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
| May 2, 2014
Top 10 countries for LEED buildings outside the U.S.
The list of the top 10 countries for LEED reflects the global adaptability of the world’s most widely used and recognized system guiding the design, construction, operations and maintenance of green buildings.
| May 1, 2014
First look: Cal State San Marcos's posh student union complex
The new 89,000-sf University Student Union at CSUSM features a massive, open-air amphitheater, student activity center with a game lounge, rooftop garden and patio, and ballroom space.
| May 1, 2014
Super BIM: 7 award-winning BIM/VDC-driven projects
Thom Mayne's Perot Museum of Nature and Science and Anaheim's new intermodal center are among the 2014 AIA TAP BIM Award winners.
| May 1, 2014
Chinese spec 'world's fastest' elevators for supertall project
Hitachi Elevator Co. will build and install 95 elevators—including two that the manufacturer labels as the "world's fastest"—for the Kohn Pedersen Fox-designed Guangzhou CTF Finance Center.
| Apr 30, 2014
Visiting Beijing's massive Chaoyang Park Plaza will be like 'moving through a urban forest'
Construction work has begun on the 120,000-sm mixed-use development, which was envisioned by MAD architects as a modern, urban forest.
| Apr 29, 2014
Best of Canada: 12 projects nab nation's top architectural prize [slideshow]
The conversion of a Mies van der Rohe-designed gas station and North Vancouver City Hall are among the recently completed projects to win the 2014 Governor General's Medal in Architecture.
| Apr 29, 2014
USGBC launches real-time green building data dashboard
The online data visualization resource highlights green building data for each state and Washington, D.C.
| Apr 28, 2014
Welcome to the Hive: OVA designs wild shipping container hotel for competition
Hong Kong-based OVA envisions a shipping-container hotel, where rooms could be removed at will and designed by advertisers.
Smart Buildings | Apr 28, 2014
Cities Alive: Arup report examines latest trends in urban green spaces
From vertical farming to glowing trees (yes, glowing trees), Arup engineers imagine the future of green infrastructure in cities across the world.
| Apr 25, 2014
A radiant barrier FAQ: Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask
There are many examples of materials developed for the space program making their way into everyday life and radiant barriers are just that. SPONSORED CONTENT