Swinerton, the national general contractor, expanded into the Southeast U.S. in 2018. Since then, the firm’s Carolinas Division has generated at least $359 million in revenue from commercial construction projects that have run the gamut from corporate interiors and multifamily to healthcare and mass timber builds.
Of that total, Swinerton’s Carolinas Division is on pace to generate $120 million in revenue in 2023 alone. Among its projects nearing completion is the adaptive reuse within a former warehouse building in West Charlotte, N.C.’s Lower Tuck mixed-use development for office space: a $2.8 million renovation to create a 28,000-sf, two-story space that houses an international nonprofit disaster relief organization; and a nearly $1 million 9,000-sf expansion for an existing tenant, the tool manufacturer Positec, that adds offices, a conference room, and a break room.
These two upgrades were performed by the division’s Special Projects team. Each of Swinerton’s 20 offices nationwide has its own Special Projects crews, which allow the firm to position itself as a “community based GC” that is run like a boutique business, says Jason Hlewicki, Director of Special Projects for the Carolinas Division.
What constitutes a “special project,” however, is a little amorphous. Hlewicki says his special projects team is not separate from the division’s other employees. Nor is a project deemed “special” because of its size or cost: Hlewicki says his team has completed a renovation for a local restaurant group in 56 days, and has also worked on 100,000-sf $40 million jobs.
While special projects run across Swinerton’s practices, their designation “depends on the project’s characteristics and makeup,” he explains. Examples include commercial interiors, off-hours work, medical office building interiors, classroom renovations, and sports complexes.
Division serves a growing region
Hlewicki says that having a special projects team within a division allows Swinerton to be nimble and to pivot when needed, partly by pairing “the best possible staff with the project.” Another competitive advantage, he says, includes Swinerton being a self-performing GC whose crews are made up of its employees. (Swinerton is employee-owned.)
The Carolinas Division completes between 20 and 30 special projects annually, and therefore it deals with a lot of different AEC firms and developers. (Third & Urban is the developer of the Lower Tuck project.) it’s been Hlewicki’s experience that special projects allow Swinerton more room for creativity, especially when the firm is brought on early as part of the project’s design-build team.
The Carolinas have enjoyed a steady influx of people and businesses in recent years, a trend that’s expected to continue going forward. Hlewicki says demand for his firm’s services, both for new builds and renos, “is moving in an exciting direction.” Those services include Swinerton’s Facilities Solution program, a national platform that provides maintenance to existing clients using dedicated crews. “This keeps Swinerton top of mind with our customers,” says Hlewicki.
Related Stories
| Aug 30, 2016
CONVENTION CENTER GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top convention center sector design and construction firms
Gensler, LMN Architects, AECOM, Turner Construction Co., and WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest convention center sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
BIM and Information Technology | Aug 30, 2016
BIM GIANTS: A ranking of the nation's top BIM design and construction firms
HOK, Perkins+Will, Turner Construction Co., The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Jacobs, and Thornton Tomasetti top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest BIM AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Great Solutions | Aug 23, 2016
11 great solutions for the commercial construction market
A roll-up emergency department, next-gen telemedicine center, and biophilic cooling pods are among the AEC industry’s clever ideas and novel innovations for 2016.
| Aug 19, 2016
RECONSTRUCTION GIANTS: Facelifts give buildings new identities, even as they keep a few wrinkles
Reconstruction is always a balancing act between the client’s pro forma and what the building needs to be vibrant again.
| Aug 19, 2016
Top 110 Reconstruction Construction Firms
Gilbane Building Co., Turner Construction Co., and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest reconstruction sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 18, 2016
LOCAL GOVERNMENT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top design and construction firms in local sector work
HOK, Stantec, Turner Construction Co.,Clark Group, AECOM and STV top Building Design+Construction’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest local government sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
| Aug 18, 2016
STATE GOVERNMENT GIANTS: A ranking of the nation’s top design and construction firms in state sector work
CannonDesign, Stantec, Turner Construction Co.,Mortensen Construction, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff and AECOM top Building Design+Construction’s annual rankings of the nation’s largest state government sector AEC firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.
Hotel Facilities | Aug 17, 2016
First of its kind tri-branded Marriott hotel under construction in downtown Nashville
The hotel will combine the AC Hotels, Residence Inn, and SpringHill Suites brands.
| Aug 15, 2016
SPORTS FACILITY GIANTS: New and renovated college sports venues - designed to serve students and the community
Schools are renovating existing structures or building new sports facilities that can serve the student body and surrounding community.
| Aug 15, 2016
Top 60 Sports Facility Construction Firms
Mortenson Construction, AECOM, and Turner Construction Co. top Building Design+Construction’s annual ranking of the nation’s largest sports facility sector construction and construction management firms, as reported in the 2016 Giants 300 Report.