Allen Greene, President & Co-Founder, Envision-CS

July 2026 — Allen Greene, president and co-founder of Envision-CS, spoke with Invest: about Tampa Bay’s commercial construction market, rising costs, infrastructure needs, and the company’s growth aligning with the market. “Tampa is leaning in. We have a lot of great new developments coming, and billions of dollars are being spent,” Greene said.

How would you describe the current business climate for commercial construction in Tampa Bay?

The market is interesting. I can speak from two perspectives: where we are as a company in this phase of our business, and the larger market. Overall, it is hot and cold. It is softening a bit based on what I am seeing and some of the trends we have been watching.

Because Tampa Bay is so attractive, we are also seeing a lot of new faces in the market.The market has seen a wave of people coming in, whether that is real estate, development, contractors, smaller companies, or larger ones. Like anything else, where there is food, people are going to come to eat.

Nationally, the market is slowing down and softening, and it typically starts in the West and moves East. Because of that, we are seeing more companies coming into Tampa Bay. Over the past few years, Tampa has become a household name. We have seen a surge of competition and companies coming here to work, which is exciting because there are also new firms laying foundations here and bringing headquarters here.

What trends are having the biggest impact on your business and on your clients right now?

Pricing is at an all-time high. Post-COVID, pricing has continued to rise. It has stabilized, but expenses are still elevated. Capital is expensive, and the cost of land, construction and design are all expensive. On most projects, being over budget has almost become the new normal.

Budgets do not hold for long anymore. A budget that used to hold for six months, or even three months, may not hold now. If you set a budget today, you should revisit that budget in 30 days because it could absolutely have evolved and increased by then.

How is Tampa Bay’s continued growth changing the types of projects and opportunities coming to market?

Historically, we have been more focused on institutional work in the public sector. That includes school board work, USF, higher education, Hillsborough County Schools, Tampa International Airport, healthcare and other sectors that are more recession-proof.

With all the new companies, new people and wealth transfer coming into Tampa, we are now looking at different opportunities in tenant improvements, office renovations and more private-sector work. We want to be more involved in those private-sector conversations because there is a need there.

We are a relationship-driven business. It is less about checking a box and more about building relationships, working hand in hand with clients, walking alongside them and seeing their vision come to life. Going beyond the build means a lot to us.

Which sectors are creating the most activity for Envision today?

Right now, we are leaning heavily into office projects, including large-scale office complexes, buildings, new developments, tenant representative spaces and office refreshes. With the new growth in the region, there are small and medium-sized businesses we can help through office refreshes, headquarters projects, replacements and design-build work.

We are also looking at hospitality. We have experience doing hotel refreshes, and we are interested in doing more restaurant work as well. With more people coming to the region, people need places to eat and places to stay.

What are clients prioritizing most when they start new projects?

Price is one of the biggest concerns, and time is also important. Lead times and completion timelines matter, depending on the client. For clients like Moffitt or the airport, security and safety are also critical.

One of the great things about us is that we have learned to work in occupied, complex, high-profile environments. You may have a patient literally in the room next to you, and you cannot get an ounce of dust into that space. You need negative air machines, ICRA barriers and all the things that protect people’s lives.

Sometimes it is price, sometimes it is safety and sometimes it is time because clients have critical milestones to hit. Even within all of those priorities, price has still been one of the biggest challenging factors we have seen lately.

How do you see technology and AI changing construction and project management?

It is exciting to see AI and technology being used to enhance the industry and help us grow. Construction has been behind in some ways, and many contractors still prefer old-school methods, but innovation is helping us become more efficient.

Time is connected to cost in construction. The more innovative we can be, the more efficient we can become. I do not like to say faster because that can sound rushed. It is about being better, and faster becomes the result of being better.

AI allows us to look at our processes one by one and ask how we can improve them. At the end of the day, that means we can serve our clients better. If we lean into AI and see it as an opportunity rather than a threat, there will be continued evolution and positive change.

What has your experience been in attracting and retaining talent?

We are a small business, and I am grateful that we have a strong, solid base of team members. With trade partners and the people actually doing the work, including concrete, drywall, and painting, it is tough because the market is so competitive.

Construction also has to attract the next generation. We have to educate people because attraction comes through education. Construction management includes accounting, marketing, pre-construction, software development and many other roles.

You do not have to want to be a contractor to have a place in construction. Our challenge is getting more craftsmen into the trades and helping people understand that construction offers a viable and great career path.

What investments are most important for Tampa Bay over the next decade?

Transportation is huge. If we cannot connect people to places, that will be a massive challenge to overcome. We have seen other great cities grow and develop without focusing enough on infrastructure and transportation, and that becomes a major challenge.

Tampa is leaning in. We have a lot of great new developments coming, and billions of dollars are being spent.

What makes Tampa Bay stand out compared to other fast-growing markets across the Southeast?

Being a Tampa native, I think it is one of the most beautiful cities in the nation. Beyond that, it is the people and the business community. Tampa is welcoming and business-friendly. We want new people to come here.

I have been to cities where you do not feel like you belong. In Florida, and in Tampa in general, the business community is friendly and open. That is one of the things that sets Tampa apart.

What are your top priorities for Envision over the next few years?

Right now, we are in the middle of a growth stage, and the middle is tough. We are not quite as small as we were, but we are not big, and you cannot stay in the middle for long. For me, that means continuing to focus on infrastructure within the business, including the systems, processes, and procedures that will help us continue moving forward.

Relationships are also a top priority. Construction is still a very relationship-focused business. My focus right now is building relationships with the right people and helping them understand how we can serve them, what we are capable of, and that they can count on us and trust us.

People are also central. You cannot do this without people. We want to make sure we have a place where people enjoy coming to work and where people enjoy building with us. We can’t do this alone, we don’t want to do it alone, and so we need great people to continue to come here, build with us, and to get us to where we’re headed.