G.M. Libby & Sons Masonry
Established 1979
Our father, George Sr. grew up and went to school in the greater Portland area. It was here he first was exposed to the building and construction trades. Realizing his potential he enrolled in Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute. While studying in the Building construction major he found the training the school gave him to be irreplaceable. They not only gave him the skill set to construct full projects but the management tools to eventually run and operate his own company. In 1969, He graduated in the top of his class.
Established in 1979 by George Libby Sr.
In the mean time however he needed some stability. Having a new bride and son on the way, Little George, he went to work for Blue Rock Industries as a field engineer and project superintendant. Heavy construction had its challenges, mostly people management and logistics. After seven years and countless miles away from home he took a new position with White Brothers Construction. As a heavy construction superintendent again he found himself in a field which he was good at but still restless. Having just had his second son, Michael, he ventured out of the comfort of a large company with a good friend Paul Labreque. Working with Paul he toned down his management role and tried to get back to his trade school roots become the mason and form builder for Labreque Construction. After a couple of years with Paul his ambition to captain his own ship became evident. With the utmost respect for Paul and the opportunity given, he amicably left Labreque Construction. To this day they are still good friends.
In 1979 he now had a third child, Susan, and a mountain of responsibility. He started as a small self-employed masonry contractor. His specialty was chimney work, step repair and pretty much anything else under the sun. With his trade school roots and his strong sense to provide he handled anything sent his way. If it included carpentry, drywall, or just weeding a flower bed for an elderly client he did it. He has always had a natural commitment to our clients and them receiving the highest craftsmanship for their dollar. This is how his boys learned the cost of independence and what you had to do to keep it. The company was started and built on the "long work day, short weekend, never quit" attitude established by George himself.
Fast forward to teenage boys and you find George doing an incredible job of not only running a company but raising a strong family. Both Michael and George Jr. have always worked with George who stressed training of the basics and then educating the person next to you. At this point the commitment to client value is naturally engrained in the boys and as they make their way through high school they are a constant part of the company. Often times the boys worked weeknights helping prepare trucks for an early start and always working through their summer vacations. George encouraged both boys to explore and travel. All avid outdoors men, often times Fridays would break with a quick canoe trip or load up to camp for the week end.
As college came around George jr. went to Portland School of Art for sculpture and Mike went to University Of Maine. All the while working for George, whenever possible to pay for their tuition and make a few dollars spending money. With a couple of full time employees and the part time help of the boys G.M.Libby and Sons was doing well. Venturing more into the larger scale residential projects and at the same time gaining valuable commercial masonry skills, through some of dad's trade school friends, the boys were becoming respected crew members.
George Jr., Elijah, Emily Libby
At this time George decided to make a proposal, in or out, and the best one "what would keep you enjoying this work." Here is where the current company starts to take shape. Both Mike and George Jr. enjoyed the new stone direction the company had taken and even though very comfortable as masons, responsible for their own days work, they started taking on more management as well. George was the perfect teacher giving just enough responsibility to keep things in control yet offer a comfortable panic to the boys reminding them constantly that their eyes had to stay on the horizon as well as the present.
Michael, Grace Elizabeth, and Melissa Libby
Almost twenty years later and they are still leaning. Both have young sons and daughters of their own and the company has many other employee families they feel responsible to as well. After running the company for the past five years themselves, George feels comfortable enough to respectfully allow them to steer the ship he worked so hard to get afloat. Now he is the proud captain of his own semi-retirement, always available for a welcomed consult or a quick gesture of how he would solve the problem at hand.
