He was a Berea High School basketball standout who dreamed of playing professionally. She was a cheerleader. After graduating from Furman University in 1979, Gus and Belinda Rubio made a home for themselves in Greenville.
Now they build multimillion-dollar custom homes in the Upstate and Western North Carolina, with homes averaging $3.7 million and up to $10 million.
Their company, Gabriel Builders, marked 40 years in business in 2024, and the Rubios celebrated their 45th anniversary.
“I’ve been on my knees praying a lot behind the scenes because it is a tough business, but I think our faith is strong,” Belinda Rubio said. “I saw Gus never give up. I probably would have thrown the towel if it were me, but he didn’t. It made him stronger. And it’s made us a better company and better people.”
What started in an office above their bedroom in 1984 has blossomed into a company with 72 employees. Though the two are still working, their sons, Gabe and Nick are moving up the succession ladder.
“It’s a challenge that I’m up to facing with my brother’s help, of course. It’s an honor. It’s scary,” said Gabe Rubio, 42, who started working in the family business when he was about 10 or 11, cleaning job sites on Saturdays. Now he is Gabriel Builders’ vice president, construction and quality control.
When Gus Rubio was 5, his family emigrated from Cuba, where his father had been a lawyer. The American dream informs, in part, Gus Rubio’s work ethic, his sons and wife said.
“Watching him work as hard as he has and putting God first and always putting the client first has produced a lot of fruit,” said Nick Rubio, 34.
Belinda Rubio said the business has thrived on building relationships as much as building luxury homes. Once, she recalled, a couple and their two dogs stayed with them until their home was completed.
Those relationships have led to creating major-league homes for several celebrities. The company built one at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards for Tom Glavine, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, and his wife, Chris.
The company’s website quotes them saying, “Our relationship with the Rubio family has advanced from one of business to a true friendship.”
And that’s the legacy the Rubio brothers plan to continue.
“We hope our kids are here one day talking about the 80-year anniversary,” Nick Rubio said.
Gabriel Builders Timeline
1984: Gus and Belinda Rubio start Gabriel Builders in Greenville.
1998: Builds chapel at Cliffs at Glassy, known as one of the top 100 wedding chapels in the U.S.
2001: Chosen to build Tom and Chris Glavine’s home at The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards. Tom Glavine is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.
2008-present: Receives first state Pinnacle Award for the best-crafted home. Gabriel Builders has won a state Pinnacle Award every year since 2008.
2014: Voted the National Custom Builder of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders.
2014-present: Wins multiple Upstate Bridge Awards for homes in the Upstate of South Carolina.
2015: Ocean Home magazine names the company Custom Home Builder of the Year.
2017: Wins Business of Integrity award for marketplace ethics from the Better Business Bureau.
2020: Home Builder Digest names Gabriel Builders No. 10 in a list of the top 20 design-build firms in the U.S.
2021: Wins Ludowici Award for National Project of the Year. The Ohio-based Ludowici has been providing high-end roofing tiles for nearly 150 years, making tiles for the White House, Duke University and the iconic New York Life Building, among others.
2024: Marks 40 years in business.
Source: Gabriel Builders
