Scott Shelton, Vice President, Southeast Region, Austin Commercial

April 2026 — Invest: sat down with Scott Shelton, vice president of the Southeast Region for Austin Commercial, to discuss shifting demand in Central Florida’s construction market, how the firm is positioning its Orlando operations within a national footprint, and the technologies enabling speed and certainty on complex projects. “We’re optimistic that recent rate reductions will help unlock projects that have been on the shelf. The opportunity sits with prepared owners: those who use this window to advance design, secure long-lead equipment, and position themselves to move as financing improves,” Shelton added.

How would you describe the major milestones and strategic shifts for Austin Commercial in the Southeast over the past year, especially in and around Orlando?

Austin’s Southeast division has strategically shifted its focus toward a couple new sectors. When we planted our flag in Orlando, our workload leaned heavily toward hospitality and manufacturing with some healthcare. Today, healthcare is decisively setting the pace. Systems like Orlando Health, AdventHealth, and UF Health continue to advance major programs, and there’s no sign of that slowing. That sustained demand has shaped how we resource teams, sequence pursuits, and invest in capabilities tailored to active hospitals and complex care environments.

Where does Orlando fit within Austin Commercial’s national platform, and what differentiates this market?

Nationally, Austin Commercial is a leader in advanced technology building, particularly semiconductors. That’s a core competency we continue to strengthen across the United States, and we’re working to bring more of that investment and know-how to Central Florida. In Orlando, we’ve also seen encouraging signs in corporate headquarters work. We have one of the strongest resumes in that segment nationwide, and we’re beginning to see tenants and owners revisit their footprints — more repositioning than ground-up towers, but meaningful activity nonetheless. Projects linked to fortune 500 clients, illustrate that the office market is finding a new equilibrium here.

Many markets still report soft office demand and hybrid work dynamics. What  is actually happening on the ground in Central Florida?

It isn’t a return to speculative high-rise office towers. The trend we’re seeing is thoughtful repositioning: modernizing existing assets, right-sizing space, and creating higher-performing, amenity-rich environments. Three or four years ago, organizations were downsizing and sending people home. Today, we’re seeing selective, purpose-driven investments that reflect new ways of working. That’s good news for a construction partner with deep headquarters experience. It allows us to help owners unlock value in assets they already control.

Beyond demand, what operational shifts are you seeing around costs, labor, and supply chains, and how are you responding?

The last several years have been a roller coaster. Costs rose rapidly, lead times stretched, and critical mechanical and electrical equipment could push 80-plus weeks. Our response has been early certainty: drive design-assist earlier, identify and buy long-lead items sooner, and lock price exposure where possible. That requires architects and engineers to engage differently, selecting critical equipment early so we can procure to the schedule, but it’s now a proven playbook. It’s less an industry “shift” than a discipline we’ve embedded to protect budgets and end dates.

What role does technology play in your delivery model, and how are you using tools like drones, laser scanning, and modeling to improve efficiency and quality?

For us, technology isn’t a bolt-on service; it’s how we deliver work. We’ve flown drones and performed 3D scanning and modeling for years. In older, active hospitals — Orlando Health’s main campus or Bayfront, for example — the ability to scan existing conditions and coordinate dense above-ceiling systems is non-negotiable. We recently completed a surgical suite over an active trauma floor where ceiling heights were tight and the MEP coordination window was unforgiving. Without high-fidelity scans and robust virtual coordination, that project would have taken significantly longer and carried higher rework risk. Doing it right virtually means we only do it once in the field. Owners benefit from speed and predictability, our teams benefit from quality and safety.

Where is sector demand trending across Central Florida, and how are you aligning strategy to meet it?

Healthcare remains the anchor, supported by population growth and demographics. Aviation is another high-priority focus. Austin has a national aviation presence, and when you look at Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota, and Fort Myers, you see multiyear capital plans totaling billions. We’re positioning to support that wave with teams who understand the unique phasing, security, and passenger-flow constraints of live airports.

On hospitality, the market has been quiet since the pandemic, but we’re now seeing hotels shopping in Orlando and Tampa — early indicators that travel volumes are translating into real projects. And we’re always tracking industrial and advanced manufacturing. We’re heavily involved in those sectors in places like Texas, Utah, and Phoenix, and we’re working with partners to expand that ecosystem in Florida.

Population inflows, university pipelines, and mega-attractions are reshaping the region. How do those factors show up in your planning?

The most visible impact is in healthcare capacity, which is a direct response to population growth and the needs of an older demographic. Universities like UCF and Valencia are equally important. Their programs feed talent into advanced manufacturing and technology clusters, including efforts at NeoCity in Osceola County. Talent begets investment; investment drives project formation. The same story plays out in aviation: with Universal’s new park and Disney’s expansion plans, passenger traffic increases, and airports must expand. These dynamics inform our pursuit strategy, staffing plans, and partnerships across the region.

From a real estate and development perspective, what are the defining challenges, and where do you see opportunities over the next couple of years?

For a large-project builder like Austin, capital cost is the gating issue. Interest rates have delayed otherwise viable developments. We’re optimistic that recent rate reductions will help unlock projects that have been on the shelf. The opportunity sits with prepared owners: those who use this window to advance design, secure long-lead equipment, and position themselves to move as financing improves. Florida’s business-friendly environment supports that posture, and Central Florida’s fundamentals remain compelling.

Looking three to five years ahead, what are your top strategic priorities for the Southeast region and for Orlando specifically?

Safety tops the list. We aim to remain the country’s safest contractor, and we’re proud to win national awards year after year. Operationally, we’ll continue to grow healthcare — Orlando Health, AdventHealth, UF Health, BayCare — leveraging the deep healthcare resumes of our employee-owners. Aviation will be a major pursuit area, with active opportunities across Orlando, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale. And as the nation’s largest advanced tech builder in the semiconductor space, we intend to help Central Florida capture more of that value chain. Our partnership with Osceola County and the momentum at NeoCity are important foundations. We’re sharing lessons learned and national relationships, while aligning local stakeholders so that, as market conditions line up, the region is ready to build.

If you had to summarize Austin Commercial’s Southeast thesis in one line, what would it be?

Deliver certainty where it matters most — in active environments like hospitals and airports — while helping Central Florida compete for the next generation of advanced industry. When we do that safely, efficiently, and in partnership with the community, growth tends to follow.