As New York City begins its reopening phase from the more than year-long pandemic that sent office workers and companies scrambling to other states, suburbs and the outer boroughs, construction services firm Swinerton stakes its claim on the gold coast of the East with its first New York office in the company’s 133-year-old history. Located at 292 Madison Avenue, the new office will be managed by Andrew Pearl, life-long Yankees fan and former New Yorker, who returns to his roots from Swinerton’s California headquarters to head up the New York operation.
“Despite the uncertainty due to the pandemic that adversely impacted New York City, particularly in the office market sector, Swinerton sees opportunity in crisis,” says Eric Foster, CEO of Swinerton. “We build nationally and will connect with our long-standing clients to serve them best in one of the hardest hit areas of the country.”
Swinerton is not your typical construction services company. It not only brings to New York its 133-year-old legacy in building expertise, but also its self-perform capability in key trades such as drywall, concrete, doors/frames/hardware; with Timberlab, mass timber delivery and integration; SAK Builders Division 3 concrete services; Swinerton Renewable Energy; and Perq, a first-of-its kind product in collaboration with Walker Consultants that is an innovation to design, build, and deliver pre-designed and pre-engineered parking solutions in 13 months. It is betting on bringing its expertise and national reputation in building Affordable Housing, Aviation, Education, Corporate and Critical Facilities, Gaming, Healthcare, Hospitality, Interiors, Residential, Retail, Life Sciences, and Renewable Energy to New York as it builds back stronger and better. The company is currently working for Fortune 500 Corporate Services clients in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia, and has already secured work in New York City.
“At Swinerton, we don’t see New York City at the end of its glory days in construction and real estate growth, and one would just need to look to Facebook’s 730,000-square-foot lease at Farley Post Office this summer as proof,” adds Andrew Pearl, Swinerton VP, Division Manager. “As others see a decline in urban centers, in a post-COVID climate, we are targeting corporate interiors as a sector presenting for change with many more hard-walled offices as opposed to open spaces. As people return to the city, the spaces in which they live, work, and learn will need to be re-configured.”
Swinerton has thrived and survived the test of time by emerging into a $5 billion national commercial construction company with great financial strength, national clients, project diversity, and a company culture that is proud of its 100% employee ownership. Many Swinerton buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and architectural preservation lists. It currently has 20 offices in nine states across the country and is ranked #17 on the ENR 2021 list of top contractors in the country. The company adapted its construction strategies and pivoted to survive two World Wars, a Great Depression and a Great Recession, two global pandemics, as well as many crises and national disasters.
“Swinerton is staying true to its DNA by expanding the markets we explore and targeting opportunities to build in locations where our clients have needs,” adds David Callis, Swinerton President and COO. “We are a very hands-on company with a white glove approach to building and feel the need to answer the call to build back better and stronger in post-pandemic New York.”
The company, which was founded in 1888 as a masonry and contracting firm, put down roots by following the post-gold rush era in Los Angeles. When disaster struck San Francisco in 1906 and a major earthquake destroyed 28,000 structures, the only buildings left standing were built of concrete by Swinerton, making them the first to pioneer reinforced concrete as a building material to withstand the pressures of California earthquakes.
Swinerton has been a 100% employee-owned company since 1980 in which nearly 5000 employees, half of which represent the trade, share in the company’s profits and are thoroughly committed to its success. The Swinerton Foundation is a 501(c)(3) that helps build sustainable cities and neighborhoods by partnering with community-focused non-profit organizations to support health, social services, cultural, education, and environmental programs that benefit all members of the community.
“Being in the New York market has accelerated the company’s 15-year business plan to expand both geographically and through sector diversification,” concludes Andrew Pearl. “For now, we are bullish on office interiors as our target sector and fulfilling our East Coast expansion plan.”
Related Stories
Modular Building | Jul 23, 2018
Offsite construction: Why it’s important for the survival of your firm
The industry is approaching its “heart attack moment,” with so many large projects that are chronically late, over budget, and unprofitable, writes FMI Capital Advisors’ Michael Swistun.
Building Owners | Jul 17, 2018
Are we facing a new era in Foreign Direct Investment?
The construction industry is already feeling the effects of the recent tariffs, not only with higher steel and aluminum prices, but with higher prices on Canadian lumber.
Office Buildings | Jul 17, 2018
Transwestern report: Office buildings near transit earn 65% higher lease rates
Analysis of 15 major metros shows the average rent in central business districts was $43.48/sf for transit-accessible buildings versus $26.01/sf for car-dependent buildings.
Giants 400 | Jul 16, 2018
5 'giant' trends poised to change the face of construction
We’ve identified five emerging trends that are likely to transform the construction market in the near future.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 9, 2018
Work, park, live: Inside Cincinnati’s parking garage turned lifestyle hotel
The Summit hotel and conference center is a converted parking garage that was once a factory.
Accelerate Live! | Jun 24, 2018
Watch all 19 Accelerate Live! talks on demand
BD+C’s second annual Accelerate Live! AEC innovation conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago) featured talks on AI for construction scheduling, regenerative design, the micro-buildings movement, post-occupancy evaluation, predictive visual data analytics, digital fabrication, and more. Take in all 19 talks on demand.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 13, 2018
Multifamily visionaries: KTGY’s extraordinary expectations
KTGY Architecture + Planning keeps pushing the boundaries of multifamily housing design in the U.S., Asia, and the Middle East.
| Jun 11, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: Regenerative design — When sustainability is not enough
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), HMC’s Eric Carbonnier poses the question: What if buildings could actually rejuvenate ecosystems?
| Jun 11, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: The smart jobsite — Predictive visual data analytics for proactive project controls
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), a trio of experts in predictive visual data analytics presents how design-build giant Clayco has leveraged this technology to achieve production efficiency on several construction sites.
| Jun 11, 2018
Accelerate Live! talk: ‘AEC can has Blockchains?’
In this 15-minute talk at BD+C’s Accelerate Live! conference (May 10, 2018, Chicago), HOK’s Greg Schleusner explores how the AEC industry could adapt the best ideas from other industries (banking, manufacturing, tech) to modernize inefficient design and construction processes.