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
| Jun 8, 2012
Thornton Tomasetti/Fore Solutions provides consulting for renovation at Tufts School of Dental Medicine
Project receives LEED Gold certification.
| Jun 8, 2012
Allsteel names Kris Yates to head architectural products group
Yates is responsible for the start up, launch and ongoing sales and marketing of Allsteel’s new Beyond movable walls.
| Jun 8, 2012
Chestnut Hill College dedicates Jack and Rosemary Murphy Gulati complex
Casaccio Yu Architects designed the 11,300-sf fitness and social complex.
| Jun 7, 2012
Waterline exhibition displays visions for re-thinking the Chicago River
The designs of Waterline showcase why the Chicago River should once again be considered the city’s most important asset and sets the stage for increased awareness, education and reinvention of the River.
| Jun 7, 2012
WDMA and FMA to affiliate and integrate operations
Over the coming months both organizations will begin the process of formalizing the details of the agreement for final approval by both organizations, with the formal change expected to take effect in January 2015.
| Jun 7, 2012
Craig joins Cannon Design as associate principal
Craig will work closely with the firm's Corporate/Commercial Interiors leadership to help facilitate initiatives that strengthen awareness around workplace innovation and offer counsel on strategic workplace decisions.
| Jun 7, 2012
Stantec publishes 2011 corporate Sustainability Report
Stantec's fifth annual Sustainability Report was prepared in accordance with the internationally recognized G3.1 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, developed by the Global Reporting Initiative.
| Jun 6, 2012
KPF designs tower for Yongsan IBD
The master plan, created by Studio Daniel Libeskind, is a dynamic urban environment containing contributions from 19 different architects practicing in diverse locations around the globe.
| Jun 6, 2012
SOM urges Chicago tenants to partner with landlords to cut energy use
Tenants can exceed building energy challenge targets recently announced by Mayor Emanuel.
| Jun 6, 2012
KLMK Group awarded contract with Parkland Health & Hospital System in Texas
KLMK will also provide planning guidance in all aspects of the project related to facility activation.