throughout his near 19 years as a member of the Acella management team, Schrader has built outstanding client relationships and taken the lead in hundreds of high-profile projects, including at Northeastern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston University, Boston College, South Shore Health System, the Hyannis Yacht Club, the Riverview School in Sandwich, and the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. 

A graduate of Wentworth Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management, Schrader holds LEED® AP designation, OSHA 30 certification, and has an unrestricted Massachusetts construction supervisor license.

“Saul commands respect and serves as such a great role model for everyone in the organization,” said Ryan LaVangie, vice president of sales and marketing at Acella. “Dave’s leadership over the past years has positioned the company to continue to thrive under Saul’s direction.”

“Saul has worked by my side for the past 23-plus years,” said Dirubbo. “Saul’s exceptional industry knowledge has been instrumental in securing Acella’s niche working in the academic, healthcare, corporate, community and retail/hospitality markets. Equally exceptional is his ability to foster long-term relationships with clients and provide them with the unique value that is a hallmark of Acella Construction. 

“More importantly, Saul is world-class. He listens, he cares, he is kind, and he has developed into an amazing leader – the kind of leader people want to follow, and the kind of leader I wanted him to be and more. As we continue to grow, I know that he will bring Acella to new heights.” 

“I am excited to assume the role of president for a company with an extremely talented team and a long history of dedicated clients,” said Schrader. “My goal is to continue to build on the achievements of the firm’s past 20 years, maintaining our high level of processes, leading the charge on our continued growth, and exceeding industry standards.

“The future is looking very positive,” Schrader said. “What gets me the most excited about the future is working with our emerging leaders.”

“My vision for the future of the company is to continue on the same path, helping our clients, building on new relationships and strengthening our old relationships,” said Dirubbo. “We have a great team in place here to accomplish just that – and it’s exciting to think about what’s next for Acella!”