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
Giants 400 | Oct 6, 2022
Top 90 Hospital Facility Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
Turner Construction, Brasfield & Gorrie, DPR Construction, and JE Dunn top the ranking of the nation's largest hospital facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Oct 6, 2022
Top 115 Healthcare Sector Contractors + CM Firms for 2022
Turner Construction, Brasfield & Gorrie, DPR Construction, and JE Dunn Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest healthcare sector contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors all healthcare sector work, including hospitals, outpatient facilities, and medical office buildings.
Giants 400 | Oct 6, 2022
Top 90 Healthcare Sector Engineering + EA Firms for 2022
Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and IMEG Corp. head the ranking of the nation's largest healthcare sector engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors all healthcare sector work, including hospitals, outpatient facilities, and medical office buildings.
Giants 400 | Oct 6, 2022
Top 170 Healthcare Sector Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
HDR, CannonDesign, HKS, and Stantec top the ranking of the nation's largest healthcare sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report. Note: This ranking factors all healthcare sector work, including hospitals, outpatient facilities, and medical office buildings.
Designers / Specifiers / Landscape Architects | Oct 6, 2022
DAHLIN announces acquisition of Design Line Interiors
DAHLIN Architecture | Planning | Interiors announced today that it is expanding its interiors capabilities with the acquisition of Del Mar, California-based Design Line Interiors.
Contractors | Oct 6, 2022
Modular construction gets boost from impacts of the pandemic
The impact of the Covid pandemic on the construction industry appears to be fueling demand for modular construction methods, especially in the western U.S. and Canada.
Webinar | Oct 6, 2022
Register today! Live webinar: The future of 3D + 360° construction progress management
Learn about the value of digital site documentation and progress monitoring, how reality capture is used for site documentation, and the value of both 3D scans and 360 photos. This live webinar will take place Thursday, October 20 at 2 ET/ 1 CT.
Laboratories | Oct 5, 2022
Bigger is better for a maturing life sciences sector
CRB's latest report predicts more diversification and vertical integration in research and production.
Multifamily Housing | Oct 5, 2022
Co-living spaces, wellness-minded designs among innovations in multifamily housing
The booming multifamily sector shows no signs of a significant slowdown heading into 2023. Here is a round up of Giants 400 firms that are driving innovation in this sector.
Contractors | Oct 5, 2022
Materials shortages, cost spikes throwing Design-Bid-Build process out of whack
The traditional Design-Bid-Build delivery process is under considerable stress this year as materials shortages and cost spikes are upending usual practices, according to a new report from JLL.