Acella Construction transfers ownership to the De Novaeses

Rockland, MA Acella Construction Corp. has a new owner, according to the the firm. Helen and Jaquer De Novaes, owners of RPG Cleaning, Inc., have acquired the firm from Dave Dirubbo, who remains with Acella to assist with the transition, as of October 31^st, 2024. Acella Construction will continue to operate from its current location at 400 Hingham St. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.

The De Novaeses are very familiar with the company – Jaquer De Novaes has been involved with Acella Construction as a subcontractor since the company’s inception in 2003. Except for change in ownership, no other roles are affected by the acquisition – the company’s management team of Saul Schrader, president, Anthony Dirubbo, vice president of operations, Ryan Klebes, vice president of preconstruction and estimating, and Scott Brash, director of field operations, will all remain in their current roles, as will the rest of the Acella team.

Jaquer De Novaes was previously the co-owner of Resource Project Group before forming RPG Cleaning in 2009. He and Helen have also invested in several commercial real estate developments over the last several years.

Over the years, Acella has defined itself as a leader in construction management throughout greater Boston with a number of projects in academic, community, corporate, healthcare, and retail/hospitality sectors, including projects such as the Riverview School, Pelham House, the Provincetown Art Museum, Cummaquid Golf Club, Morgan Stanley, the Big Blue Swim School, SRC Medical, South Coastal Animal Health, the Goddard School, and Archbishop Williams High School. Acella is also known for its ongoing work at academic institutions including Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Northeastern University.

“I am grateful to the entire Acella team for how collaborative everyone has been throughout this process,” said Jaquer De Novaes. “I’m very excited for the future of Acella and optimistic that we can build on this strong foundation to take on even more while also creating greater financial stability and a stronger market position.” 

Dirubbo said, “My vision for Acella began and has continued to be a company focused around relationships, and with this acquisition, none of that changes. What does change is our strength in the marketplace, and our ability to do even more for our clients. I am excited for where Jaquer, Helen, and Saul will lead the company.”