Department Newsletter | Spring 2024

Spring 2024

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DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER

DEPARTMENT FEATURES 04 LETTERS FROM LEADERSHIP 08 ‘100 PERCENT HIRED BEFORE GRADUATION’ 11 SAVE THE DATE FOR THE FALL 2024 CAREER FAIR 12 CORPORATE PARTNERS 2

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS MEET THE CLASS OF 2024 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT FACULTY FEATURES EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING YARD

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT The Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning is home to B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Construction Science and Management, the Master of Real Estate Development program and the Master of City and Regional Planning program.

The department currently enrolls over 350 students across its undergraduate and graduate programs. Undergraduate enrollment in the Construction Science and Management program has more than doubled over the past five years.

The department bears the name of the family of Michael Nieri, ‘86, owner and president of Great Southern Homes. In 2019, he and his wife, Robyn, made a Cornerstone gift of $5 million.

Interim Dean George J. Petersen congratulates the spring graduates.

COMMUNITY NEWS 06 26 34 36 38 43

FOUNDING DEAN ANNOUNCED CELEBRATE THE AWARD WINNERS REAL ESTATE SUMMIT SIOR SPRING WORLD CONFERENCE BUILDER OF THE YEAR: MICHAEL NIERI SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2024 CONSTRUCTION SYMPOSIUM

MISSION, VISION AND VALUES The Mission of the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning is to offer a comprehensive program of construction education, with scholarly and service activities, consistent with the mission of Clemson University and the College of Architecture, Art and Construction, and to improve the quality of the construction industry and thus the built environment.

ON THE COVER Students who graduate from the department’s undergraduate Construction Science and Management program enjoy a 100 percent job placement rate before graduation.

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Dear alumni, friends and partners of the department, As we continue to celebrate over 60 years of construction education at Clemson University, we are pleased to announce the success of our first year as part of the new College of Architecture, Art and Construction, which provides strategic focus and opportunities to collaborate across multiple disciplines and to and share the latest news from the Construction Science and Management (CSM) program.

These are very exciting and dynamic times in the construction industry. With over 350 students enrolled at the undergraduate and graduate levels — and already 10 students enrolled in the newly launched Ph.D. in Construction Science and Management — we continue to grow to meet the needs of our corporate partners.

We are incredibly grateful to our corporate partners and members of the Industry Advisory Board (IAB) for the continued support and generosity. Thanks to you, we hosted another successful career fair this semester, our CSM students continue to receive hands-on experiential learning at the Experiential Learning (XL) Yard and each of our new graduates will start a rewarding career in the construction industry upon graduation.

We look forward to seeing you again in the fall for the IAB meeting and career fair on September 12, and on October 17 for the the ninth annual 2024 Construction Symposium. We are truly grateful for all you are doing to make this the best department.

We also celebrate another year of impressive student success with a first-place finish at the National Associated Builders and Contractors competition in Orlando. The students also competed in the National Association of Home Builders Custom Builder and Production Builder competition and the Associated Schools of Construction competition team among other national competitions. These competitions and other experiential learning opportunities, including summer internships and service-learning engagements — help prepare our CSM students with the skills the need to succeed in the construction industry.

Our faculty continue to excel in scholarship and outreach through partnerships with federal and private entities by conducting innovative, use-inspired research that directly benefits the built environment industry.

Because of you, Clemson’s future is bright with opportunities, and the CSM program will continue to prosper. Go Tigers!

Sincerely,

Dhaval Gajjar Dhaval Gajjar, Ph.D. Director Construction Science and Management 4

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Faculty and Staff

Dear stakeholders of the Master of Real Estate Development program, I am pleased to report that our program had another excellent year.

After receiving approval from Clemson University’s Board of Trustees, we kicked off the Fall 2023 semester with a major curriculum revision designed to strengthen our core courses and accelerate our students’ time-to-degree. Full-time students can now complete their graduate studies in as little as one year and part-time students in as little as two years, all while participating in trade organization meetings, market tours and a host of other extracurricular activities. We sincerely believe the curriculum revision preserves the best aspects of our program, while making it accessible to a greater number of aspirant real estate developers.

Another notable change to our program came in the form of the Clemson University Real Estate Summit, which was launched in the Spring 2024 semester to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas among members of the real estate development industry. The inaugural event attracted an audience of well over 250 people and included an economic forecast, panel discussion, and networking reception. We plan to hold the summit on an annual basis long into the future and reach a larger audience each year.

As our program evolves, the one thing that stays the same is the quality of our students. Beau Good, Zion Kaauwai and Jordan Smith set an impressive example for their peers graduating in Summer 2024 by being selected as finalists in the Colvin Case Study Competition hosted by the University of Maryland. Arden Hamilton and Baker Reese experienced similar success by receiving industry-sponsored scholarships to attend the SIOR World Conference in Amelia Island, FL. These are but a few of the things our students have achieved in the last twelve months.

Heading into the summer, we would like to thank all our stakeholders for their ongoing support. Without it, our program simply would not be what it is today.

Sincerely,

Dustin C. Read Dustin Read, Ph.D., J.D. Professor and Director Master of Real Estate Development

DEPARTMENT CHAIR Mike Jackson, Ph.D., P.E. ASSOCIATE DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND CSM PROGRAM DIRECTOR Dhaval Gajjar, Ph.D. MRED PROGRAM DIRECTOR Dustin Read, Ph.D., J.D. TENURED AND TENURE-TRACK FACULTY Stephen Buckman, Ph.D. Joe Burgette, Ph.D. Shima Clarke, Ph.D. Jason D. Lucas, Ph.D. Ehsan Mousavi, Ph.D. Vivek Sharma, Ph.D. Jong Han Yoon, Ph.D. LECTURERS Kirk Alan Bingenheimer, MBS Al Boulding Harnish Sharma Gretchen Waugaman, Ph.D. ADJUNCT FACULTY Mike Bell McFaddin Blanding Michael Brearley Nick Corley David DeVita Tom Fuduric Brad Harvey Anthony Harden, P.E. Bryan W. Malone, PMP Brian Reed Phillip Rivers Hughes Phillip Rivers Hughes, Jr. Craig Townsend Todd Usher, LEED AP EMERITUS FACULTY Dennis Bausman, Ph.D. Robert Benedict, Ph.D. Roger W. Liska, Ed.D., FAIC, P.E. Chris Piper, Ph.D. STAFF Leslie Armstrong Richard Gauthier Amy Matthews Herrick Caroline Smith Amber Turner

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Amelia Island, FL

Ece Erdogmus FOUNDING DEAN, COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, ART AND CONSTRUCTION

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ce Erdogmus, chair and professor at the School of Building Construction at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), has been chosen to lead the College of Architecture, Art and Construction at Clemson University as its founding dean and will begin August 15, 2024.

"I am delighted to welcome Ece to the University after a very competitive national search," said executive vice president for academic affairs and provost Robert H. Jones. "The disciplines in this new college support and reflect the land-grant mission of Clemson University, and her leadership and commitment to excellence will drive world-class education, research, outreach and creative endeavors in art, architecture and construction.”

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Erdogmus was a professor and associate director at the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has doctoral and Master of Science degrees in architectural engineering from Penn State and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. She is a licensed civil and structural engineer in the state of Virginia.

Erdogmus’ wide range of research activities cover masonry design and construction; sustainable and resilient construction with low-cement materials; 6

assessment and rehabilitation of historical masonry using nondestructive testing and numerical modeling; and use of augmented and virtual reality in STEM education and AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) integration. She has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed technical articles and led numerous projects funded by the National Science Foundation, National Concrete Masonry Association Foundation, Nebraska Department of Transportation and the National Center for Preservation Technology.

Erdogmus serves the AEC industry through active involvement with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Masonry Society (TMS), Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI), and the Urban Land Institute. With TMS, she is currently a member of the board of governors and main 402/602 masonry code and standards committee; and chair of the 402/602 structural members subcommittee. She recently chaired the 14th North American Masonry Conference. She is one of the founders of the Women in Masonry Fund, has served as the chief editor of the Journal of Architectural Engineering for ASCE and was a member of the AEI academic council for several years.

“I am very excited to take on the founding dean role at Clemson University and see tremendous opportunity for interdisciplinary and innovative research and

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Cathy Nove-Josserand retires after five years of service to the department “Cathy stepped in at a moment of need for the department, and spent five years teaching our CSM students, among other treasures, how important cash flow is to success in business," Department Chair Mike Jackson said in recognition of her contributions.

education. The units in the newly formed College of Architecture, Art and Construction already have many strengths and outstanding national reputations,” said Erdogmus. “Together with the faculty and staff, we’ll harness these existing strengths to define our new college’s vision and identity as a global leader in transforming the built environment and visual arts.”

Recently named a Fellow of the Masonry Society, Erdogmus was included in the 50 Notable Women in Engineering and Land Development by Engineering Georgia Magazine in 2022 and the Class of 2022 “Influential Women in Real Estate and Land Use (The Change Makers)” by Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI). She was selected as a Rising Star by Civil + Structural Engineer magazine in 2018 and honored with AEI’s national Outstanding Architectural Engineering Educator of the Year award in 2019.

She is married to Brian Skourup, who is also in the AEC industry. He is the principal structural engineer at Nextracker, Inc. and an expert in performance-based design and structural reliability. They have two daughters, Defne, 8, and Asya, 4.

“We are ready as a family to wear our purple and orange and cheer for Clemson at sports and academic events,” Erdogmus added. •

“We are grateful to have gained so much from her domestic andinternational business experience over these past five years. Our program will definitely miss her going forward.

She has earned a joyful retirement.”

Cathy Nove-Josserand, MBA 7

‘100 percent hired before graduation’: Construction science and management’s legacy of connecting students with careers

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lemson has offered the highest standard of construction education for six decades. For the past ten years and counting, the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning has enjoyed a 100 percent job placement rate for its undergraduate construction science and management (CSM) majors. A key element of that success has been its biannual career fairs, which on February 15 drew more than 90 companies to Clemson University.

The competition for students is fierce,” said Brad Hutto, vice president of operations at Holder Construction and chair of the Department’s Industry Advisory Board.

Supply and demand

To put the demand for students into perspective, the construction science and management major has approximately 90 seniors—one future graduate for each company represented at the fair. Because the fair is only open to members of the Department’s corporate partner program, each one paid at least $5,000 just to attend and have a chance to recruit one of Clemson’s 8

elite construction science students.

“The industry demand far exceeds what the university systems are able to provide, quite frankly,” Hutto noted.

The sky-high demand for graduates is a dream for graduating seniors like Gracie Crosby. She has already secured a job after graduation with Trident Construction as a project engineer, and she met her future boss at the career fair when she was just a sophomore, leading to two internships with Trident.

“I have friends who struggle to just find an internship because their programs just don’t have what we have,” Crosby explained. “Our department faculty sets us up for success. They use very practical examples in their teaching, and they always relate it to the industry.”

Senior Rhame Honeycutt’s experience was similar.

As a sophomore, he met with CSM alumnus Michael Benko ’19 at the career fair, who recruited him to a position with Thompson Turner Construction.

“I got really close with him, he graduated from the same program I did and took all the same coursework,

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Students speak with industry professionals during the fair.

More than 90 companies attended the fair.

so he’s a great mentor for me, not only professionally, but outside of the workplace as well,” Honeycutt said. Honeycutt’s two internships with the company in addition to the mentorship opportunities, gave him insight into the culture of where he wanted to work.

Pathways to a career

Although Crosby and Honeycutt—both from the Charleston area—have similar plans after graduation, their college paths reflect the very different ways students achieve success as construction science and management majors.

Crosby is following the same path she has been on since childhood.

“I kind of grew up on a construction site,” she said, noting that her parents were homebuilders. She enrolled via Tri-County Technical College’s Bridge to Clemson program, and said that majoring in construction science was always the plan. Not lacking for job options, she chose Trident in part because she could work close to home.

“They have a great culture and a great team sur-

rounding them,” she added.

Honeycutt, like about half of the program’s seniors, arrived at Clemson unsure of what career he would pursue, and initially enrolled in an engineering program.

“I realized that wasn’t my path,” he recalled. “It wasn’t something I wanted to take into a career, so I utilized the Michelin Career Center, and I met with several mentors who led me to this sort of project management career.”

Once enrolled in the CSM program, Honeycutt thrived, serving as a student ambassador for the College of Architecture, Art and Construction and events coordinator for the Clemson Constructor’s Guild.

“I think our program does a great job of building leaders,” he reflected. “The exposure to other people in the industry is amazing, that’s why I think it was the best option for me, especially to enhance my leadership abilities.”

Skill and culture

“If you show up, work hard, and work well with others, 9

The department hosts the career fair during the spring and fall semesters.

that’s the kind of people we want,” Hutto explained.

He noted that Clemson provides students with the foundational knowledge of the industry, but that employers invest in skill development for specific jobs, so cultural fit is of paramount importance.

Mike Jackson, chair of the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning, pointed out that the tight relationship between the Department and its Industry Advisory Board has made it possible to match students with jobs in which they can succeed.

“I can’t say enough about how supportive our corporate partners are for our students,” Jackson said.

“We try to ensure that the transition from college to industry is seamless for our majors, and our corporate sponsors make that possible. From the minute our students enter our program, they belong not just to the Clemson Family, but to a thriving construction community that is going to invest in their future.”

He and Hutto both noted that the Department has been trying to meet industry demand for students with creative course offerings and scheduling, as the only constraint on the program’s growth is limited space.

“From a career standpoint, you can make great money, you get to work with awesome people, and you get to build amazing things, and for me that’s very rewarding and I hope that others find it rewarding too,” Hutto said. • 10

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

SAVE THE DATE

FALL CAREER FAIR SEPTEMBER 12 | 2 - 5 PM | THE MADREN CENTER

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WE OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS The Corporate Partner Progam ensures the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning continues to be among the top 10 construction education programs in the nation by providing professional development opportunities to faculty and enhancing the department’s ongoing collaboration with industry leaders.

Corporate partners receive numerous benefits, including a seat on the Industry Advisory Board and unique opportunities to engage with students in the department.

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NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Endowment Level Partner 84 Lumber ABC Supply AJ Bright Construction Ajax Building AM King America’s Home Place Archer Western | The Walsh Group ARCO Baker Concrete Baker Roofing The Beck Group Balfour Beatty Construction Brasfield & Gorrie C. A. Murren & Sons Company, Inc. C. F. Evans Construction Caldwell Constructors Carroll Daniel Construction Co. Chesterfield Choate Construction Co. CIANBRO Clancy & Theys Construction Company Clayco Clayton Construction Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc. Contract Construction Co. Danis Construction David E. Looper & Company Dillard-Jones DPR Construction DRB Homes Edcon, Inc. General Contractors Edison Foard EFI Eldeco, Inc. Evans General Contractors Fluor Corporation Frampton Construction Fusion Audio and Video Garney Construction

All-In

Orange Level Partner

GMF Steel Graycor Great Southern Homes Greystar Development and Construction GroundBreak Carolinas H. G. Reynolds Company, Inc. H&W Electric Harper General Contractors HASKELL Hill Electric Hogan Construction Group Holder Construction Co. Hood Construction, Inc. Industrial Project Innovation (IPI) James R. Vannoy & Sons Construction Company, Inc. JDavis JE Dunn Construction JM Cope Junear Construction Company Kiewit Kingspan Insulated Panels KL Masters Construction Company Langston Construction Lennar HomeBuilding Lithko Loveless Commercial Contracting, Inc. M. B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc. Mashburn Construction Co., Inc. McCarthy Building Companies McCrory Construction Meritage Homes Messer Construction Co. Metrocon, Inc. Metromont Corporation MetroPower (Carolina Power) Miller Electric Moorhead Construction, Inc. Mungo Homes

New Partner

Myers & Chapman Network Controls New South Construction NextEra Energy Patuxent Materials, Inc. Performance Contracting, Inc. Performance Contractors, Inc. P+F Construction Precision Walls Procore PulteGroup Charitable Foundation Reeves Young, LLC Robins & Morton Group Rodgers Builders Roofing Alliance Ryan Homes (NVRINC) Samet Corp Sands Companies SC Steel Sea Island Land Development SteelFab of South Carolina Steelworks of the Carolinas Superior Construction Swinerton Builders T. D. Farrell Construction, Inc. TEI Construction Services, Inc. (Babcock Electrical) Thomas Mechanical Thompson Construction Group, Inc. Timberlab Trident Construction Turner Construction Group United Rentals The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. WM Jordan Company

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PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

AN INNOVATIVE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING RESEARCH COURSE with Kirk Bingenheimer Students passionate about making a difference in the local community will have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in affordable housing construction while applying cutting-edge research techniques in this groundbreaking, two-semester, research-based course.

Throughout the academic year (Spring and Fall 2025), students will dive deep into the world of affordable housing, exploring innovative construction methods and techniques that prioritize quality, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Students will also play a crucial role in organizing and executing the annual Habitat for Humanity Homecoming Build on Bowman Field.

By participating in this course, students will not only gain invaluable experience and knowledge in the field of affordable housing but also make a tangible impact on the lives of families in need. Students will work alongside dedicated professionals and fellow students to apply the latest research findings to the Homecoming Build, ensuring that every home built is both affordable and of the highest quality.

Students won't want to miss this chance to be part of a transformative initiative that combines academic excellence with community impact. Enroll now and become a catalyst for change in the world of affordable housing!

CREATIVE INQUIRY 14

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Minor in CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT

at Clemson University FIRST SUMMER SESSION

• CSM 2030 Materials & Methods I (Wood) OR CSM 2050 Materials & Methods II (Concrete and Steel) • CSM 2040 Contract Documents

SECOND SUMMER SESSION

• CSM 3510 Estimating • CSM 3520 Scheduling • CSM 4530 Project Management

ASYNCHRONOUS • ONLINE • OFFERED IN THE SUMMER 15

COMMENCEMENT

2024 CLASS OF 16

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Construction Science and Management Colin Dees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Talladega, AL

Wearing a white hard hat in place of a graduation cap is a department tradition.

MASTER OF CITY AND REGIONAL PLANNING Landon Brian Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spartanburg, SC Guadalupe Franchi . . . . . . . . . . . . Quilmes, Argentina Lauren Olivia Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . North Myrtle Beach, SC Zachary Christian Kirtz . . . . . . . North Myrtle Beach, SC Brianna Michelle Luna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texarkana, TX Parker Claire Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . St Louis, MI April Riehm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key West, FL Maral Shemirani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clemson, SC MASTER OF CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT Johnathan A Anspach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belton, SC Kaustubh Sharad Bhase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pune, India Jepherson Cardoso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sudbury, MA David MacKenzie Cranford . . . . . . . . . . Hartsville, SC Hossein Daeinezhad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston, TX Akshay Reddy Kethi Reddy . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson, SC Pooja Amarnath Naik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson, SC Swapnil Govind Paikrao . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nanded, India Omkar Anil Palande . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson, SC Anuja Amitbhai Parekh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson, SC Khushali Samir Parikh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson, SC Parth Sanjay Patel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson, SC Madhura Ranjalkar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maharashtra, India Shubham Suresh Salunkhe . . . . . . . . . . . Dhule, India Subash Kannan Sankar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clemson, SC Gopika Viswanathan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rockville, M

Colin Dees graduates with his Ph.D. in Construction Science and Management.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Construction Science and Management Brian Michael Bell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richmond, VA James McLeod Blakeney . . . . . . . . . . . Charleston, SC William Joseph Brackett . . . . . . . Pawleys Island, SC William Connor Brooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ramsey, NJ Samuel W Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travelers Rest, SC Hunter Matthew Bulman . . . . . . . . Spartanburg, SC John David Cate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Columbia, SC Richard Joseph Chatellier . . . . . . Fort Lauderdale, FL Shemar Walter Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Columbia, SC Gracie Anne Crosby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charleston, SC *Andrew Jay Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Middletown, NY Christopher Andrew Easler . . . . . . . . . . . . Landrum, SC ***Jackson Tucker Ely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mt Pleasant, SC Wyatt Wherren Emerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florence, SC 17

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Construction Science and Management †***Julia Grace Eustace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Maple Glen, PA Alexander John Ewing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Naples, FL ***Kevin Jerome Finn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canonsburg, PA Zachary James Fleming . . . . . . . North Charleston, SC Krista Fullerton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Magnolia, TX *Graham Garrett Gerrald . . . . . . . . . . Murrells Inlet, SC Roger Marvin Harris IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greenville, SC Graham Christopher Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greenville, SC **Jacob Tyler Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tampa, FL **Trey Rhame Honeycutt II . . . . . . . . . . . . Charleston, SC Jaxon Dale Huettmann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sumter, SC Cecil Lane Josey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynchburg, SC *Austin Charles Mader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simpsonville, SC Thomas Spencer Marchant . . . . . . . . . . . Greenville, SC *Jasia Rose Mikulich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boyds, MD *Murray A Newell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lexington, SC Brayden C Owens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gray Court, SC Michael Steven-Tyler Owens . . . . . Boiling Springs, SC Matthew Alan Owings . . . . . . . . . . . . North Augusta, SC William Charles Powell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birmingham, AL Harold Kade Ratliff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summerville, SC Aiden Keith Sanders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orangeburg, SC Richard Maxwell Sasnett V . . . . . . . . . . . Charleston, SC Nathan Todd Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Park Ridge, IL *Alina Katherine Stark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lexington, SC Bradden Christopher Steele . . . . . . . . . . . Winnsboro, SC Carter Jay Svenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Haymarket, VA Ethan Walker Tyler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapin, SC Bryson Heath Ussery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kershaw, SC *Jacob Montgomery Vereen . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conway, SC Henry Grey Winfield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hickory, NC

Matthew Owings, '24 18

*Cum Laude: a grade-point average of 3.70 **Magna Cum Laude: a grade-point average of 3.85 ***Summa Cum Laude: a grade-point average of 3.95 †Clemson University Honors College graduate

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Collin Dees (left) is the latest to earn a Ph.D. in Construction Science and Management from Clemson University.

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GRADUATION + Golf

The CSM Alumni Association recognized this year’s graduates at the annual CSM alumni graduate dinner.

Hosted by the CSM Alumni Association, the golf tournament and graduate dinner is a longstanding tradition, welcoming new and soon-to-be graduates to the industry.

Brent Jessup announced the winners of the golf tournament.

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NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

“

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

I chose to study construction science and management because the exposure it gives to its students and the opportunities to be a leader and to grow as a leader are unmatched by any other program at Clemson.

”

“

This program has given me the opportunity to meet people, not only within my major, who I will work with in the future, but also industry professionals who will guide me and mentor me along my journey.

”

Honeycutt served as an ambassador for the College of Architecture, Art and Construction, a leader in the Constructor’s Guild and participated on competition teams for the ASC. He also had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica with some of his fellow construction science and management peers and experience construction in another part of the world.

“

I am excited to announce I have accepted a job with one of our corporate sponsors, Thompson Turner Construction.

”

Rhame Honeycutt ‘24 21

FACULTY FEATURES

Associate professor receives National Academy of Sciences grant Associate Professor Joe Burgette received a $200,000 grant from the National Academy of Sciences to develop a three-tiered certification framework that state DOTs can use to credential drone pilots.

The project will produce a data-driven method to evaluate flight proficiency; a UAS Flight Proficiency Users Guide that clearly shows state DOTs how to implement the certification program and administer the assessments; and curriculum, training materials and tools to implement the flight proficiency certification method to state DOTs.

Assistant professor wins 2024 Pennell Center research grant competition

Joe Burgett, Ph.D.

Assistant professor Jong Han Yoon’s research proposal aims to develop an Internet of Things and Building Information Modeling-enabled simulation of building evacuation plans against school shootings with the goal of creating a game-based evacuation training system for students using the simulation model.

Jong Han Yoon, Ph.D. 22

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Clemson researchers earn grant to support sustainability and training in the roofing industry

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esearchers in the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning at Clemson University have earned a grant to advance “Sustainability and Resiliency Efforts in the Roofing Industry.” Assistant Professor Dhaval Gajjar and Associate Professor Jason Lucas have been awarded a grant totaling $169,776 from the Roofing Alliance to “document the current state of various sustainability and resiliency efforts in the roofing industry and to develop training modules to educate current and future workforce regarding roofing sustainability and resiliency.”

The Roofing Alliance is the philanthropic and educational arm of the National Roofing Contractors Association.

“Roofing is an ongoing passion of mine,” Gajjar said. “I have had the pleasure of working with the Roofing Alliance before on research on workforce development and other projects, and I’m excited to see our partnership continue to flourish.”

Gajjar’s and Lucas’s study will have three aims. First, it will seek to identify and document sustainability and resiliency efforts in the roofing industry. Second, the researchers will create training modules for industry professionals to learn about and implement sustainability and resiliency strategies. Third, they will be adding a roofing sustainability course into

the existing CSM curriculum.

Clemson’s faculty will work closely with a steering committee from the Roofing Alliance to ensure coordination with manufacturers, distributors and contractors in the roofing industry. This research will be one of the foundational studies that will dictate the future direction and initiatives within sustainability and resiliency at a national level in the roofing industry and beyond.

“Our research will take both a quantitative and qualitative approach,” Gajjar noted. “We’ll examine hard data, but it’s just as important to listen closely to what our industry partners are saying.”

About the Roofing Alliance

In 1996, The Roofing Alliance was established within the National Roofing Foundation (NRF) to create a permanent endowment fund to serve as a highly focused resource for the roofing industry and its customers.

The Roofing Alliance’s objectives are to conduct research and educational projects that support high-quality programs for roofing contractors, ensure timely and forward-thinking industry responses to major economic and technological issues and enhance the longterm viability and attractiveness of the industry to roofing workers.

Learn more at roofingalliance.net.•

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EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING YARD

Department launches feasibility study for proposed new building

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onstruction Science and Management (CSM) program leadership hosted a feasibility workshop at the Experiential Learning (XL) Yard on Friday, May 3, launching a formal study that will help shape a new building and future home for the program and its faculty and staff on the Clemson “West Campus.”

Program faculty and staff were joined by Interim Dean George J. Petersen; Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Operations Phil Landreth; consultants Chip Buchanan, Nick Myers, Daniel Merritt and Dalton Burbage with Seamon Whiteside; Greg Bruno of AJ Bright Construction, LLC; and key members of CU Planning, Design and Construction. •

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NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

The XL Yard gives students an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with guidance from industry professionals.

ON AIR Listen to Professor Joe Burgett interview prominent figures in the drone community.

Department faculty and staff met on May 3 to discuss the future of the site.

Learn about the roofing courses developed by the Roofing Alliance — in partnership with Clemson University.

A podcast about helping women grow in the construction field and other non-traditional careers.

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Roaring 10

AWARDS

Jesica Lyn Galloway ’16 receives Roaring10 award

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esica Galloway of Walhalla, S.C., keeps her promises. After earning a bachelor’s degree in construction science and management from Clemson University in 2016, she joined Skanska USA Building Inc. and worked on major projects in the Atlanta area, including the Concourse T expansion at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Mercedes-Benz USA Headquarters in Sandy Springs. She moved to Holder Construction Group in 2019 as a preconstruction engineer for projects in Georgia, Florida, Colorado and Arizona.

In 2021 Jesica was named Holder’s operations senior engineer for the expansion and renovation of Daniel Hall, in the heart of the Clemson campus. The project included building an addition to the existing structure and then renovating the original 60-year-old edifice while classes were being held in the new facility next door.

As an undergraduate, Jesica led a group called Clemson University Construction Women. Today she is a member of the Women in Construction Forum, an association of women professionals involved in residential and commercial construction in upstate South Carolina. The forum promotes increasing the number of women in the construction industry. She also volunteers with various STEM programs designed to inspire more students to pursue careers in fields related to science, technology, engineering and math.

While she was growing up in Walhalla, Jesica told her father that, not only would she attend Clemson as a student, she would build something there some day. Promise kept. • 26

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Clemson students win national Construction Management Competition

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team of Clemson University construction science and management majors, coached by Assistant Professor Vivek Sharma, took first place in the Associated Builders and Contractors 2024 Construction Management Competition.

Sharma and the team of Brian Bell, Willam Dapp, Alexa DeCarlo, Alexander Ewing, Krista Fullerton, Austin Mader, Jasia Mikulich, Matthew Owings, Andy Plyler and Charlie Rohaley received their award at the 2024 ABC Convention in Orlando, March 13-15.

“The skills they learned during this process are helping them achieve their construction career dreams. I look forward to seeing the contributions these young leaders will make in the industry throughout their careers,” 2024 National Chair of the ABC Board of Directors Buddy Henley said in a release.

Clemson’s team posted the highest cumulative points in the competition’s five categories, and they placed in the top three in four categories: estimating, project management, quality control and overall.

Clemson’s students topped 25 teams from colleges and universities from across the U.S. “The result of this competition confirms what our industry partners already know: the skill level of Clemson students is second to none,” said Mike Jackson,

chair of the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning. “Congratulations to our students and Dr. Sharma on a job well done.”

Finding real-world solutions

According to Associated Builders and Contractors, the competition required each team to find management solutions to the same real-world construction project.

This year’s competition project centered on new construction and renovation work at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center, a more than 60-year-old campus near Florida’s Atlantic coast.

The request for proposal (RFP) for the competition project forced students to find solutions for an array of challenges that included the demolition and construction of both a pool and a building, grandstand renovations, parking lot improvements and a proposed 27-meter-high dive tower – which would be the tallest in the western hemisphere.

“The competition project required our students to demonstrate mastery of project management, estimating, QA/QC and safety and display creative thinking,” Sharma said. “I’m very proud of how they rose to the challenge and represented our program and Clemson University on a national stage.”• 27

Our AWARD-WINNING Students

Christopher Lowder

Will Dapp

AJ Ewing

Dr. J. Terrence “Terry” Farris Annual Award

ABC Roger Liska Scholarship

CSM Industry Advisory Board Student Internship Leadership Award

Jacob Tyler Hill

AGC Citation for Merit 28

Jordan Smith

Sue G. and W. Russell Campbell, Sr. ‘60 Annual Award

Gopika Viswanathan

Ralph Edward Knowland Outstanding Graduate Award

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

Kevin Finn

AGC Citation for Achievement

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INDUSTRY ADVISORY BOARD Awards

Tommi Jones (left), lead senior project manager for Clemson University, received the 2024 CSM Hall of Fame award.

Keaton Green (center), vice president of Frampton Construction, received the 2024 Distinguished Alumnus award.

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FACULTY & STAFF T

Awards

he College of Architecture, Art and Construction (CAAC) recognized six faculty and staff members for outstanding contributions to teaching, service and research on April 18. The awards honored excellence in the College’s inaugural year.

“Being recognized amidst such an outstanding assembly of faculty and staff marks an extraordinary feat. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to these award recipients for their remarkable blend of dedication, integrity, and expertise showcased this year,” remarked Interim Dean George J. Petersen.

“Every award recipient has left an indelible mark on our college in its inaugural year, each contributing uniquely to our shared mission. Yet, they are bound by a common aspiration: to enrich the student experience, elevate Clemson’s research endeavors and effect transformative change both locally and globally.”

The recipients — including Assistant Professor Vivek Sharma and Harnish Sharma, a lecturer in the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning, pictured right — were recognized at CAAC’s end-of-year College Meeting in the Barnes Center on April 18. The Dean’s Award winners were selected by their peers and awarded $2,500 each. The Creativity Professorship is a two-year appointment that includes an annual $2,500 salary supplement and a $2,500 professional development fund designed to encourage innovative thinking and the spirit of collaboration. •

Vivek Sharma

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m r a h S h s i n r a H

AWARDS

Faculty Member OF THE YEAR

Vivek Sharma also received the Dean’s Excellence in Research award (page 23).

Gretchen Waugaman, Ph.D.

Vivek Sharma, Ph.D.

Student Advisor OF THE YEAR 31

TEN YEARS of Service Joe Burgette, Ph.D.

MRED students finish third in Colvin Case Study Challenge

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aster of Real Estate Development (MRED) Program students Beau Good, Zion Kaauwai, and Jordan Smith finished in third-place at the Colvin Case Study Challenge hosted by the University of Maryland on December 9, 2023. They received the honor for writing a compelling analysis of the development of Riverworks at Eastern Wharf, a mixed-use real estate project located in Savannah, GA that has been celebrated for extending the city’s riverfront and creating a dynamic new place for area residents to enjoy.

I’m extremely proud of the work Beau, Zion, and Jordan did for the Colvin Case Study Challenge this year,” said team advisor and MRED Program director, Dr. Dustin Read. “It illustrates their understanding of many best practices in real estate development that

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we emphasize throughout our program.”

Since 2016, the University of Maryland has hosted the Colvin Case Study Challenge as a national intercollegiate real estate case study competition for full or part-time students enrolled in a college or university real estate program. The goal of the competition is to “hone professional skills and reveal the knowledge base and understanding of markets, project valuation, finance, urban design, sustainability, entitlement processes and operational issues.” The four top teams from across the nation are invited to College Park, MD to present the results of their case study on the University of Maryland’s campus. •

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Celebrating60+

Y E A R S O F CO N ST R U CT I O N E D U CAT I O N

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MRED program presents inaugural Clemson University Real Estate Summit

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lemson University's Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program hosted the first-ever Clemson University Real Estate Summit on Thursday, April 18, in downtown Greenville, presented by Choate Construction.

The summit was held at the Huguenot Loft at the Peace Center and included a keynote presentation from economist K.C. Conway, a panel discussion of industry and government leaders about real estate trends, followed by a networking reception.

Conversation starter

“We are uniquely suited as a program to be able to bring minds together and start conversations that strengthen the industry, and I’m thrilled that K.C. Conway will be with us to spark the dialogue,” Dustin Read, director of the MRED program at Clemson, said ahead of the event.

Conway is the founding principal and owner of KC-nomics, LLC, an independent and privately owned economic forecasting and research firm. Known as the “Orginal Red-Shoe Economist,” he previously co-founded Red Shoe Economics, LLC, and served as chief economist for the CCIM Institute. Conway has 34

more than three decades of experience as an economist, teacher, lender, appraiser and credit officer.

The keynote and panel discussions focused on the state of the national and regional economy, real estate capital market and space market conditions, real estate development opportunities and challenges and the evolution of the build-to-rent housing market.

Industry partnership

Nearly 20 sponsors stepped up to support the summit, led by presenting sponsor Choate Construction.

“This summit is an idea whose time has come. Our industry partners have shown keen interest and overwhelming support for our event,” Read said.

The summit was supported by featured sponsors CF Evans Construction and SouthCoast; table sponsors Burr & Forman, Homes Urban Development and Metromont; orange sponsors CBRE, Graycliff Capital, Greystar, LS3P, Orange Capital Advisors, Pintail, SeamonWhiteside, Truliant Federal Credit Union and United Community Bank; and in kind sponsors CREW-UPSTATE, Greenville Commercial GGAR, SIOR®-CCIM and ULI-SC. •

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The event drew over 300 attendees.

Dustin Read

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Amelia Island, FL

Master of Real Estate Development students awarded SIOR® Foundation scholarships

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wo Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) students have been awarded scholarships to attend the SIOR Spring World Conference in Amelia Island, FL, May 6-9, 2024.

Arden Hamilton and Baker Reese were selected as finalists from the Carolinas to participate in the SIOR Foundation Student Real Estate Experience Program Scholarship for spring 2024. Each will be assigned a sponsoring SIOR mentor for the world conference.

The SIOR scholarships assist with conference expenses, including registration, hotel, and travel.

Applications were accepted from UNC Charlotte, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina, and the College of Charleston. Each university was able to nominate two students for award consideration.

Arden Hamilton joined the real estate development

program from Ontario, Canada after completing a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Carleton University in 2023. She plans to combine her development, architecture, and design interest in the industrial and office sectors. Prior to graduate school, 36

Hamilton interned for Ware Malcomb, an industrial architecture firm in Ontario.

“My journey with the MRED program at Clemson University has been transformative, fueled by the invaluable experiences and connections I’ve fostered along the way, said Hamilton. “Extremely honored to have been selected as one of the recipients to attend SIOR world conference this spring and looking forward to embarking on this fabulous learning opportunity.”

“Arden has represented the MRED program extraordinarily well during her time at Clemson University,” said Dustin Read, MRED Program Director.

She is doing everything she can to make the most of graduate school, including building her professional network through collaboration with prominent trade organizations such as SIOR.”

Baker Reese, from Sullivan’s Island, SC, received an

undergraduate degree in financial management from Clemson University in 2023 prior to beginning the real estate development program. After graduation, Reese is interested in industrial and office brokerage in the

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

southeast and desires to leverage a background in finance and underwriting for multi-use and industrial projects for real estate development and investment.

“I am extremely grateful for Clemson and SIOR to have the opportunity to attend an event like this,” said Reese. “I am most looking forward to shaking as many hands as possible and representing myself and Clemson to the best of my ability. I view relationships as being the cornerstone of real estate and see this opportunity as a great kick-starter to my career after graduation. I am excited for an eventful week and thank you to everyone who made this possible.”

“I’m very pleased Baker has an opportunity to participate in the SIOR Spring World Conference,” said Read. “It will provide him with additional exposure to the commercial real estate brokerage industry that is likely to prove very beneficial as he starts his career in the field. I’m sure he will make the most of the event.

“The Carolinas Chapter of SIOR has once again demonstrated its commitment to developing the next generation of commercial real estate professionals by providing Arden and Baker financial support to attend the Spring World Conference. We can’t thank them enough for everything they do for Clemson University’s MRED program, and other real estate programs throughout the Carolinas.” •

Amelia Island, FL

The Clemson MRED Program is a long-standing partner of SIOR and the SIOR Foundation. The SIOR Foundation supports programs for students interested in pursuing careers in commercial real estate, including global and chapter-level scholarships, educational programming, and mentoring.

The Society of Industrial and Office Realtors is the leading global professional office and industrial real estate association. With more than 3,900 members in 49 countries, SIOR represents today’s most knowledgeable, experienced, and successful commercial real estate brokerage specialists.

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Builder of the YYear arr

2024 2

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housands of executives have rung the Nasdaq bell to celebrate their milestones. It’s a definitive moment in a company’s history, a chance to show it is ready to take its place among the nation’s most respected businesses.

But when Michael Nieri took his United Homes Group (UHG) crew from South Carolina to New York City on May 17, 2023, for its long-awaited initial public offering, the CEO and chairman of the board looked 38

outside the company’s executive ranks to bang the historic bells, handing the hammer to his then 4-yearold grandson West Nieri.

“I chose West because I didn’t want this to be about me. He could run the company someday,” Nieri says. “I think we will always be builders. It’s one of the most satisfying businesses in America—more than half of your life is spent inside your home.”

The high-profile moment was fleeting in the compa-

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

ny’s corporate timeline as Nieri, his family, key employees, and the company’s board of directors were on their way back home the same day to get back to the business at hand — building affordable houses and looking for new companies to acquire.

As a freshly public company, UHG ended 2023 closing 1,383 homes and 1,296 net new-home orders. At the start of this year, net new orders were up 7.4% in January and February compared with a year ago. Revenue for fiscal year 2023 came in at $421.5 million.

“This housing business moves,” Nieri says. “It’s a new thing every day. Maybe a different group of subs and different owners. It’s exciting.”

Builder of the year

The stock listing was the highlight of last year for the company that has been named BUILDER’S 2024 Builder of the Year, an honor that will be bestowed upon the company at this year’s Builder 100 Summit in Dana Point, California, May 6 to 8.

“The company’s accelerated growth on top of its public offering made for a strong case,” says Steve Ladurantaye, vice president of content at Zonda, BUILDER’s parent company. “It’s also impossible to ignore the company’s culture, which focuses on communication and openness.”

Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, Great Southern Homes announced a merger with DiamondHead Holdings Corp. (DHHG) in September 2022 before making its stock market debut in March 2023 as UHG. UHG completed two acquisitions in 2023, first expanding to Raleigh, North Carolina, where the company acquired Herring Homes in August. Now operating under the Great Southern Homes brand, the expanded footprint allows UHG to build more entry-level and first-time move-up homes with corresponding price points in the region.

Two months after the Herring Homes acquisition, UHG acquired Rosewood Communities, a home builder in the upstate region of South Carolina. Rosewood Communities primarily builds in the rapidly growing Greenville and Clemson markets. Its unique cottage-style homes are targeted toward empty nesters and move-up buyers. The homes offer master-onmain and loft designs with appealing architecture and custom finishes.

Kicking off 2024, UHG acquired the home building business and assets of Creekside Custom Homes, a

home builder and land developer in the coastal region of South Carolina. Primarily operating in the rapidly growing Myrtle Beach market, Creekside’s product set is aligned with the existing Great Southern Homes brand.

The acquisition of Creekside nearly doubled UHG’s presence in the market, adding approximately 1,000 lots under control. It also allowed the company to control an attractive future lot position consistent with its land-light strategy.

Nieri says all three recent acquisitions are going well.

“Those owners seem to be relieved a little bit. I mean, when I took my company public, I didn’t know how much stress I was carrying,” he says. “You know, having to shoulder all financial burdens, people’s families, etc. It’s the same for them.”

While lessening the load to some extent, going public also expedited growth for UHG. “What I’ve learned is that this [going public] is the other piece that allows us to grow quickly,” Nieri says.

“We’ll grow organically, but we can’t grow organically near as fast as we can if we’re acquiring other companies.”

Nieri holds a B.S. in construction science and management from Clemson University.

From humble beginnings

It was a simple beginning for the company that would become UHG. In 1996, Nieri bought two Gateway computers and had his wife, Robyn, teach him how to use them so that he could run a business from home.

He had some experience. Three years earlier, Nieri built his first house and sold it, followed by two more in 1994 and ’95. Having graduated from Clemson University in the Construction Science and Management Department in 1986, he worked in the field for 10 years.

He was ready to become a business owner and 39

knew that home building was his way to do that, especially since he could start with little overhead.

After much thought and consideration — but without sharing it out loud — Nieri quit his full-time job.

He then went home to tell his wife, who was pregnant with their twins and juggling a 3-year-old, that he was starting the business.

“I was pretty confident in what I was going to do, but I didn’t explain it,” he says. “Timing in my mind was right because my dad and a friend of mine had bought some lots for me, and they were right across the street from where we lived.”

With his two computers and a lot of grit, Nieri formed his home building company, which changed its name to Great Southern Homes in 2004.

In the early stages, Nieri began building affordable-style homes and would keep them as rental properties — before single-family rentals were a known concept. With his dad as his financial partner, he constructed roughly 150 homes. “I’d build them, and, as my renters wanted to or got in a better situation to buy them, I’d sell them,” he reflects.

As everyday home building began to pick up, Nieri left his rentals behind to focus solely on for-sale homes. After he had his best year yet in 2005, he began to watch the market unravel.

“I just never thought that our affordable housing market would collapse along with the rest of the country,” says Nieri.

“You know, I still made money in 2008, 2009, and a little bit in 2010 and ’11, but all bets were off in 2012.

It reversed itself,” he says. Approximately 14,000 homes later, Nieri says he’s “still not bored” with home building.

In fact, the ever-evolving challenges and constant movement have kept him occupied for over 30 years, building homes throughout South Carolina, Georgia, and, most recently, North Carolina.

Nieri has been focused on the upstate business near Clemson for about six years — an area near and dear to him. His three children and two daughters-in-law are Clemson graduates, and his wife is an honorary alumna. As a proud alumnus, he says his recreational activities are orientated around Clemson football. “I don’t golf, fish, or hunt because it’s too slow,” he says.

Because of Nieri’s natural pull toward Clemson, UHG operates 19 communities in the market, including the communities acquired through Rosewood, and it plans to expand further.

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With a spirit of competition, Nieri says, “It’s fun to go into a new area and see if you can become a larger builder there. It’s a very competitive business, and that’s the beauty of home building for me. It’s a competition.

“When I see someone else buy something or sell more homes, I’m disappointed in myself that I couldn’t achieve that. Then I put things in place and try to do better,” he says. “I wasn’t a star athlete in high school, so I always go back to, ‘Well, I have home building, and I’m competitive.’ That’s my athletics.”

Looking ahead

President Jack Micenko says, in addition to organic growth, mergers and acquisitions will continue to be a focus for the business. Still, the terms will have to be suitable to move forward. “It has to be a good market, a good product set, a price point we understand, and we will not deviate from being land-light. We can go to some of these ancillary markets — that’s the neat part about South Carolina. Everything is two hours from each other,” he says.

Nieri brought on Tom O’Grady, who serves as chief administrative officer, a couple of years before the transition. “Michael has a superb operating team,” O’Grady says. “When I met Michael, it felt like a good alignment, but the path forward was about assembling the best talent we could. We took an existing, very, very capable building team and married it with the sort of expertise that you need to do a public transaction.

“I’m a great believer in getting the best people you can, and that is what we did. What we’ve done is a credit to both Michael’s leadership and the team in general.”

The executive team includes Shelton Twine, the chief operating officer who has been working along-

NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

side Nieri for 22 years, and Keith Feldman, who was chief financial officer of DHHG and assumed the same position with UHG following the transaction.

“Going public feels like I’m not swimming upstream by myself,” Nieri says. “It’s more like I’m in a boat rowing with a crew.”

O’Grady notes that Nieri’s strategic vision and empowering leadership style allows everyone on the team to thrive. “He sets the tone in terms of how people relate to each other,” O’Grady says. “He knows where he’s driving this, and he’s a very experienced and capable home builder. Working for him is great because he’s transparent, and when he hires people because they’ve got a specific area of expertise, he lets them function with that expertise.”

That empowerment has kept some team members with the company for nearly 20 years. Carrying transparency in customer service and professional interactions, Nieri’s team credits his honesty and “what you see is what you get” mentality as significant contributors to his success.

Yet, Nieri says he has become just as much a salesman as a builder. He adds, “I find myself selling my ideas to my employees, subs and vendors, customers, board of directors, and bankers.”

Growth as a public builder

As a newly public company, UHG is maturing and growing.

“It has been great to see the excitement and energy this transaction has brought to our employee base,” Twine says. “As we broaden our footprint, it is nice to see these guys and girls who have been here over the years get rewarded with new opportunities, new challenges, and the integration of new builders.”

In addition to an executive team with a wealth of experience in home building operations and financial capabilities, Micenko says Nieri’s focus on growth and his goal of eventually ranking in the top 15 or top 10 builders sets UHG apart from other publics.

Micenko adds, “This is his hobby and his interest.

Whether it’s Saturday, Sunday, 7 p.m., or 7 a.m., this is what he does. And you know, that can’t help but weave its way culturally through the organization.”

Nieri and his team’s drive to move forward is also cemented in building relationships, Twine says. “As we continue to grow into these new markets, we still really want to focus on being local and building local relationships. That can be everything from employees to developer relationships to builder relationships.

You’re always going to see us at the local home builders’ associations or the chamber of commerce. If I pull into the Friday night high school football game, I hope our banner is going to be somewhere on that field because that’s the way we’ve built our business.”

Aside from its land-light strategy and focus on local interactions, UHG differentiates itself by standardizing product selections to streamline the building process and eliminate the delay of waiting on materials.

“We know that we can deliver a quality product within the time frames that we need to and not have a house sitting,” Twine says. “We want to make sure that we keep our project moving.”

This strategy helped the company more easily navigate the supply chain issues, material delays, and shortages that many builders faced during the pandemic-induced housing boom.

To keep revenue flowing, UHG also adjusted home sizes to accommodate the buyer who still wants the bells and whistles but can’t afford the 2,800-squarefoot house anymore. Yet, they can afford the 2,400-square-foot house. “Everything has gotten a little bit smaller but still has the amenities they’re looking for,” Twine says.

Combating rising home prices and high mortgage rates, Twine nods to the company’s joint venture on the mortgage side before going public as an advantage for the recent challenges in home buying. With the ability to offer lower rates on select inventory and additional financial perks, Micenko says, “It was important to get that in place. Looking back, I think we’re thankful that we had it fully built out certainly before we moved into the summer of ’23.”

Although Nieri insists “building homes is still building homes,” he says UHG is trying to be more opportunistic and nimbler. But mostly, the team wants to focus on doing what is right.

“There’s a ‘do the right thing’ aspect that permeates the organization,” Micenko says. “When it comes to homeowner issues or anything, ‘do the right thing’ is the mentality from the most junior employee all the way to the most senior. We have titles, but we don’t.

Everybody takes out the trash — everybody does what they need to do.”

The company works in an “inverted pyramid” style where Nieri and the management team are at the bottom as the foundation.

“As you move up that inverted pyramid, it’s the folks that are at that top line that are in the field—the superintendents building the houses, the sales agents 41

selling the houses. And guys like me and Jack are here to support them,” Twine says. “They’re the ones that are making it happen on a day-to-day basis, and that’s really what is at the core of our philosophy.”

O’Grady says, “You’ll find that same demeanor if you’re in the office and talking to people, and that is a tone that Michael has built the company with — that attitude toward human interaction.”

A valuable team

With a belief that happy employees are vital to having happy customers, Nieri values his team and the new members who come on in M&A transactions. “The first thing that Michael will talk about is how he wants to retain those people,” Twine says. “He knows that he needs the project managers and the sales staff on the front lines, and that’s one of the top priorities.”

Nieri expects its team of nearly 200 employees to possibly double by the end of the year. Whether new or seasoned employees, he says he wants everyone to “think like owners.”

“I have a whole team of people working in unison,” Nieri says. “They’re now stockholders and have a little more to gain than just a paycheck.”

After all, everyone from the top to the bottom of the inverted pyramid has helped build the company’s 61 active communities. The company that started with a couple of lots and a couple of computers is slated to keep growing, especially now as a public builder.

Nieri is grateful for his team and is deeply proud of his wife and family for supporting him while he has built this business that he loves. “I spend my waking hours seven days a week doing this,” he says. “It’s something I can’t get away from. People ask me, ‘How long are you going to do this?’ I don’t know, but I’ll probably die with my boots on.” •

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NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024

COMING THIS FALL

Save the date!

2024 Construction Symposium OCTOBER 17 | 8 AM - 5 PM | GREENVILLE MARRIOTT 43

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NIERI DEPARTMENT OF CONSTRUCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING | SPRING 2024