Our History
Graycor was founded in 1921 as Chicago Concrete Breaking Company, a firm whose specialty was using explosives for controlled blasting. The company's founder, Edward Gray, moved his cleaning business, known as Gray Brothers, which specialized in building exteriors and windows, from St. Louis to Chicago. He steered the business in a new direction, renaming it Chicago Concrete Breaking Company. Soon, the new company won a contract to remove a railroad retaining wall in Grant Park without disrupting train traffic. The project's great success led the company to adopt the slogan, "Wanted -- a hard job."
With business thriving, the firm entered the steel industry in the early 1930s, a move that eventually led to the construction and maintenance of steel-making facilities. Over the next two decades, the company developed new methods and technology for the steel industry. In 1954, the company formed a new division, Chicago Concrete Construction Company, the success of which further broadened the company's application of its construction skills. In 1957, The Edward Gray Corporation name was established, consolidating the two divisions. By the end of the 1970s, the company had evolved into a full-scale construction and industrial services organization, initiated state-of-the-art computerized cost control and planning systems and successfully completed construction projects across the nation.
In 1982, The Edward Gray Corporation acquired Inland Construction Company, a 42-year-old general building contractor specializing in the commercial and retail industries. With the addition of Inland and growth of its other businesses, Graycor was organized as a holding company in 1984.
A decade later, the company, firmly established as one of the nation's largest general contractors, moved its headquarters to Homewood, Illinois. In July 1996, the operating companies were renamed to identify them under one unified name: Graycor Inc. The name change coincided with the celebration of Graycor's 75th year in business, a year in which Graycor achieved record growth.
Marking the next logical step in the continued expansion of Graycor’s blasting and industrial services, Graycor acquired a major explosives competitor and specialist in deslagging projects for power and paper companies in 2001. The acquired company operates under Graycor Blasting Company Inc., which offers hydroblasting and vacuuming services in addition to precision blasting services. Although Graycor operates throughout North America, the acquisition allows closer proximity to clients in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Minnesota.
Year 2002 proved to be a year of great expansion for the company. In June, Graycor acquired Capitol Construction Services L.P., a Palatine, Illinois-based contractor with an office in Tempe, Arizona, specializing in interior construction for commercial, restaurant, retail and spa clients nationwide. Graycor also opened offices in Livonia, Michigan; Monterrey, Mexico; and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Today, Graycor is a firmly established North American contractor that continues to tackle complex construction and industrial maintenance projects that require a full and integrated complement of services. The company constructs a wide variety of commercial and industrial facilities, in addition to providing specialized maintenance services to Fortune 500 industrial corporations. The company also is recognized for its innovative construction techniques, safety and partnering philosophies and employee development programs. Always striving to improve business and bring new and better services to clients, Graycor continues to further widen its geographic range and enhance client relationships.
