ABC

A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc.

Building Excellence Awards recognize top work

CAROLINAS CHAPTER

ABC – Carolinas Chapter

About Associated Builders & Contractors Associated Builders & Contractors is a family of contractors, suppliers, and industry professionals seeking to promote and improve the image of construction and address the many issues facing the industry.

The Carolinas Chapter together with 23,500 member firms nationally promote equality amongst construction managers, general contractors, specialty contractors, suppliers, and industry professionals. With one voice our members seek to improve the construction industry as a whole.

Associated Builders & Contractors was founded in Baltimore, Md., in 1950 to promote the “merit shop” and the free market system as it relates to the construction industry. Additionally, ABC promotes the “fairness factor,” by which all members are seen as being equal. All businesses, from general contractors to suppliers, and subcontractors to industry professionals, have a voice and a vote. This is something that is not found in any other construction association.

ABC chartered the Carolinas chapter in 1998.

Mission Statement

Dear Readers, On behalf of ABC Carolinas, I welcome you to this special section about some of our activities, firms and people. Some of you may find a good home within the membership of Associated Builders and Contractors, just as more than 500 firms already have in the Carolinas.

The best way for any firm to receive value for its membership is through active engagement with the local councils. I encourage firm leaders and teams to identify industry topics they are passionate about and work with local council committees that are spearheading efforts on that subject. Such work areas include government affairs, membership, education, training, public relations, safety, building sustainability, Excellence in Construction, summer conference, and mentorships for both secondary and collegiate level students. These are all areas of focus for our organization in the coming year. ABC offers at least one networking event each month as well as a schedule of training and educational opportunities. Visit our website at www.abccarolinas.org for a calendar of monthly events, membership directory and much more.

You and your firm can receive multiple benefits from being a member of ABC, and those benefits will be directly proportionate to the level of involvement you put into the organization. Being an active member in our organization will help your business improve and prepare for the changes that continually impact our industry and business.

Our primary objective as an organization is to ensure that your business needs are achieved and your interests served. Please feel free to contact me, any board member, your local council leadership team, or our staff with any issues you would like to see addressed by our organization. We are here to ensure that you receive the rate of return on your investment in ABC that you expect.

We look forward to working with you and others from your firm to make our industry better and our association the premier construction organization in the Carolinas during the course of the year.

Sincerely,

Doug Carlson President and CEO ABC Carolinas Chapter

A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - Carolinas Chapter

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ABC of the Carolinas is dedicated to protecting free enterprise in the construction industry through political action, workforce development and members services.

ABC is the one association where all members have an equal voice in representing the industry.

CAROLINAS CHAPTER

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ABC – Carolinas Chapter

UPFRONT ABC Carolinas Chapter by the numbers

15 1998

Number of years since the founding of the Carolinas Chapter of ABC Year the Carolinas Chapter was chartered

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ABC Upstate collaborating on energy efficient home for Habitat

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A sustainable, energy efficient home for Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County will soon be under construction with the help of the Upstate council of the Associated Builders and Contractors.

This home will be the first LEED home for Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County. Many different industry organizations are collaborating on the home. In addition to Habitat and ABC, participants include Architecture for Humanity Greenville, the Future Construction Leaders of the Upstate, the U.S. Green Building Council of S.C. Upstate Branch, and American Institute of Architects Greenville.

The home will be built on Jenkins Street in the Sterling community. For more than a decade its residents have been working to revitalize and rebuild the community.

Many professionals and contractors are making donations to help this effort, known as the LINEARIS house.

A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - Carolinas Chapter

For the third year in a row, the Carolinas Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors has received the National Mullan Award for Growth. The Mullan Award was named in honor of ABC founder and first chairman of the board, Charles Mullan. The national Mullan Award is the highest honor a chapter can receive.

The Carolinas Chapter has grown to

serve nine council areas in the Carolinas with legislative representation in Raleigh and Columbia. Earlier this year, the chapter opened a new training facility in Charlotte promoting the Carolinas Construction Institute.

This is the seventh time in the past eight years that the Carolinas Chapter of ABC has won the Mullan Award.

ABC – Carolinas Chapter

ABC wins National Mullan Award for Growth

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ABC – Carolinas Chapter

Building Excellence Award-winning builders and contractors hone their game in down economy

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By Ross Norton

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ABC – Carolinas Chapter

Companies were honored for Excellence in Construction

by ABC Carolinas. Among the award winners below: • 1 Edifice, Wake Tech Community College.

2• Choate, Hotel John Marshall.

3• Starr Electric, Wake Forest Biotechnology Place.

4• Balfour Beatty, Duke headquarters.

5• MV Commercial Construction, Dermatology and Laser Center of Charleston.

For a complete list of winners, please see pages 10 and 11.

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et’s not mince words: it’s been tough.

Everyone is looking at construction and cars, because everyone knows when homes and rides start moving, so does the economy.

For the builders and contractors, the doldrums that started in 2008 have been a financial challenge, but with promising signs on the horizon, some believe they’re better prepared now for the construction surge that lies ahead.

Even in the bad times, some great work has continued.

“From subcontractors, suppliers, vendors and even our perceived competition, there is a genuine respect for each other. I believe those relationships were strengthened by the downturn of the economy,” said Darath Mackie of Cely Construction Company in Greenville. “We all faced the economic downturn together. We were blessed in the Upstate that we were affected far less than other market areas, and we have seemed to recover at a much faster pace. I believe that’s due to the efforts of all of us striving together for economic growth in the Upstate and in South Carolina.”

Much of the effort is reflected in quality projects recognized in the most recent ABC Excellence in Construction Awards. The awards are given annually by the Carolinas

chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. Cely Construction won an Eagle Award for work at Berea Middle School in the under $2 million category. Cely also earned a Merit Award from ABC for construction of The Growler Station in Greenville.

A fair share of the Carolina awards went to South Carolina companies.

“In our particular market we have many quality construction firms, and to be the recipient of these awards is quite a compliment,” said Mackie. “It is a reflection that Cely Construction is standing firm on its principles of quality, on-time, in-budget construction that is not based all on cost, but on the one thing we work hardest to achieve, and that is our reputation of quality and satisfied clients.”

Bill Caldwell, president of Waldrop Mechanical Services of Spartanburg, saw his company bring home three Eagle Awards in three categories: under $1 million, $2 million to $5 million, and $5 million to $10 million.

“We are elated to have won best of class in all three of our categories,” he said. “I think it’s the first time it has ever happened in our chapter. For a South Carolina contractor to win best (in three categories) is certainly a first and we’re very proud.”

Mike Trammell presents a Merit Award to Darath Mackie and Henry Bellew of Cely Construction Co.

A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - Carolinas Chapter

Some of that pride comes in knowing that the difficulty of the project is one of the measures used in choosing winners. It means judges recognized the difficulty and delivery of the three projects, and each was difficult for a different reason, Caldwell said.

A project at Bosch Rexroth had to be completed without interrupting the production line, a new system at Greer High School was completed within 89 days to avoid disrupting school, and an expansion project to Lee Hall at Clemson University brought new European technology to the state for the first time in commercial construction.

Each of the projects seems to have made a lasting impact: one serves as a lab for college students studying construction management, one was a finalist for a national ABC award and one has inspired a school district to consider more efficient technology in other schools.

“The Greenville school district wants to retrofit some old schools because of its efficiency,” Caldwell said. “I think the public sector is certainly liking new applications to be greener and more efficient and more sustainable.”

The president of W.B. Guimarin says new ideas like those are driving even a venerable company like his, where oldfashioned work ethics meet with everything that’s new in constructing and contracting.

The Columbia-based company is 110 years old, but embracing new technology and processes to produce the best in construction.

“I believe through the use of an ageless hard-work ethic, obsession with quality workmanship at a fair price and the innovative use of ever expanding technological advancements, the construction industry is more rewarding and vibrant as it ever has been,” said Bill Waters. W.B. Guimarin was another South Carolina company recognized for Excellence in Construction at the ABC awards.

“W.B. Guimarin is proud to win an Excellence in Construction award from ABC for the third year in the last four and are honored to be recognized by our esteemed peers,” Waters said.

Changes in the industry mean contrac-

ABC – Carolinas Chapter

The Eagle Award.

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tors are more and more looking for a different kind of worker, he said.

“The industry has suffered recently with a mindset of construction opportunities being only pounding a hammer or digging a ditch but that simply is not the case,” Waters said. “Through the advent of innovative new technologies such as usage of GPS systems used to lay out trenches and locate hanger points in a building structure, webcams that monitor and document project processes and progress and mobile tablet usage in the field, the industry has almost evolved from a blue collar mentality to the necessity of computer literate Gen Y’s not only doing traditional project engineering and management skills but field installations as well.”

Waters cited as examples new delivery approaches such as “integrated project delivery,” which promotes early teamwork and collaboration during the design stages prior to construction, as well as “building information modeling,” which offers new advantages to both the owner/client as well as the architecture, engineering and construction team.

Waldrop’s Caldwell believes the time is near for more sit-down meetings between those owner/clients and the architectureengineering-construction industry.

“Except in the industrial sector, the market continues to be fairly flat but we are all optimistic that we see some things changing,” Caldwell said. “Some major work is being planned in the public sector that will provide job opportunities and employment.

Healthcare is kind of flat but there are plans being made and we’re just waiting on them.

They’re still holding on to cash but sooner or later they’re going to have to let go of some of that to get on with research and development.”

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ABC – Carolinas Chapter

Excellence in Construction

ABC Carolinas winners Eagle Awards

*Indicates Project of the Year finalist Edifice, Inc. Lancaster County Water and Sewer District Commercial - $5 to $10 Million Owner: Lancaster County Water and Sewer District

A M King Construction ALDI, Inc. Corporate Office Commercial - $10 to $25 Million Owner: ALDI, Inc.

Turner Construction Company Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel – Casino Renovation/ Expansion Commercial – Over $50 Million

Merit Awards Choate Construction Company Commercial - $5 to $10 Million Measurement Building at Morris Ridge Owner: Measurement Durham, LLC

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DPR Construction Commercial – Over $50 Million United Therapeutics Phase 2 Owner: United Therapeutics

Balfour Beatty Construction DH Griffin COnstruction Commercial – Over $50 Million Guilford County Detention Center Owner: Guilford County

KBR Building Group Commercial – Over $50 Million Sysco Boston, LLC – New Warehouse, Office & Distribution Center Owner: Sysco Corporation

Rodgers Schools - $10 to $25 Million Health Sciences Education Building Owner: Greenville Hospital System

Metcon, Inc. Schools - $10 to $25 Million Fayetteville State University Renaissance Hall Owner: Fayetteville State University

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Balfour Beatty Construction DH Griffin Construction, Daniele Company Schools - $25 to $50 Million University of North Carolina – Greensboro Quad Renovation Owner: University of North Carolina Greensboro

Choate Construction Company SIMT Manufacturing Incubator Center Industrial - $2 to $5 Million Owner: Florence Darlington Technical College

Yeargin Potter Shackelford Construction, Inc. ABB High Voltage Cable Manufacturing Plant Industrial - $25 to $50 Million Owner: ABB North America

KBR Building Group Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation – Business-Jet Manufacturing Facility Industrial – Over $50 Million Owner: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation

Choate Construction Company North Carolina State University J.W. Isenhour Tennis Complex Schools - $2 to $5 Million Owner: North Carolina State University Edifice, Inc. *Wake Tech Community College – Building E Schools - $10 to $25 Million Owner: Wake Tech Community College

Balfour Beatty Construction East Carolina University – School of Dentistry Schools - $25 to $50 Million Owner: State of North Carolina through East Carolina University

Barton Malow/Samet/SRS, a joint venture Schools - $25 to $50 Million Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering Owner: Gateway University Research Park

Lend Lease (US) Construction Co. and Clancy & Theys, a joint venture Schools – Over $50 Million University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Bell Tower Development Owner: University of North Carolina

Choate Construction Company Healthcare – Under $2 Million University of North Carolina Hospitals Neurosciences Admitting Unit Relocation Owner: University of North Carolina Hospitals

HICAPS, Inc. SALISBURY VAMC Healthcare - $5 to $10 Million Building 42 Renovations and Addition, Phase 1 Owner: Department of Veterans Affairs

Brasfield & Gorrie Construction, LLC Healthcare - $10 to $25 Million WakeMed Medical Park Owner: Duke Realty Healthcare

Cely Construction Company, Inc. Interior – Under $2 Million The Growler Station Owner: Pavco Inc. Turner Construction Company Interior - $2 to $5 Million Turner Construction Company – Charlotte Office Owner: Turner Construction Company

Moss & Associates, Inc. Renovation/Restoration – Under $2 Million Greenville Baptist Association Renovation & Tenant Improvement Owner: Greenville Baptist Association

A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - Carolinas Chapter

Turner Construction Company *UNC at Charlotte – Energy Production & Infrastructure Center Schools – Over $50 Million Owner: University of North Carolina at Charlotte

MV Commercial Construction LLC Dermatology and Laser Center of Charleston Healthcare – Under $2 Million Owner: Tekwest, LLC

Monteith Construction Corporation Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care Center Healthcare - $2 to $5 Million Owner: Lower Cape Fear Hospice and Life Care Center

Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC REX Healthcare of Holly Springs Healthcare - $5 to $10 Million Owner: Duke Realty Healthcare

Vannoy Construction Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville Vertical Expansion & ICU Addition Healthcare - $10 to $25 Million Owner: Novant Health

Rodgers *Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System Healthcare - $25 to $50 Million Owner: Carolinas HealthCare System

Hendrick Construction, LLC Renovation/Restoration – Under $2 Million Project Charlie Owner: Burke County

Rodgers Renovation/Restoration - $5 to $10 Million Foundation For The Carolinas – Headquarters Owner: Foundation For The Carolinas

Balfour Beatty Construction a joint venture with Shelco Other/Specialty - $10 to $25 Million Mosaic Village at Johnson C. Smith University Owner: Griffin Brothers Skanska USA Building, Inc. Other/Specialty – Over $50 Million Wake County Detention Center Owner: County of Wake

Juba Aluminum Products Co. Glass & Glazing - $2 to $5 Million NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources General Contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie

David Allen Company, Inc. Finishes – Under $1 Million Nature Research Center General Contractor: Clancy & Theys Construction Owner: Clancy & Theys

W.B. Guimarin & Co., Inc. Mechanical & Plumbing - $1 to $2 Million Greenville Hospital Systems Central Energy Plan Additions General Contractor: Rodgers

Kirlin Carolinas, LLC Mechanical & Plumbing - $5 to $10 Million James B. Hunt Jr. Library General Contractor: Skanska USA Building, Inc.

PowerWorks Electric Electrical - $1 to $2 Million Raleigh Convention Center Photovoltaic System General Contractor: FLS Energy

KBR Building Group Medicago USA – Vaccine Research | Production Facility & Greenhouse Other/Specialty - $25 - $50 Million Owner: Medicago USA

Clancy & Theys Construction Company Nature Research Center Other/Specialty – Over $50 Million Owner: NC Department of Natural Resources for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences

SPS Corporation *Duke Cancer Hospital Glass & Glazing - $5 to $10 Million General Contractor: KBR Building Group Owner: Duke University Health System

Precision Walls, Inc. Duke Cancer Center Finishes - $5 to $10 Million General Contractor: KBR Building Group Owner: Duke University Health System

Waldrop Mechanical Services Bosch Rexroth Mechanical & HVAC – Under $1 Million General Contractor – O’Neal, Inc.

Waldrop Mechanical Services *Clemson Lee Hall Complex – Expansion/Renovation Mechanical & Plumbing – $2 million to $5 million General Contractor: Holder Construction Owner: Clemson University

Waldrop Mechanical Services Greer High School HVAC Replacement Mechanical & Plumbing - $5 to $10 Million Owner: The School District of Greenville County

Starr Electric Company, Inc. Cisco Systems Modernization Electrical - $20 to $5 Million General Contractor: RN Rouse

Starr Electric Company, Inc. *Wake Forest Biotechnology Place Electrical - $5 to $10 Million General Contractor – Whiting-Turner Construction Company

Adams Electric Company *Carolinas Medical Center - Central Energy Plant Electrical – Over $10 Million General Contractor – Rodgers

Crowder Construction Company Electrical - $2 to $5 Million Lake Hartwell WTP Electrical Systems Improvement General Contractor: Anderson Regional Joint Water System

Gaylor Inc. of North Carolina Electrical – Over $10 Million ZF Transmission Plant General Contractor: Walbridge

Starr Electric Company, Inc. Electrical – Over $10 Million Duke Cancer Center General Contractor: KBR Building Group

ABC – Carolinas Chapter

KBR Building Group *Duke Cancer Center Healthcare – Over $50 Million Owner: Duke University Health System

Turner Construction Company SCOR Charlotte Interior - $10 to $25 Million

Balfour Beatty Construction Duke Energy Headquarters Interiors Interior – Over $50 Million Owner: Duke Energy

Crowder Construction Company TZ Osbourne Fluidized Bed Incinerator Renovation/Restoration - $10 to $25 Million Owner: City of Greensboro

Choate Construction Company The Residences at Hotel John Marshall Renovation/Restoration – Over $50 Million Owner: Dominion Realty Partners

Cely Construction Company Inc. Berea Middle School Emergency Procurement Other/Specialty – Under $2 Million Owner: Greenville County School District

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ABC – Carolinas Chapter

Prize Possession

Solving real-world scenario brings national award to Clemson student team

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response to an RFP once a month much like what they did for the competitions.”

The competing student team forms a construction firm to prepare a bid for a request for proposal, an RFP. The students develop a statement of qualifications, write a proposal and present their proposal to a panel of judges. The judges are professionals in the construction industry who play the role of owner-client.

The Clemson team competed against 25 teams from across the country in three areas: estimating, safety, and project management and scheduling. The Clemson students placed third in the project management and scheduling category.

The competitions touch on every aspect of professional life in the construction industry, according to Clarke.

“The competition students learn to work

Clemson University team placed third in a nationwide ABC competition for construction management students.

They brought home the prize, but adviser Shima Clarke, associate professor of construction science and management, says what they really brought home was some practical experience.

Associated Builders and Contractors’ 12th National Student Chapter Construction Management Competition in San Antonio, Texas, was designed to mirror an actual bid process for a commercial project — complete with changing expectations.

“It is very much a real world process/scenario that all of them will encounter at some point in their careers,” Clarke said. “I have had students who have graduated and have been practicing for five years or more tell me that they go through preparing a bid in

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A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - Carolinas Chapter

as a team, to trust one another, to think on their feet, to communicate effectively, to develop time management skills, to develop presentation skills and to respect deadlines, all of which will prepare them for work,” she said.

Students worked in teams of four in an intense day-long competition, set up to run like a bid-day drill. Prior to arriving in Texas, the teams prepared a bid package that included a detailed project estimate, project management plan, project schedule, an economic inclusion plan and a site-specific safety plan. They showed up prepared to adjust their work based on changes to the project, such as site logistics. Eight finalists were chosen to present their submissions to the judges.

“Competition students tell me that being on a competition team is one of the best experiences of their entire college career,”

ABC – Carolinas Chapter

Clarke said.

Stacey Nicol, a senior at the time and now a graduate, led the Clemson University team. As team captain and project manager, she said the competition was challenging but well worth the effort.

“Being a part of a team winning a national award was a great honor,” she said. “Taking part … means that you live and breathe the building you are working on for pretty much the whole semester. Our team put in long nights together in Lee Hall, three to four times a week on top of our other studies to prepare for this competition.”

She said it also created a different kind of bond between professors and students, one that has carried over into professional life.

“I see them more as mentors that I could always contact and ask for professional advice long after I graduated,” Nicol said.

“They have an abundance of knowledge of the construction industry from their own experience and they supply their students with ample opportunities for networking throughout the four years you are at Clemson. I feel that winning that award has both everything to do with the great team we had and the incredible support from our teachers and local professionals who helped guide us along the way.”

Others on the team were Daniel Simpson, who served as superintendent; John McLoud, who served as lead estimator; Thomas Carlson, safety engineer; and Brandon Humprhries, who served as division manager.

Noel Carpenter, lecturer and Ph.D. candidate in Clemson’s Planning, Design and the Built Environment program, helped Clarke coach the team.

Additional coaching from the professional community came from David DeVita, Carolina Safety Consultants and adjunct instructor at Clemson; Jack Weber, Neal Workman and Don Underwood of Trehel Corp.; Brian Gallagher of O’Neal; Jesse Goens and Angie Massey, Waldrop Mechanical Services; and Darath Mackie of Cely Construction. Other members of Clemson’s Construction Science and Management Department faculty were Dennis Bausman and Erik Simon.

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ABC – Carolinas Chapter

Profiles

Kurt Eyring

Partner/Vice President Miller-Valentine Group ABC Columbia, chair What attracted you to the construction business?

I always had a passion for assisting other people and solving their needs with solutions, and construction always allowed me to do that. I’ve been in it quite some time now, over 30 years.

What is the most significant change in the industry since you started?

The most significant thing is technology and communication. I remember when drawings were done by pencil and I had to stick my phone in suction cups to receive a fax. Speed and accuracy improved and had major impact on quality. Another change is the concern about energy efficiency. It’s significant and positive.

In what project do you feel the most pride?

I’m proud of all of our projects. I’m most proud of the process we use, whether we’re delivering a big box warehouse and putting 11 acres under a roof in eight weeks or an industrial project where we have to maintain production … I think it’s our process in helping customers solve real estate needs. … I’m also very proud we have been recognized as General Contractor or of the Year by ABC of the Carolinas. It’s representative of how we do business and how we support the initiatives of ABC.

What is the most difficult aspect of the construction business?

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Change is constant in the construction industry but some things stay the same

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ots of the words mentioned so often by professionals in the construction industry weren’t heard so much 20 years ago: technology, energy efficiency, team building, communication, recycling waste. But some of the others have always been around: customer service, pride, honor, safety, craftsmanship. Here, we talk about trends in construction with three movers and shakers in the Associated Builders and Contractors Carolinas Chapter, who just happen to be leaders in the three regions of South Carolina.

Today they are market driven. Our particular industry has been down since ’08 and construction is usually longer to recover. The biggest challenge in the recovery is people resources. During the downturn many people in the trades pursued other careers. We’re spending a lot of time training new people and working with cooperative education to get people trained for the trades. And ABC is big supporter of helping us get people trained.

What excites you about the future of construction?

Some of the changes are ongoing. Exciting things are technology, things like smart buildings. A building built today consumes one-fifth the energy of a building built in 1970. Also, the path between physical construction and managing it are much more cohesive. The process involves more factory components than field built. It’s much more sophisticated today.

If there is one thing you would want people to understand about the construction business, what would it be?

Construction is not just another dirty job. It’s actually masterful orchestration by many people with many talents — a lot of products, tools and different ideas. It’s rewarding to see the pride in the people that make that happen and the excitement of the customers who ultimately use what they produce.

A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - Carolinas Chapter

Chris Moore

What attracted you to the construction business?

Family. One granddad was an electrician; one was a plumber. My dad was a general superintendent.

I grew up on a construction site.

After receiving my electrical engineering degree from Georgia Tech, it only made sense to go to work for MetroPower. It didn’t hurt that I co-oped with them my entire college career.

What is the most significant change in the industry since you started?

Many things come to mind: our focus on safety, waste elimination, prefabrication. The speed at which we operate. Expectations for instantaneous accessibility, response, estimates and construction. Reduction in skilled workforce.

proud because each is unique … each has its own story as to why we are doing that work. For example, we may be awarded a job by referral, or relationship with the end-user or general contractor. We may be awarded the job because of schedule or ability to provide appropriate staffing. We may be awarded the job because of the technical expertise of our staff. If I had to pick just one, it would either be the sign installation near Patewood Drive, which was our first job after arriving in Greenville, or a manufacturing facility in Peachtree City, Ga. That job was my first project after graduation. I designed it, managed the electrical construction, and was even foreman for a while.

ABC – Carolinas Chapter

Operations Manager Carolina Power Upstate Chair, ABC

What is the most difficult aspect of the construction business?

Attracting young talent to our industry.

What excites you about the future of construction?

The opportunities for young people to take on leadership roles.

If there is one thing you would want people to understand about the construction business, what would it be?

In what project do you feel the most pride?

Each project we build or service repair we make are reasons to be

The construction industry is an honorable profession. . . . Our industry is an honorable means to provide for our families and contribute to our community. It is not a last resort for people that couldn’t make it in other industries.

Russ Robinson

What is the most difficult aspect of the construction business?

President/Owner Port City Concrete Lowcountry Vice Chair, ABC

Right now it’s making a profit with the increase in competitors — we have 10-11 in Charleston — and trying to make money with multiple competitors in a tough economy.

What attracted you to the construction business?

I got into it after college. I worked for General Materials for 20 years and then I started Port City Concrete in 2008.

What is the most significant change in the industry since you started?

The way we do business. It was based on relationships. Now more and more it’s based only on price.

What excites you about the future of construction?

The economy. I see more construction on the horizon. I’m very excited about residential and commercial projects I see coming up — the Boeing expansion and other projects coming on board. I feel good about the local economy.

If there is one thing you would want people to understand about the construction business, what would it be?

All concrete is not alike. Some people think if it’s gray and it gets hard, it’s good. And it’s just not true. A good finishable mix is just not the same as everybody else’s. We have a special blend that we think is second to none in our market.

We started (the company) in ’08 in the worst times since the Great Depression and we have managed to hang on and remain profitable and we’re one of the top tier companies in the market in our business. And I’m very proud of that.

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What aspect of your business gives you the most pride?

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I would say we pride ourselves on good service and good quality concrete. We have competitors who try to hedge to meet expectations, but we have always exceeded expectations. We take a lot of pride in that and the way my trucks look and our attention to the delivery schedule.

How have you adjusted to a challenging economy?

ABC – Carolinas Chapter www.abccarolinas.org

You wear many hats. Insurance administrator doesn’t need to be one of them.

Trust your insurance and benefits to the association you trust to make your life easier – ABC. ABC Merit ChoiceŽ is your association insurance agency, with the added benefit of human resources consultation – all geared to your construction business. Exclusively for our members, we compare a wide range of cost-effective group plans and benefits packages to find the one best suited to your business.

Then we provide personalized and tailored service to manage the details. What could be easier?

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There’s enough on your schedule.You deserve the best-in-class insurance and benefits, turn to ABC Merit ChoiceŽ. )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ WKH HPSOR\HH EHQHILWV DYDLODEOH WR &DUROLQD PHPEHUV SOHDVH FRQWDFW *HRUJH +XGVSHWK DW RU YLVLW XV RQOLQH DW ZZZ DEF RUJ PHULWFKRLFH

A publication for the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. - Carolinas Chapter