Tim McClellan, President & Owner, Miles-McClellan Construction
Invest: sat down with Tim McClellan, president and owner at Miles–McClellan Construction, to learn about their new projects in North Carolina, the construction landscape in Charlotte, and how demand for retail projects is driving growth for the company.
What is the current state of the commercial construction industry within Charlotte?
Charlotte’s construction market is very strong, which has helped to foster strong growth. A major challenge is to find enough exceptional people that fit our culture. We remain bullish on the Charlotte construction market.
What has been driving the most demand?
The City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County along with other local municipalities are constantly moving forward. The construction market benefits from this growth.
Local, small business upfits and renovations have also been very strong.
What sets your organization apart from other competitors in the industry?
We thrive because of our relationships. Our firm doesn’t chase projects. We are more interested in developing and fostering long-term relationships that lead to repeat projects. Our people and our culture also clearly differentiates us from other similar firms. Our mission statement is, “We are Builders. We succeed by building leaders and long-term relationships.” We have a robust training program for the people that come to work for us.
What are some key projects that are currently in the pipeline?
We have several marquee projects ongoing. We recently completed the Morrow Mountain State Park renovation. It was a large renovation of the state park, and a wonderful success. Another marquee project is the Southern Lion – an 80,000-square-foot upfit of a retail establishment in Pineville. We have a couple of Industrial projects underway and a several important municipal projects about to kick off. We are fortunate to have a solid backlog heading into 2025.
How do you best mitigate the impact of taxes and other challenges like rising insurance costs?
Taxes and inflation continue to be a big deal. It has put a lot of projects on hold. Developers can’t make their numbers work with both high construction costs and high interest rates. We haven’t seen too many projects get cancelled all together, but there are several on hold. Funding sources are also tightening up.
How is your firm best capitalizing on the population influx?
People moving to the area is great for construction. Population growth means new schools, retail, restaurants, etc. Miles-McClellan is not interested in the mega projects. We serve our clients and community by providing construction services on the smaller projects, renovations, fire stations, town hall renovations, etc.
What legislation or regulations are you monitoring?
Taxes are a big deal. When tax rates increase, it makes a notable difference for small businesses. When taxes are high, small businesses don’t have the capital to reinvest in their growth and that slows the economy. I hope legislators can come together long enough to enact tax laws that are fair for everyone. The current tax laws impact small businesses unfairly.
What are the biggest priorities for Miles McClellan Construction moving forward?
Sustainable growth. Charlotte is growing and that allows Charlotte businesses to grow along with it. We will continue to push our strategy of developing leaders and long term relationships.
