ENGINEERING ONGOING ELECTRICAL EVOLUTION Do what you do best. We got the rest.
We are Aligned with Your Market Needs
Knowing how to get the job done is power. A partner who helps your business run smoothly is electric. NorthEast Electrical is a full-service electrical distributor providing products and services to electrical contractors, industrial, OEM, utility, and institutional customers to help you work more efficiently.
Lighting
Residential
Industrial
Commercial
Government
Healthcare
We Offer Expert-driven Services & Solutions
Let your skilled installers focus, while we handle those task you down or cause bottlenecks. Efficient solutions give you t to react quickly to changes, and higher productivity means can take on more while improving jobsite safety.
NorthEast Electrical operates in more than 40 branches strategically located throughout six New England states. We’re more than an electrical distributor. We understand your needs and challenges, and we are dedicated to providing exceptional service to our customers.
650+
employees
40+
locations
6
states
1998 est.
Assembly Services
Renewabl
Lighting Solutions
Wire Serv
Project Solutions
And More
ENGINEERING ONGOING ELECTRICAL EVOLUTION Gaston Electrical’s progress over the last year has reinforced its position as an industry leader in electrical, low-voltage, and fire alarm contracting services. We sit down with Brian Jasinski, Vice President of Preconstruction and Business Development, to discuss the company’s continued excellence Writer: Lily Sawyer | Project Manager: Ben Weaver
P
rominent New England electrical contractor Gaston Electrical (Gaston) provides full-service electrical construction, low-voltage systems, and fire alarm installations for commercial, life-sciences, and institutional clients. Established in 1934 and acquired by EMCOR in 2022, the company continues to leverage its near century-long reputation of excellence, supported by EMCOR’s expertise, to operate efficiently within the electrical construction services segment. Since we last spoke to Gaston in 2025, Brian Jasinski has moved into a new leadership role as Vice President of Preconstruction and Business 2 | North America Outlook Issue 37
Development – having previously served as Project Executive. Jasinski shares his observations of the current Boston and New England markets, along with some of Gaston’s best practices for building and maintaining strong client relationships. “The Boston and New England construction markets continue to be very competitive. Many projects are being bid from incomplete progress documents while other projects undergo frequent updates and addendums – resulting in multiple rounds of bidding. This puts a significant strain on estimating resources,” Jasinski opens.
GASTON ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION
GASTON ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION
Fortunately, concerns over tariff uncertainty appear to be subsiding to some extent, with most vendors implementing plans to hedge or otherwise include these costs in their pricing. A greater disrupting market factor for companies like Gaston is the boom in data center construction, which has created longer lead times for some materials and key components. “Generators in certain sizes, medium-voltage cables, fiber-optic cables, and cable trays have all seen significant lead time and cost increases due to the scarcity created by the demand for data center construction,” he adds. On a more positive note, however, Gaston’s Estimating Team continues to receive steady project bidding opportunity solicitations and its backlog of work remains strong. “With today’s competitive market conditions, it is more important than ever to communicate, bring value, and remain innovative in order to win work from existing and new clients alike,” Jasinski reveals. Indeed, Gaston is communicating scope gaps, bringing value
engineering ideas to the table, and sharing useful information relating to potential lead time issues. These best practices, paired with years of project experience, help define that value and innovation with its general contractor partners and end-user customers. “While it is more difficult to successfully win project awards in this market than it has been in recent years, we find the strong relationships we’ve built, along with the solid past performances of our field teams, have helped us get to the finish line and secure top projects in the region!”
SUPPORT AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION As a full-service union electrical, lowvoltage, and fire alarm contractor, the majority of Gaston’s work is in the Boston and Cambridge markets, with a growing percentage taking place in Central Massachusetts (MA), New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. It recently began its fire alarm division, which is experiencing significant growth and exclusively performs fire alarm system installation, service, testing, and maintenance.
In addition, Gaston has started a controls division in response to a steady stream of requests to support its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) trade partners. “While controls can be considered a specialty trade, we see it as a natural progression and complimentary service to our core offerings,” Jasinski states. As part of EMCOR, Gaston has benefited from the support and strategic direction of the specialty contracting giant since it was acquired in 2022. “From the beginning of our merger, EMCOR has been very supportive, taking the time to truly understand our market, company history, and vision for the future,” he smiles. EMCOR has also provided Gaston with additional resources which the company has used to increase overall efficiency and effectiveness. “From personnel training and materials to safety training and support, among other intangibles, EMCOR’s systems and processes have allowed us to be more competitive in our increasingly saturated and competitive marketplace,” Jasinski adds.
“WITH TODAY’S COMPETITIVE MARKET CONDITIONS, IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO COMMUNICATE, BRING VALUE, AND REMAIN INNOVATIVE IN ORDER TO WIN WORK FROM EXISTING AND NEW CLIENTS ALIKE” – BRIAN JASINSKI, VICE PRESIDENT OF P R E C O N S T R U C T I O N A N D B U S I N E S S D E V E LO P M E N T, G A S TO N E L E C T R I C A L
4 | North America Outlook Issue 37
INNOVATIVE JOBSITE SOLUTIONS With jobsite temporary power becoming a significant part of modern-day projects, Gaston’s custom-built temp power skids are an example of the company’s continuous improvement. “The days of multiple extension cords and limited temp lights are over – today, sophisticated projects have full and complex temporary power needs,” Jasinski outlines. For instance, jobsites now require
everything they need to construct the building until the permanent service can be energized, such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-required lighting levels and power for a full spectrum of large and small equipment. Many of Gaston’s projects in metropolitan areas are high-rise buildings, meaning it frequently has a need for mixed voltages across multiple floors. “This is what prompted us to
create uniform temp power skids – custom-built to specific criteria at our 25,000-square-foot (sqft) prefabrication shop,” he tells us. As such, the company now has a large fleet of custom temp power skids that are safe, mobile, and perfect for its needs. “We include provisions for almost any requirement in the field – making them much more efficient and safer for our field teams to install, maintain, and re-condition for use on the next project,” says Jasinski. North America Outlook Issue 37 | 5
Do what you do best. We got the rest. Knowing how to get the job done is power. A partner who helps your business run smoothly is electric. NorthEast Electrical is a full-service electrical distributor providing products and services to electrical contractors, industrial, OEM, utility, and institutional customers to help you work more efficiently.
NorthEast Electrical operates in more than 40 branches strategically located throughout six New England states. We’re more than an electrical distributor. We understand your needs and challenges, and we are dedicated to providing exceptional service to our customers.
650+
employees
40+
locations
6
states
1998 est.
We are Aligned with Your Market Needs Lighting
Residential
OEM
Industrial
Commercial
Utilities
Government
Healthcare
Other
We Offer Expert-driven Services & Solutions Let your skilled installers focus, while we handle those tasks that slow you down or cause bottlenecks. Efficient solutions give you the flexibility to react quickly to changes, and higher productivity means your team can take on more while improving jobsite safety. Assembly Services
Renewable Solutions
Lighting Solutions
Wire Services
Project Solutions
And More
needco.com
GASTON ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION
DESIRE FOR THE COMPANY AND OTHERS TO SUCCEED As a company that places social responsibility at the center of its culture, Gaston is proud to make a positive impact on the areas in which it operates through its support of various non-profits and volunteer organizations in the Boston area. Boston Parters in Education (BPIE), for example, provides academic mentoring services to over 1,200 Boston Public Schools students every year. “We see this work as an important part of overall workforce development and a way to empower the next generation – especially in the 60th year of BPIE, which was founded in 1966,” Jasinski informs us. Indeed, Gaston’s Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development, Tim West, is on the Board of Directors for this important non-profit, reflecting the company’s close ties to the organization and overall support for its mission.
8 | North America Outlook Issue 37
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT – FM GLOBAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER Commissioned by FM Global, the new 320,000 sqft Science and Technology Center in Norwood, MA is a state-of-the-art, all-electric R&D campus on a redeveloped 17-acre site. The project was led by Hobbs Brook Real Estate, with architect PAYETTE and general contractor Shawmut Design and Construction also playing a crucial role. Gaston served as the key electrical subcontractor, partnering with these companies to build the high-performance electrical infrastructure.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
• Sustainable design – Features 221 geothermal wells with a depth of over 600 feet, targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold and WELL Building Standard Bronze certifications. • Campus features – Research labs, corporate offices, high-performance façades, and a 930-space pre-cast parking garage linked by a prefabricated canopy. • Timeline – Despite including major structural milestones such as topping out and lifting mega canopy panels, the project was still completed ahead of the planned 2026 date.
“LEADERS TODAY MUST BE ABLE TO SHARE INFORMATION CLEARLY AND LISTEN ACTIVELY – GOOD COMMUNICATION CAN ENSURE ALIGNMENT OF GOALS, ELIMINATE CONFUSION, AND REDUCE LOST TIME” – B R I A N J A S I N S K I , V I C E P R E S I D E N T O F P R E C O N S T R U C T I O N A N D B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T, G A S T O N E L E C T R I C A L
Looking to the future, Jasinski’s belief in the crucial nature of communication in leadership defines Gaston’s desire to succeed not only when it comes to delivering project excellence but also truly listening to its customers’ needs. “Leaders today must be able to share information clearly and listen actively – good communication can ensure alignment of goals, eliminate confusion, and reduce lost time,” he
reflects. He points out that another critical skill is the ability to evaluate data in order to make informed and timely decisions, particularly as a large contractor working on some of the most significant projects in the region. “When project delays can impact schedules, budgets, or overall outcomes, the worst action is no action,” Jasinski boldly concludes.
Tel: 781.255.8881 marketing@gastonelectrical.com
www.gastonelectrical.com
North America Outlook Issue 37 | 9
Tel: 781.255.8881 marketing@gastonelectrical.com www.gastonelectrical.com
PRODUCED BY NORTH AMERICA OUTLOOK MAGAZINE