Washington Trust supports regional business growth with $13.6 million financing deal
July 30, 2026
New England vehicle upfitter acquires historic Uxbridge mill and large-scale Marlborough site
WESTERLY, R.I. — The Washington Trust Company today announced it has provided $13.6 million in financing for McGovern MHQ, Inc., a leading provider of specialized municipal and emergency vehicle upfitting services across New England, to grow its operations with the purchase of production facilities in Marlborough and Uxbridge, Massachusetts, including a historic former textile mill complex that will be returned to active industrial use.
The 131,000-square-foot Uxbridge facility will provide double the production space for McGovern MHQ’s truck equipment operations, which are currently located at a leased site in Oxford and will transition to the 18.85-acre campus at 44 Rivulet St. in Uxbridge. The largely vacant property—part of the historic Rivulet Mill complex, a former 19th-century textile manufacturing site listed on the National Register of Historic Places—will be brought back into active use as part of the expansion. Originally developed for textile production in the early 1800s and later operated by manufacturers with ties to the Blackstone Valley’s Rhode Island textile industry, the site reflects the region’s shared industrial heritage. The move will significantly expand MHQ’s operational capacity, providing greater efficiency, improved logistics and enhanced service capabilities to support its growing base of municipal, state and commercial clients throughout the Northeast.
The Marlborough property, located at 401 Elm Street, 415 Elm Street and Smith Drive, consists of an approximately 80,000-square-foot facility situated on a 12-acre campus and serves as a major hub for high-volume vehicle upfitting, service, and fleet support operations. The acquisition allows the company to transition from tenant to owner, strengthening long-term financial performance with the control of a critical operating asset.
McGovern MHQ, originally founded in 1979 and acquired by Matt McGovern in 2023, is one of the largest municipal vehicle upfitters in New England, providing customized solutions for police, fire, EMS, and public works fleets.
“McGovern MHQ has built a strong reputation serving public safety and municipal clients across New England,” said Joseph Confessore, senior vice president and managing director, commercial and private banking at Washington Trust. “This financing supports a major milestone for the company—expanding its footprint, increasing its production capacity, and transitioning key operations into owned facilities designed for long-term growth, while also bringing renewed economic activity to a historic mill property and returning it to active industrial use.”
Washington Trust has a long history of supporting development projects throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut, helping to strengthen communities through strategic financing solutions.
ABOUT THE WASHINGTON TRUST COMPANY®
Founded in 1800, The Washington Trust Company (“Washington Trust”) is recognized as the oldest community bank in the nation, the largest state-chartered bank headquartered in Rhode Island and one of the Northeast's premier financial services companies. In 2025, Washington Trust reached a milestone of 225 years in operation, marking its commitment to helping the people, businesses, and organizations of New England improve their financial lives. The Bank offers a wide range of commercial banking, mortgage banking, personal banking and wealth management services through its offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts and a full suite of convenient digital tools. Washington Trust is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. Washington Trust is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a publicly-owned holding company which trades on NASDAQ: WASH. For more information, visit the Bank's website at www.washtrust.com or the Corporation's website at ir.washtrust.com.