Today, Saint-Gobain celebrates the completion of construction activities and opening of its new administration building in Worcester, Massachusetts. Located on its historic manufacturing campus, where Saint-Gobain’s Norton Abrasives business has operated for over a century, the new administration building marks the company’s continued commitment to the Worcester community, where it is a major employer.
The event featured remarks from Patrick Dwyer, President of Abrasives and Construction Fabrics North America and Abby Marschke, Executive Director of Marketing, Retail and Customer Services for Abrasives North America. They were joined by key community partners including Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, and Timothy P. Murray, President & CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
A partnership built on innovation and collaboration with talented local stakeholders
Developed by Pure Development and under the lead of design-build contractor DPR Construction, the 47,000 square foot building utilizes over thirty of Saint-Gobain’s light and sustainable solutions including CertainTeed gypsum wallboard, roofing, insulation and acoustic ceiling systems, Chryso admixtures for concrete, SageGlass electrochromic glass, GCP waterproofing materials, ADFORS drywall tape, and Solar Gard window film. These solutions all work together in a systems approach to maximize efficiency, resilience, and comfort. In addition, interior and exterior panels manufactured by offsite construction methods helped dramatically reduce build time, by as much as 22 days for exterior installation and 31 days for interior installs.
“Our new, state-of-the-art administration building here in Worcester marks Saint-Gobain Norton Abrasives’s next chapter in Worcester, a city we have called home for over a century,” said Patrick Dwyer, President of Saint-Gobain Abrasives and Construction Fabrics North America. “I want to thank all of our partners including Pure Development, CSO, DPR Construction, Kimley-Horn, Building Engineering Resources, Inc., Creative Office Resources, and GPLA, Inc. for making this building a reality. It is an iconic new building in Worcester that showcases quality, comfort and beauty of design as well as best practices in sustainable construction.”
“DPR’s partnership with Saint-Gobain on its new Abrasives headquarters brings our shared values of sustainability, innovation, and performance to life. Through prefabrication, we enclosed the building in just nine days—less than half the time of traditional methods—even through a New England winter,” said Patrick Cusson, DPR Construction Boston Business Unit Leader. “As a longtime Worcester resident, I’m energized by the investment Saint-Gobain and Pure Development made in the city. Equally meaningful, over 40 percent of our workforce came from the local community – proof that when teams work together with sustainability and people in mind, great things happen.”
The project, first launched in 2024, comes after Saint-Gobain’s 2022 contribution of approximately 51 acres to the Worcester Business Development Corporation as part of its Greendale Revitalization Plan, which included land occupied by its former administration building. As part of construction activities, Saint-Gobain worked toward a Community Benefits Commitment to implement a good faith effort to procure high quality, local and diverse workforce and trade partners. Several of these goals were met through partnerships with local stakeholders such as MassHire Worcester Career Center, with 54% of trade partners local to the greater Worcester area.
Saint-Gobain North America’s continued commitment to growth
Today’s ceremony in Worcester follows several other growth investments taken by Saint-Gobain in North America in recent months:
- In October, Saint-Gobain completed a major expansion of its CertainTeed Gypsum manufacturing facility in Palatka, Florida, doubling production capacity and creating over 100 local jobs;
- In September, Saint-Gobain and CertainTeed Canada celebrated the completion of expansion activities at its gypsum wallboard facility in Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, outside of Montreal. This project included the complete electrification of the facility, making it the first net-zero gypsum wallboard plant (scopes 1 and 2) in North America and the largest in the world;
- In July, Saint-Gobain announced the acquisition of Interstar Materials Inc., a leader in granular pigment manufacturing for all segments of the concrete market including ready mix, stamped concrete, block, pavers, and precast.
- CertainTeed Roofing is nearing completion of two major projects, including a $100 million expansion at its CertainTeed Roofing facility in Peachtree City, Georgia and a new glass mat facility in Oxford, North Carolina, both of which will further support the fast-growing market in the southeast United States.
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 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, celebrating its 360th anniversary in 2025, remains more committed than ever to its purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.
€46.6 billion in sales in 2024
161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050
