WRITTEN BY AOIFE CHANEY N ortheast Precast LLC is a precast concrete manu- facturer specializing in commercial products and residential foundation wall systems. Operating out of New Jersey in the Residential, Commercial, and Transporta- tion markets, it provides top-quality construction materials that are built to last. As Mark Gorgas puts it: “We’re turning construction into manufacturing and combining the two. This gives customers the quality and precision of manufacturing combined with construction. Operating in a controlled envi- ronment where you can train the employees from the ground up helps add additional long-term value.” Gorgas speaks to me today during Northeast Precast’s 20th year in business and as the company’s newly appointed President. Reflecting on the early days, Gorgas tells me that the com- pany has developed hugely and, equally importantly, in an organic way. “Northeast Precast owners John and Lorie Ruga built a 25,000 square foot plant from the ground up and began operations there in late 2003. They had recently branched out from residential home remodeling into pre- cast manufacturing, starting with a single product called Superior Walls.” As Gorgas goes on to explain, even 20 years on that product, durable and abiding in character, remains the foundation on which the company is built. “For the first few years we focused on the residential market, doing base- ments predominantly in the South Jersey region in close proximity to the plant.” 23However, once Northeast Precast’s production plant was established, business took off quickly. Less than two years later, the company found itself doubling in size to a 50,000 square foot plant. “Business continued to grow,” says Gor- gas, “but in 2007 we met the challenges of the recession which forced us to rethink how we went about things.” For Northeast Precast, the recession and the financial and operational restraints that came with it were ultimately the catalyst that pushed it into new markets. “We came to realize that we were part of a much bigger industry than we realized – that being the precast concrete industry – and started pursuing Department of Transportation and com- mercial building type projects.” As a result of its willingness to adapt under difficult circum- stances, Northeast Precast quickly got back on track post-re- cession and managed to fill its production plant to capacity. Fast forward another 10 years and the company took the opportunity to pivot strategically, opening a second 50,000 square foot plant in tandem with the development of a new commercial division to focus on commercial building projects. “I think we learned from the recession that tomorrow is never guaranteed, and we are never going to live off past successes,” Gorgas says. “You can celebrate success but, to think that what you did in the past is going to be enough for your future, you’re going to find yourself a stagnant organization, and then you’ll start to trend in the wrong direction. Choosing to reinvent yourself even when you feel comfortable is a critical part of continuing to create opportunity for your employees.” 4CALL US TODAY: 1-800-336-2598 WE SAVE YOU TIME, LABOR & MONEY! PROUD SUPPLIER OF NORTHEAST PRECAST DOUBLE TEE WAVY CONAC LIFTING PRODUCTS NEW FORGED ERECTION ANCHOR WAVED TAIL COIL 3/4", 1" & 1-1/4" COIL THREAD TECH ERECTION ANCHOR SANDWICH PANEL ERECTION ANCHOR FORGED INSULATED ANCHORCongratulations to Northeast Precast, LLC on 20 successful years providing manufacturing, innovation and sustainability for precast concrete. Precast Engineering & Design Services www.tdhengineering.com | 610-565-3492 As was the trend that carried it through its first decade, Northeast Precast continued to grow. It soon found itself in need of more space to conquer new markets, and thus began the development of a new 300-acre headquarter property in Vineland. Further expansion continued in the form of a new 125,000 square foot precast plant and steel fabrication shop in Vineland, and later a 225,000 square foot plant on the same property. In early 2023, during an already signif- icant year for the company, Northeast Precast completed its move to the new HQ. As Gorgas explains, this move has had an incredibly positive impact on the company. “Today, hundreds of skilled craftsman work on the same 300-acre facility which has been the ownership’s dream – having this new headquarters and consolidating everything to be more efficient. We now have 350,000 square feet of indoor manufacturing space and 2 batch plants, pouring about 700 yards of concrete a day.” A powerhouse now in both scope and scale, Northeast Pre- cast still relies heavily on its roots by continuing to work in single-family home construction. “I think it’s rather unique that we erect four or five precast structures per day in the New Jersey market for single-family homes,” says Gorgas. However, the next project he highlights is a long way from a single-family home, and the contrast between the two points to the wide range of services Northeast Precast offers. “Recently, we erected our first precast parking structure, a 583-car garage for Lifetime Athletic in Middletown, New Jer- sey. Adjacent to that we also built a total precast building for the gym facility, 120,000 square foot and 4- stories tall.” “We now have 350,000 square feet of indoor manufacturing space and 2 batch plants, pouring about 700 yards of concrete a day.” 6DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING SINCE 1946 CRANE RENTAL | CUSTOM RIGGING SERVICE | MODULAR HOME SETTING SPECIALIZED TRUCKING & HEAVY HAULING | ALTURNAMATS FORKLIFT RENTAL | CLIMATE CONTROLLED STORAGE Garton’s Rigging and Crane Service is a South Jersey crane rental and rigging company serving clients in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We are small enough to care about each customer and large enough to serve every customer’s needs, as we maintain the very best heavy lifting and moving equipment in the industry. We take on projects from small residential moves to massive commercial mega-jobs. We have the experience to tackle them all. Our company takes pride in an unchallenged service and safety record. Garton’s Rigging is a family-owned company comprised of an experienced staff whose capabilities are numerous and diverse. (856) 691-0487 info@gartonsrigging.com NEW JERSEY | PENNSYLVANIA | DELAWARE GARTONSRIGGING.COMJ F OSEPH AZZIO I NC EST 1965 PROUD PARTNER OF NORTHEAST PRECAST Offering Steel, Metals & Industrial Hardware including Concrete Anchors, Fasteners, Lifting & Rigging products, Abrasives and much more! LARGE INVENTORY ON HAND | COMPETITIVE PRICES AND BULK DISCOUNTING (856) 881-3185 | HARDWARE@JFAZZIO.COM | SHOPJFI.COM “YOUR BEST WORK STARTS HERE” At the beginning of our conversation, Gorgas mentioned the company’s early involvement with the Department of Transport as a result of its post-recession expansion, and this pipeline of highway and infrastructure work remains a strong part of Northeast Precast’s future. “We’ve been working for the past several years on the 42-295 project for the New Jersey Department of Transportation which includes retaining walls, noise walls, and segmental bridge products including hammerhead piers that go on top of segmental piers.” On the commercial front, he says: “We’re just wrapping up a 400,000 square foot retail facility in Elmont, New York, at the Belmont Park Retail Village which is comprised of boutique shops and restaurants as well as special event space.” 8Building Solutions to Manage Risk Property & Casualty | Liability | Surety | Wrap-Ups Claims & Risk Control | Environmental & More ©2023 USI Insurance Services. All rights reserved. For decades your USI team has been providing the risk management solutions and services that construction companies count on to protect their businesses and employees. We’d like to do the same for you. USI Insurance Services Jordan Petrill , Vice President Florham Park, NJ 07932 | 973.315.0505 | www.usi.com Proud to Support Northeast Precast OSEPH AZZIO I NC Underlying each of Northeast Precast’s projects and embed- ded into the company’s vision, is a drive towards sustainabil- ity. For Gorgas, it is important on an environmental level but also, it makes good business sense. “We like to think about sustainability from the standpoint of being good stewards of all the resources we’ve been entrusted with, including cus- tomers, employees, and the environment. All those resources support each other, and anytime you have waste in that chain, one of the shareholders is paying for that waste. We’ve always thought about it from that perspective.” 9Next >