Founded 1993
Thirty-three years of commercial construction, renovation, and facility maintenance in New Jersey.
Return the call. Show up when you said.
Patrick Dwyer started Gemstar in 1993 out of a conviction that the contracting trade had an avoidable reputation problem. Return the call. Show up when you said. Write the estimate so every line is legible. Do what the contract says at the price the contract says.
That was a differentiator in 1993 and, remarkably, it still is.
The business grew from painting into full residential construction, and from there into commercial work — which is now where most of it happens. Today Gemstar serves commercial property managers, facility directors, healthcare systems, and national multi-site operators across New Jersey, the Lower Hudson Valley, and the Philadelphia metro area.
What hasn't changed is the operating premise.
Who you'll deal with
Patrick Dwyer
Owner
Patrick founded Gemstar in 1993, after earning a degree in economics from Penn State, on a simple premise: the contracting trade had an avoidable reputation problem, and professionalism would be the differentiator. Return the call. Show up when you said. Write the estimate so every line is legible. Deliver what the contract says at the price the contract says. Thirty-three years later he still runs the company on that standard, overseeing commercial and residential construction across northern New Jersey and hiring to it.
Chris Apolito
Commercial Accounts & Project Delivery
Chris prices your project and then runs it — the same person from the first walkthrough through closeout. He came to construction from the financial markets, beginning as a stock trader before founding and operating his own brokerage firm, where he led operations, risk management, and growth. He designed and implemented the algorithmic trading platform behind the firm’s proprietary desk, building quantitative analytics and automated execution for statistical arbitrage models. His career later expanded into private lending and real estate investment, evaluating, funding, and managing investment opportunities, and he holds a real estate license. That background shows up in how he estimates: scopes priced from actual site conditions rather than a square-foot average, and one point of accountability for the whole job.
Justin Weber
Commercial Sales Director
Justin is usually the first person you’ll meet, and he stays with the account afterward. He brings more than a decade in commercial restoration and construction, and is known for a relationship-focused approach that pairs technical depth with a genuine interest in how the project actually turns out for the client. He holds a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Delaware Valley University and is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Policy at Liberty University. He handles client relationships from the first walkthrough through contract, and builds the kind of partnerships that outlast a single job.
Morgan Wilkes
Business Development
Morgan brings more than twenty years in sales and business development, and a combination of discipline and entrepreneurial instinct that is unusual in this trade. His career began in the United States Marine Corps, where he developed the resilience, integrity, and mission-focused leadership that still shape how he works. After his service he built a foundation in finance as a mortgage loan specialist and later as a private lender in the investor real estate market, helping clients navigate complex transactions with transparency. He has also owned and operated a successful restaurant, which sharpened his instincts for operations and customer service. Clients get a straight answer and someone who treats follow-through as a matter of principle.
The paperwork, in one place
Gemstar Painting LLC d/b/a Gemstar Contractors LLC · 204 Patriots Road, Morris Plains, NJ 07950
Licensed trades
Gemstar self-performs all painting and protective coatings. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work is performed by New Jersey licensed trade contractors whose licenses and insurance we verify on every project. You contract with Gemstar; we hold and manage the trade relationships.
Gemstar serves private-sector clients. We do not bid public works projects. Member, Painting Contractors Association.
Need our paperwork?
Certificates of insurance, W-9, and references go out the same day you ask.