Community Builder
Joe Gray's project portfolio began with a dam.
“As a little boy, I recall building dams in Butcher Run Creek,” Gray said.
From that first dam grew a portfolio of engineering, construction and real estate endeavors so extensive that even Gray has trouble recounting them all.
“I think he's afraid to not have a project going on,” said Gray's wife, Jackie.
Officially, Gray's current business card would include: owner of Ashlar Architecture & Engineering and Arris Construction, as well as the engineer for the City of Butler.
He's also a community altruist and owner of numerous commercial and residential properties — some of which are credited with helping initiate a climate of redevelopment in downtown Butler.
Early start
“I probably knew more than most people pretty early that I'd be in construction. I was building tree houses when I was 8,” Gray said. “I enjoy building stuff and seeing it built. I've been around construction all my life.”Gray's first “full-time” job came at age 11 when he was helping his father, Richard, build houses. Richard was a carpenter and welder. Gray's stepfather — a huge influence — Dick Schlatz, was president of a local labor union.By age 16, Gray was doing concrete work for Harry Reimer Construction.“There are very few streets in the city I didn't put concrete on for T.W. Phillips,” he said.A 1982 Butler High School graduate, Gray attended the county's vocational-technical school for drafting before attending Butler County Community College and Penn State University.“For six years, on and off while I was going through college, I worked for the Mellon Stuart Construction Company. I worked on Ross Park Mall when it was laid out. And then the MSA headquarters in RIDC Park,” Gray said. “They (Mellon Stuart) fired the head surveyor and asked me to quit school and take over the project. I became the field tech … basically the site engineer. It was a $35 million project in 1985.”Gray calls the year-and- a-half he spent completing his duties there a pivotal point in his career.“It was just a great project. I got to work with all the guys in all the trades,” he said.Gray said “back in the day” when he entered the construction industry, “there were real characters on the crews. It's funny, they were like a family. But you had to prove yourself, sort of show you're worthy. And they tested you from day one.”After the MSA project, Gray returned to school and earned a bachelor of engineering degree from Youngstown State University. He got his professional engineer's license in 1994.While at Youngstown, Gray worked for Poling and Bacon, a fueling company, as a designer and project engineer.“I did airport fueling stations, pipelines, that sort of thing,” Gray said. “I worked 32 hours a week there while going to school full time. I had no life.”After graduation, Gray worked for Mellon-Stuart and Dick Corporation.“I was project engineer for site utilities at the Midfield Terminal Project … the (Pittsburgh International) airport, in '89 to '91. You know you're getting old when they're going to tear down projects you've done,” said Gray, 56.Following a “short stint” at Kimball Architects, Gray joined the team at Olson Engineering as a civil engineer.“A civil engineer basically deals with infrastructure,” Gray said. “Roads, bridges, stormwater, structures.I did a lot of land development projects and municipal engineering there.”In 1997, Gray quit to open his first business: Gray Engineering Corp. Land Development.“Name a development in Butler County at that time and we probably had some role … Stoneridge, Blossom Ridge, Hidden Meadows, Brandywine,” he said.Two years into it, Gray purchased the Warnick Company, which specialized in sewage issues, and combined the companies to form Gray-Warnick Engineering.“Basically we doubled. We had nine employees. They had nine employees,” Gray said. “We designed 50 miles of water line for Adams Township and worked on the Connoquenessing sewage treatment plant.”By 2001, Gray's businesses employed 32 people.Four years later, in 2005, he sold the company to Gateway Engineers. He worked there for five years.“I was a principal and owner for five years,” said Gray, who still serves as a consultant for Gateway. “I left there basically to put more time into the real estate side. That was running a parallel path to (my engineering career).”Real holdingsThe real estate side of Gray's career began in 1998 with his purchase of an old church in Mt. Chestnut. “That was neat,” Gray said of the circa-1858 structure later sold to DiPippa Chiropractic.Gray also purchased the building his office is based in now on Cunningham Street; an office and residential building on New Castle Street as well as the building across from it; the Commercial Heritage Building; the Connoquenessing Post Office and the Euphoric Ballroom Dance Studio in Butler. He also owns homes in Summit Township, and most recently bought the former Friedman's Freshmarkets site on West Brady Street that serves as home to Gateway Engineers.Gray said a real estate purchase that is a standout to him is Cornerstone Commons at Main and Cunningham.“It was the first big building we bought (in 2003),” Gray said of the four-story, circa 1906 showpiece. “And it is pretty grand.”Gray admits that when he bought Cornerstone Commons and his office in the same city block, “I got a pretty good deal because there wasn't much going on in the city.”Some would say Gray's own renovation efforts helped initiate the changing downtown real estate atmosphere.For example, Gray partnered with Jim Taylor and John Ankney for the building housing the Butler County Bar Association, Canella Cafe and Shelly's Main Street Grille.“When we did Canella's and those apartments we did upscale. Everyone thought we were crazy for trying that on Main Street,” Gray said. “But we've been full pretty much ever since opening in 2010 … We showed people that you could do good things in the city, and it would work out.”Gray won't take credit for inspiring rejuvenation efforts in buildings surrounding his, but he said, “I don't think I hurt anything.“It's always good to be proud of what you do. It adds to the community and inspires others to do better.”
Gray, also the city's engineer since 2000, said he's “always dabbled in building design and construction” so he started doing more architectural engineering after leaving Gateway.While he worked on the city parking garage across from his office, a partnership formed with architect Marlene Myers. “And that was the start of Ashlar before it was named and formalized,” Gray said of his current business, Ashlar Architecture & Engineering.Notables among the Ashlar projects are the Mike Kelly Automotive pre-owned building and the renovation of an old mill off Route 68.The firm also did the facade renovation for the Butler County Government Center.Gray said he takes particular pride in that project because the original plan called for tearing down the concrete and replacing the windows. Instead, under his company's advice, the building was covered with insulation and metal panels.“We saved them a lot of money and came in under budget,” Gray said. “I remember when they built that building. I thought it wasn't the most attractive at the time and that was unfortunate. I think the new facade made it more inviting.”Joe Saeler, executive director of the Butler County Community Development Corporation, said he has worked with Gray on about 40 projects.“He's a great partner,” Saeler said. “He always comes to the table with solutions and cost savings.”Gray also owns Arris Construction, which was born from the need for work on his own real estate, and formalized in 2016.“It's really evolved since I started buying real estate,” said Gray who noted that the upside to his many efforts is when one initiative slows, he can focus energy and resources on another.“You get to a point where you have employees and you need to feed the machine,” said Gray, whose businesses employ about a dozen workers.
“I get all the credit. But she's more of a workaholic than I am. She's been involved every step of the way,” Gray said of Jackie, his wife since 1990. “She loves the renovations and she's not afraid to do anything.”Not only does Jackie, a former buyer for AK Steel, do hands-on renovations and get hijacked into real estate closings, but she also plays a special role in Gray's efforts.“I slow him down,” Jackie said. “I make him think twice before jumping into every project. We usually still jump in, but we make sure it's the right thing to do first.”Gray said he's thankful for his wife's input.“She governs me a little bit. That's good or I'd probably get in trouble,” he said, also tipping his hat to his sister, Kim, for helping with numerous projects through the years.Gray's projects do not end with the work day. His community and volunteer work has included the Butler Transit Authority board, the board of the Butler County Community Development Corporation, Butler Downtown's Economic Restructuring Committee, Butler County Chamber of Commerce, the Butler AM Rotary Club, Butler Downtown Revitalization Committee, Butler Township zoning hearing board, Butler Area Development Corporation, and the board of the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Butler.He's also become one of the go-to guys in securing, cutting and hauling a large Christmas tree to Diamond Park each year.The Grays have a family tradition of decorating a tall (usually 17 feet), earthy tree in their own home.So Gray said he got involved with Diamond Park because he wanted the city to have a tree at least as large and impressive as his own.“Once you do it, you're hooked,” Gray said, noting that Conner, one of his two sons, had to weld a tree stand large enough to accommodate the trees he helps bring to the park. “This year was the biggest and tallest yet.”Conner is a pipeline welder, and Gray's other son, Evan, is a ceramic engineer.Gray also over a decade worked with numerous community organizations to design the city's new street lights. Designed to accommodate the flags memorializing military personnel, the poles also will debut their Christmas lights this year.“That is a nice project … the lights on Main,” Gray said.
And as a team, Joe and Jackie built their Butler Township home in 2008. They also built their three preceding homes.Jackie said the moves, made to larger and more wooded properties, likely won't be the last.“We'll want something smaller some day,” she said.So what's Joe Gray's next project?“Downsizing,” he said, then laughed. “I don't know, I'll just keep doing what I'm doing. I'll never retire.”To read more articles on construction and engineering, see the August issue of Business Matters.
