Courtesy / Mast Construction Corp.
Hildy and Adam Ginsberg
Updated: December 11, 2023
Construction company ‘bursting at the seams’ finds larger shop in Portland’s West End
Courtesy / The Dunham Group
Mast Construction Corp. bought a 4,641-square-foot light industrial building at 160 St. John St., in Portland’s West End, giving it space to grow.
After more than four years of searching, Mast Construction Corp. found the right industrial space for expansion in Portland’s West End.
Mast Construction Corp. bought 160 St. John St. from Harvey Associates for $930,000.
Kimberly Veilleux of Porta & Co. represented the buyer and Justin Lamontagne of the Dunham Group represented the seller in the transaction.
“The industrial inventory on the peninsula is scarce, so I am thrilled we secured one for Mast Construction,” said Veilleux. “The accessibility at 160 St. John St. will be advantageous for daily operation.”
The 4,641-square-foot light industrial building was built in 1951. It was marketed as having excellent visibility and flexible zoning, with 2,520-square-foot showroom, a 2,121-square-foot warehouse, two overhead doors and a loading dock.
Mast Construction specializes in historic restoration, residential and commercial renovation, and residential and commercial masonry. Their services include chimney repair and restoration, brick and stone work, hardscaping, bathroom and kitchen renovation, additions, commercial refits and barn restorations.
Mast Construction is owned by Adam Ginsberg. His wife, Hildy Ginsberg, is the chief operating officer.
The company outgrew its leased space at 1053 Forest Ave., off of the Portland peninsula in the Morrills Corner neighborhood.
The Forest Avenue lease was less than half the size of the St. John Street building.
“We were bursting at the seams,” said Hildy Ginsberg.
The company was founded about 15 years ago, after the couple moved from Fairfield, County, Conn., where Adam had a similar construction company.
“We’ve grown in revenue and size every year since we started,” said Adam Ginsberg. “We’ve done that because of a phenomenal crew and clients who value their homes and properties.”
The majority of the jobs are restorations and renovations.
Courtesy / Mast Construction Corp.
The company restored 467 Danforth St., one of the oldest houses on the West End.
One project was the restoration of 467 Danforth St. in Portland, a brick colonial home dating to 1822 and in disrepair since the early 1900s. It was in rough shape when Mast Construction took it on. The three-year project involved a complete exterior renovation and interior rebuild.
“It’s been kind of a gem for us to show people,” he said.
Mast Construction also does a lot of work restoring island properties at Diamond Cove on Great Diamond Island in Casco Bay, including private homes that were once part of the Fort McKinley military complex and the renovation of the Crown Jewel restaurant.
At any given time, the team has about five projects underway.
Courtesy / Mast Construction Corp.
The restored oval stone window is a historical feature in a private home on Great Diamond Island.
“We do projects from start to completion,” said Ginsberg.
The need for shop space
As the company grew larger, it it needed more room.
“I needed a building that would be in the Portland area,” he said. “A lot of my business is on the peninsula, so I wanted to be as close as I could.”
Search requirements included 5,000 square feet of industrial space with 20-foot ceilings.
“For the past three years, I was open to almost anything — building my own building, renovating an existing building,” he said. “But there’s such limited inventory out there. And a lot is sold without ever being on the market.”
Then some real estate agent connections led him to Veilleux.
“She really thought outside the box,” he said. “She called places that were leasing and asked them if they would be willing to sell.”
The 160 St. John St. building is in pretty good shape, but renovations are needed.
“We’ll fix the exterior masonry,” Ginsberg said. “I want to put a retaining wall in the back to make the back part of the property more useable and more accessible.”
Interior renovations will include improving the bathroom, building an office and installing windows.
Immediate investment into the renovations is estimated at $85,000 to $100,000.
Financing details for the purchase and renovations were not disclosed.
The company is looking to hire five more people in 2024 — four in the field and one in the office. Although there’s been a bit of an uptick in the number of available candidates, historical renovations require a higher level of skill than typical carpentry jobs, so it’s been tough to find new hires, he said.
The goal is to be operational at 160 St. John St. by early January.
Said Veilleux, “They are in a niche market and really only one of a couple companies that offers these types of services in the Greater Portland area.”
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