HARPER GENERAL CONTRACTORS PARKS & COMMUNITY SPACES
2025 ENR TOP
400 CONTRACTORS
0.59 2024 EMR RANKING
450+ HARPER GC EMPLOYEES
75 YEARS OF BUILDING TRUST
FIRM OVERVIEW
HISTORY OF FIRM
Harper is a full-service general contracting and construction management firm headquartered in downtown Greenville, South Carolina. An award-winning company, Harper consistently receives recognition in the areas of quality, safety, environmental stewardship, and community involvement. Since 1950, we have had the opportunity to develop strong professional relationships with clients across North Carolina and South Carolina. By bringing to life the vision of our clients, Harper leaves a lasting impression on members of the community. The core of our company is geared toward collaborating with owners and design professionals in an open and transparent manner, enabling the owner to know how every project dollar is being invested.
We bring the same talent, innovation, and expertise to each of our valued clients throughout the Southeast. That doesn’t happen without dedicated, hard-working, experienced, effective, and honorable people. For us at Harper, our reputation, the way we conduct our business, and the way we treat you and each other is paramount. And that same level of respect, care, and honor that goes into our relationships goes into every single project we’re awarded.
MARKETS
“During the construction of Unity Park, Harper General Contractors was highly professional, worked cooperatively to overcome challenges and displayed an attention to detail, quality and safety that made the construction process as efficient, economical and successful as possible.”
JEFF WATERS SENIOR CAPITAL PROJECTS MANAGER for THE CITY OF GREENVILLE
UNITY PARK
GREENVILLE, SC | CM AT-RISK
Greenville’s newest park features four state-of-the-art playgrounds, including a 4,100 SF splash pad, two expansive green spaces, covered picnic tables, a 10,000 SF welcome center with restrooms, a first-aid station, and flexible event space. The project included the construction of three pedestrian bridges spanning the Reedy River, which allow pedestrians to access other parts of the Swamp Rabbit trail and neighboring businesses. This revitalization effort is designed to attract new life and create economic vibrancy to a currently underutilized space of West Greenville.
Harper was selected to perform preconstruction and construction services for Phase 1 of Unity Park, a CM At-Risk project for the City of Greenville. Harper’s efforts include extensive site work to the 60-acre site, underground utilities, and significant soil amendments. The construction of Unity Park made strides in its prioritization of the environment and natural surroundings. For the Reedy River, which weaves through the proposed park, Harper provided bank stabilization, beautification, and created a secondary river channel for the river. This park was designed to be accessible to all and includes an ADA-compliant playground with accessibility features. The design team focused on how development would occur around the park and helped develop an affordable housing strategy while designing the park.
REEDY RIVER WETLANDS PRESERVE AT UNITY PARK
GREENVILLE, SC | CM AT-RISK
In collaboration with the City of Greenville, Harper completed the redevelopment of the Unity Park Wetlands along the northern part of the 60-acre Park.
The Wetlands project includes an outdoor classroom as part of an ADA-accessible boardwalk providing new public access to these currently overlooked and unapproachable wetlands. This area serves as an outdoor classroom for educating the public about the important environmental contribution wetlands and the need to preserve them. Additionally, the tranquil area features a boardwalk path through the restored wetlands to observe wildlife and native plants. The wetlands serve as a beautiful, natural focal point in Unity Park, and are important to the health and prosperity of communities. They help in flood abatement, naturally filter harmful pollutants from water, store carbon and keep it from being released as a greenhouse gas provide visitors an opportunity to enjoy diverse plant and animal life while learning about wetland habitats, the species that live there, and the importance to our environment.
THE THOMAS AND VIVIAN A. WONG HONOR TOWER AT UNITY PARK
GREENVILLE, SC | CM AT-RISK
The future expansion of Unity Park includes an iconic observation tower, built on one of the few pieces of “high ground,” south of the Reedy River, adjacent to historic Mayberry Park and Meadowbrook Green. The Thomas and Vivian A. Wong Honor Tower will include layers of wood screens arranged in a twisting form. The project’s name pays homage to first responders, including police officers, firefighters and military personnel.
Visitors can ascend to the top of the 12-story structure by way of stairs or a glass-walled elevator, providing a unique vantage point for Unity Park, and an elevated, panoramic view of the downtown skyline to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. Emerging onto the Prisma Health observation deck, visitors will have unobstructed views of the baseball field, the confluence of the Swamp Rabbit Trail as well as the expanse of Unity Park and beyond.
60-acre Unity
overlooked contribution of wildlife communities. and the ecology’s
MULBERRY FARMS RETREAT
MARSHALL, NC | CM AT-RISK
Mulberry Farms is an on-going project that includes a state-of-the-art wellness retreat located in the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside Asheville, NC. The campus sits on 350+ acres of land. Phase 1 of the project includes core amenity spaces including a 150 guest dining hall, a 3,000 SF events center, and a meeting hall that will accommodate 150 guests. The following phases will include a WWTP, luxury spa, reception building and parking, a large solar array, and extensive restorative landscaping to rewild many of the pastures and fields from the sites previous heritage of farm land. Once complete, this retreat space will be the largest overnight accommodation provider in Madison County, and have approximately 75 guest cabins. This project has several complexities, including dramatic elevation changes on site, and its rural location that required the planning and construction of a private mountain pass road. The entire project infrastructure will be self-contained and an energy goal of net-zero has been a directive of the client since day one. This project will require extensive coordination of the cabins – which will be assembled offsite and later moved onto the property and set into the mountainside. The onsite ecofriendly wastewater treatment facility will use plants as a medium to improve the water quality before it infiltrates the ground.
For the WWTP, our BIM team modeled the plant in 3D from schemat design to PFD drawings and generated process mechanical, plumbing, and hvac shop drawings. They also laser scanned PT cables in post tension concrete roof and did layout and QC with the robotic total station.
CANCER SURVIVORS PARK
GREENVILLE, SC | CM AT-RISK
As the CM At-Risk for Cancer Survivors Park, Harper worked diligently with Cancer Survivors Park Alliance, the City of Greenville, designers, engineers, and trade partners not only during the four years of preconstruction but also through the completion of construction for this beautiful garden and park. Harper’s Environmental Systems Division also performed significant improvements to the existing sewer line running across the Reedy River and through the new park location. Through preconstruction, Harper determined cost effective solutions for the site, remaining budget conscience. Upgrades included rehabilitation of the existing concrete piers and removal of an old metal bridge over the river. Harper worked to replace the old metal grate with the Spirit Bridge, a 12’-wide, 135’-long concrete and steel bridge supported by large stone abutments. The new bridge with lighted steel cable handrails required an erection of 50 tons of steel across the Reedy River.
ASHEVILLE | CHARLOTTE | CHARLESTON
CONWAY | GREENVILLE | ROANOKE | SPARTANBURG