Over the past eight years, the general contractor Swinerton went through an up and down growth trajectory that was limited by where it operated and the products it focused on.
In 2018, the company—which dates back to 1888—came out with its March to 2030, a blueprint for future growth that emphasizes product and geographic diversity. Since that plan came to light, the firm has expanded into Texas, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh. And now, it is making its boldest move by opening its first office in New York City, which Swinerton envisions becoming its hub for the Northeast.
That’s a tall order, given that the company had virtually no presence in that part of the country outside of some work in New Jersey by its renewable energy group. But the COVID-19 pandemic created what Swinerton’s CEO Eric Foster calls “an opportunity in crisis.”
“We feel the need to answer the call to build back better and stronger in post-pandemic New York,” says David Callis, Swinerton’s president and COO.
Running the New York office is Andrew Pearl, a 14-year company veteran who grew up in northern New Jersey but had spent his entire career, until now, with Swinerton in San Diego and San Francisco. “I never intended to stay in California,” Pearl tells BD+C, and he’s been pushing the company to open a branch in New York practically since he joined the firm.
After the coronavirus hit, Swinerton’s executives approached Pearl in the spring of 2020 about accelerating the company’s growth plans for the Northeast. Swinerton officially opens its New York office today at 292 Madison Avenue with 10 fulltime employees.
HOMING IN ON EXISTING ACCOUNTS
Andrew Pearl, Swinerton's New York division manager, has been urging his firm to expand into New York City for more than a decade. Image: Swinerton.
Pearl, whose title is Vice President and Division Manager, says that for the next 12 to 18 months, the New York office’s strategy is to serve the firm’s 75-plus accounts with which it has master agreements. These include technology companies, big banks, and insurance companies. Indeed, the first job the New York office booked is a “small” project for one of its tech clients.
“Many of these clients have been asking us to expand east to do work for them, and now we can finally say ‘yes,’” says Pearl. He adds that the types of projects Swinerton’s New York office is focusing on initially are corporate interiors, aviation, and healthcare/life sciences.
LEVERAGING DIFFERENTIATORS
The New York metro area is the largest and one of the most competitive commercial construction markets in the U.S. Prior to the pandemic, the value of commercial and multifamily starts in the area stood at $30.9 billion in 2019, according to Dodge Data & Analytics estimates.
To get the word out about its new office, Swinerton has hired a local P.R. agency, Cathy Callegari Public Relations, whose client list includes several other construction and engineering firms. Pearl is also in the process of joining a nonprofit that specializes in community building and neighborhood revitalization, and that Swinerton is part of in nine other cities.
And while Swinerton is the new kid on the block in New York, Pearl believes that this $5 billion company, with 20 offices in nine states, can leverage several “differentiators” when pitching new and existing customers. For example, earlier this year Swinerton launched its Timberlab brand for mass timber delivery and integration. Its renewable energy group is active in 28 states. It has a real estate redevelopment business, and a design-build collaboration called Perq with the engineering firm Walker Consultants.
Pearl says the company also has operations in Philadelphia and northern Virginia that now fall under the New York office umbrella.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | May 27, 2021
The anti-high rise: Seattle's The Net by NBBJ
In this exclusive video interview for HorizonTV, Ryan Mullenix, Design Partner with NBBJ, talks with BD+C's John Caulfield about a new building in Seattle called The Net that promotes wellness and connectivity.
Contractors | May 25, 2021
Doug Woods, DPR Construction's cofounder, dead at 70
His management style stressed collaboration that can tackle complex projects.
Digital Twin | May 24, 2021
Digital twin’s value propositions for the built environment, explained
Ernst & Young’s white paper makes its cases for the technology’s myriad benefits.
Contractors | May 20, 2021
Balfour Beatty’s outreach to veterans pays dividends in leadership and growth
Contracts for work it’s done for the San Diego Unified School District have extended to several disabled vet-owned businesses.
Senior Living Design | May 19, 2021
Senior living design: Post-COVID trends and innovations
Two senior living design experts discuss the latest trends and innovations in the senior living building sector.
Multifamily Housing | May 18, 2021
Multifamily housing sector sees near record proposal activity in early 2021
The multifamily sector led all housing submarkets, and was third among all 58 submarkets tracked by PSMJ in the first quarter of 2021.
Wood | May 14, 2021
What's next for mass timber design?
An architect who has worked on some of the nation's largest and most significant mass timber construction projects shares his thoughts on the latest design trends and innovations in mass timber.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 30, 2021
Registration and waiting: Weak points and an enduring strength
Changing how patients register and wait for appointments will enhance the healthcare industry’s ability to respond to crises.
University Buildings | Apr 29, 2021
The Weekly Show, April 29, 2021: COVID-19's impact on campus planning, and bird management strategies
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C Senior Editor John Caulfield interviews a duo of industry experts on 1) how campus planning has changed during the pandemic and 2) managing bird infestations on construction sites and completed buildings.