Who we are

Acorn Inc.’s roots reach back to 1945, when Italian stone carver Constantino Ricciardi opened a granite company with his sons. The firm later expanded its services to include on-site masonry restoration, specializing in historic buildings, and worked on many significant projects including the Quincy Market buildings in Boston.

Black-and-white photo of eight people posing outdoors, some with arms around each other, smiling, with a building in the background.

The company evolved into a well-respected development group under the leadership of Constantino’s son Paul and an extended family of employees, including siblings, sons, and grandchildren.

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Through its development projects, Acorn established a reputation for becoming an ally of the communities in which it operated, using local subcontractors, engineers and attorneys to represent the firm.

A black and white photo of a town street scene with a row of gravestones, a flagpole with an American flag, and several buildings including a memorial and a business sign, with leafless trees in the background.

In recent years, Constantino’s grandson, Stephen, grew the company and successfully completed many projects, including the historic renovation of several mill buildings in New Bedford, Massachusetts, into luxury loft residences. One of these conversions was the former headquarters of the Wamsutta Mills, the 150 year-old company famous for producing the finest cotton percale sheets.

A man in a red shirt and jeans sitting on a concrete barrier by the ocean with a blue sky and clouds in the background.

Today, under the leadership of family members and experienced staff, Acorn continues to develop, construct and manage properties throughout New England. We bring our personal and professional approach to the whole of the development process, with an emphasis on local relationships. Acorn Inc. employs over 30 dedicated staff who develop and maintain our properties.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony with several men in suits, outdoors in front of a brick building decorated with American patriotic bunting and flags.

Meet Our Team

  • A young man with a beard and short hair, wearing a dark blazer and a checkered shirt, smiling in front of a brick wall.

    Quentin Ricciardi - CEO

    Quentin was appointed CEO of Acorn in 2015. He has worked at the company for more than a decade and has experience in every aspect of its work, including leading construction teams, assisting in project selection, managing delicate zoning and permitting processes, overseeing complex financing, and introducing and managing Acorn’s successful solar installations. Quentin served as Vice President of Development for several years. A graduate of Milton Academy, Quentin earned a BA from Franklin and Marshall College. He is also a graduate of Harvard’s Advanced Management and Development Program.

  • A man with short brown hair, wearing a blue blazer and light blue shirt, smiling in front of a brick wall.

    Rick Griffiths - CFO

    Rick joined Acorn as CFO in 2014. He brings to the position more than 25 years of experience in banking and real estate accounting through leadership positions at Citizens Bank, BNY Mellon and, most recently, eight years as Chief Accounting Officer at DSF Advisors. Rick holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Houston.

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    Kristina O’Brien - Regional Manager

    Kristina joined Acorn in 2010 as a leasing agent.  She was promoted to the position of Regional Manager in 2016.  Before joining Acorn, Kristina worked as a MA Real Estate Sales Associate and Broker’s Assistant.  Kristina has a vast knowledge of the real estate world and customer/client relations. Kristina graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a Bachelor of Science in Operations Management and minors in both International Business and Economics.

Advisors

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    Anthony R. Sapienza

    Anthony is the President of the Board of Directors of the New Bedford Economic Development Council in which capacity he has served for 15 years.  In 2018 he retired from his position as the President of JA Apparel Corp., the parent corporation of the Joseph Abboud Manufacturing Corporation

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    Sean Kenealy

    Sean is president and owner of Key Realty, a family-run commercial real estate firm founded in 1974.  The Quincy-based company offers commercial real-estate sales, leasing, and consulting services on the South Shore and in greater Boston.

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    John DeVillars

    John is a clean energy and environmental professional with substantial leadership experience that includes service as Secretary of the Environment for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Chair of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

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    Edward Riekstins

    Edward has over 30 years of commercial finance and real estate experience.  Prior to selling his firm to Northmarq in 20122, he was a partner in Q10/New England Realty Resources, LLC where he oversaw all commercial loan production and served as President and Chief Operating Officer.

Charities Acorn proudly supports

United Way of Greater New Bedford logo with blue background and white text, featuring a hand holding a person and rainbow rays.
South Shore Habitat for Humanity logo with stylized house and three figures in blue and green.
Colorful logo reading 'Toys for Tots' in red, white, and yellow with a train design.
Logo featuring silhouettes of two dogs inside a house outline, with the text 'Humane Society and Shelter SouthCoast' beneath.
Logo for Italian Home for Children featuring a stylized person, purple trees, and green ground, with the organization's name in purple and teal text.
Mercy Meals & More logo featuring a blue cross with a fork and spoon crossing behind it.

Contact us

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