Dale Hedrick, CEO, Hedrick Brothers Construction

Hedrick Brothers Construction sees the future of the company’s growth in the multifamily sector. “With the demands of population growth and other things, we see multifamily as a big opportunity,” CEO Dale Hedrick told Invest:.

What are the biggest opportunities for your company in the Florida market?
Well, there’s higher demand due to population growth, both public and private. We think that there’s also a high demand for private schools, as evidenced by new and existing clients in the private education sector working on expansion plans.
Municipal projects, driven by city, county, and state growth, are also on our opportunities list. We’re looking at a number of municipal projects as need for improved and larger facilities continues, especially in public safety facilities.

What are your thoughts about the current economic challenges?
Our challenges are the skilled trades. We need to continue to focus on the trades. There’s a lot of misinformation out there. The skilled trades are an incredible career opportunity for many of the youth. There is an aging population of skilled trades people that are going to be retiring in the next few years and there’s a great opportunity for the next generation to step into high-demand, good paying trade careers.

We need to get that message out in our school systems and offer more opportunities for training because there are great careers in the industry. When compared to other trades and AI and other things that are going to be impacting and disrupting the labor market, actual trades are going to be ones that will not be interrupted as much. Hedrick Brothers Construction supports trades through the Xcel Florida Mentoring Group and the ACE Mentor Program.

I think the other side of it is the financial markets have been very challenging and those seem to be loosening up. On some of our projects, we’re seeing that there are still a lot of headwinds with interest rates being very high and capital being squeezed. We think that the people that have been doing things have been extremely well capitalized and those are some of the projects that you see going on. But in the future, hopefully, the financial markets will loosen up so that more projects can be built. But when that happens, then you’re going to see the subcontractor market tighten up and prices will probably go up even more.

What are your long-term goals for integrating environmental solutions into your construction and development projects?
Hedrick Brothers Environmental has patented technology for shoreline hardening and living shorelines. Living on shorelines is a very important ecological need and even in some places a requirement.
We can help developers who have challenges with their environmental permits. We’re able to help them. We can help support, sustain and protect mangroves which are critical to marine life. We’re seeing quite a bit of interest in that, and we think that it integrates well with our construction because we’re able to help developers and municipalities provide solutions that weren’t available before.

Could you expand on any advancements in construction technology that are impacting your project delivery and client satisfaction?
We’re constantly seeing new products on the market that are changing consumer demand and things and it’s difficult to keep up with it all. There are products in energy-saving lighting and air conditioning systems and insulation and waterproofing systems. Just to keep up with the latest is pretty challenging.
But then you get into AI. We’re using AI primarily for estimating and some of the other things. We’re using building information modeling to resolve conflicts, solve problems and provide quicker solutions to issues that come up on projects.
Laser scanning and some of the other documentation that we can do with 3D photos have revolutionized and allowed more visibility for the owners and design teams to solve problems together. We’re seeing a lot of great technological advances that have allowed for more accuracy and more approaches to solving problems that were difficult unless you were right there. With a focus on delivering added value to our clients, we’ve rebranded our virtual design services as ‘Innovation and Digital Solutions’ to reflect a comprehensive, forward-thinking approach that embraces emerging technologies and drives smarter problem-solving.

Where do you have the biggest opportunities in the construction industry now?
Multifamily is one of the largest sectors of the construction industry right now and it’s going to continue that way. With the demands of population growth and other things, we see multifamily as a big opportunity.
We’re working all around the state with numerous opportunities. From student housing to market rate to workforce housing and assisted living. We have several workforce housing projects coming up. We’re seeing the full gamut of what you would see in multifamily. We’re actively pursuing pretty significant projects both locally and around the state.

What are the top priorities and strategic goals for your company over the next couple of years?
Our top priority is preserving and strengthening our culture—one that genuinely values our people, equips them with the resources and training to grow, and empowers them to reach their full potential. We believe that when individuals thrive, so does the work we deliver.
As we look ahead, we’re focused on intentional growth—both for our company and for the people who make it successful. That means mentoring the next generation, championing the construction industry as a rewarding and meaningful career path, and sharing our story to inspire others to join the field.
At the heart of it all is our core value of GRIT—Growth, Resourcefulness, Integrity, and Teamwork—which continues to guide our strategic vision and everyday actions. It’s more than a value system; it’s the foundation of how we lead, build, and serve our clients and communities.