Kevin Smith, Vice President, Division Manager, Swinerton

As a 100% employee-owned company, Swinerton is very focused on workforce development. “It is important for the future of Swinerton as well as our industry to continue to grow our people, invest in them, and treat them all equally,” says Kevin Smith, vice president and division manager of the company.

What sets Swinerton apart from other competitors?

One differentiator is that we’re a company of companies. We’re innovative and forward-thinking. With that comes embracing new technologies and ways to build, such as mass timber utilization. As the nation’s largest mass timber builder alongside our affiliate company Timberlab, we have fabrication facilities in Greenville, South Carolina, and Portland, Oregon that are equipped with CNC machines, and we recently announced the purchase of a Glue-laminated timber (Glulam) facility. Having control of a significant portion of the mass timber build process allows us to better serve our clients – and is a very strong differentiator as well.

In the coming years, we aim to fabricate cross-laminated timber (CLT) products as well. It’s really exciting as we lean into the mass timber industry and try to figure out how to build sustainably with different building materials, which not a lot of the other folks are doing.

Another subsidiary company, Swinerton Energy, is building a large waste energy facility right outside of Charlotte that will provide renewable energy. This is another example of how Swinerton and its companies are at the forefront of innovative building systems that prioritize the sustainability of construction.

How are you pushing the envelope in terms of sustainability?

Jobs are driven by the client’s budget, schedule, and end-user needs. We work to understand what our clients’ needs and concerns are, but then also provide them with additional, environmentally friendly options that are not going to add more to the budget. Going back to mass timber, one of the reasons that mass timber is so appealing is not that it not only looks unique but can be cost-effective. The client can get both a cool, sustainable structure, which allows us to work towards reducing the carbon footprint.

How are you seeing technology leveraged in the construction industry to create efficiencies or reduce costs?

We’re always thinking with innovation in mind. Over the past couple of years, we’ve utilized a layout robot that takes beam modeling.

We also utilize 3D modeling technology and work with the designers to preplan and coordinate every piece of a build. On some projects, we have also put Dusty Robotics to work to create floor layouts to pinpoint exactly where elements are supposed to go.  This not only saves a little bit of time on the manpower side, but offers impressive accuracy and a high level of quality. This has been a game changer for high-end clients with highly creative designs and highly detailed building plans. 

We’re also always looking at other building and material platforms such as prefab and kit-of-parts approaches where we can utilize systems that make sense, require less labor, and are built at a faster pace. I think ultimately leaning into that, especially with labor concerns, is going to be the way of the future.

What are some strategies in place to retain and attract talent?

Workforce development is near and dear to my heart, especially on the craft side. I grew up in construction where I was out in the field working with the guys and getting to know them as people. I think that’s so important. And it’s something that people don’t think about as much these days. 

To me, construction is about being a builder, understanding how to put pieces in place, but also working together as a team. Unlike many other builders, Swinerton has an extensive self-perform platform that provides carpentry, drywall, framing, and concrete specialties, just to name a few. 

For workforce development, our goal is to hire good talent. We’ve spent a lot of time working with nonprofits and local high schools to recruit young talent and train and grow them for a fulfilling career in construction.

Especially as a 100% employee-owned company, a Swinerton career offers an exceptional path for advancement that really can support a family. To me, we secure our future by investing in our people and treating them all equally.

What is your company doing to support local communities?

This year, we’ve doubled down on our community involvement. We try at least once a month to connect with a different group that is making a difference in our backyard. We’ve ended up interacting with a variety of organizations as our employees become passionate about different causes. It’s important for me to support those passions.

This year, we adopted a street next to our Charlotte office, which has been awesome. We perform quarterly clean-ups to ensure the street is free of debris and looks well-kept. 

We also participate in other organizations such as OneBlood, 24 Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, and Promising Pages. Our support and focus are typically driven by our people. It opens an opportunity for our people to have a voice rather than the company just choosing two or three things. I think that’s pretty special about our team.

Could you share with us some of the major trends you’re seeing, shaping the construction industry today?

Our partnership with Space Craft has enabled us to be involved with the development of a very unique urban residential environment in NoDa. Rather than building an apartment community full of cars, The Joinery, which opened a couple of years ago, only has three parking spots for 83 units. This concept encourages a more walkable community, with the light rail right across the street, and in turn a more environmental way of living. And we’re building more of these walkable communities with Space Craft.

I think this shift is going to continue to change how we approach residential growth in Charlotte. But it’ll be interesting to see how the developers and community leaders continue to shape the city.

What are your top priorities for the next two to three years?

For the next two to three years, we’re going to continue to grow, but we want to grow at the right pace. Our biggest focus is making sure we are diversifying the type of product we build. We’ve been increasingly focused on education facilities as well as public/civic work to balance our commercial portfolio. Most recently, we built a police station, fire station, and Montessori school. 

After that, it’s finding the right people. The growth of our people is one of my top priorities. Investing in their training and what comes with employee ownership. It’s really exciting where we’re at and where we’re headed. We continue to grow, even though the market is pulling back. And I think it just demonstrates the secret sauce that we have going.