Gagné Enterprises

Gagné Enterprises has its origin in 1948, when Clarence Gagné was expanding his nascent landscape business into blacktopping. It was at that time he purchased what was then known as “Whitney Field”, consisting of over one hundred acres of land. Over the next fifteen years, Clarence mined the land for its mineral deposits of top soil and gravel to use in his ever-growing construction business.

In 1965, Clarence sold thirty acres of Whitney Field to a retail developer who built the first enclosed retail mall in Worcester County. It was then that Clarence knew the remaining land had greater potential for commercial development than as a source of mineral supply for his construction business. Over the next twenty years, he slowly phased out his construction company and concentrated on developing his remaining acreage around what had come to be know as the Searstown Shopping Center.

He started off building multiple retail buildings and leasing them to retailers. He then began just leasing the land to the retail, financial and health care companies and thereby limited his financial exposure in the event of the tenants’ own financial troubles in the future.

This financial model of building and land lease ownership served Clarence and his family business very well over the years, first in partnership with his son, Edward, who then himself worked with his oldest son, David. Gagné Enterprises is now in its third generation of continued family ownership and expansion, remaining true to the memory and model of Clarence’s integrity and reputation.