ABC Carolinas Unveils 2024 Project-of-the-Year Winners at Excellence in Construction Awards Gala

ABC Carolinas was thrilled to celebrate the outstanding contributions of its members at the 2024 Excellence in Construction (EIC) Awards gala held in Charlotte on November 7, 2024. Awards for first place (Eagle) and runner-up (Merit) were given out in various categories across two divisions: General Contractors and Specialty Contractors. Additionally, the prestigious Carolinas BIM Award and Free Alliance Enterprise Award were presented. In keeping with tradition, the Project of the Year awards were revealed at the end of the evening.

General Contractor | Project of the Year

The 2024 General Contractor Project of the Year was taken home by SouthCon Building Group, LLC for the Boone Hall Plantation 1850s Cotton Gin House Renovation/Addition located in Mount Pleasant, SC. This technically complex project created a multipurpose event space, gift shop and museum at the heart of America’s most photographed plantation. The 1850s “Gin House” had been “shuttered” for 15 years when SouthCon began renovation/restoration activities. As SouthCon tackled numerous anticipated challenges, the team encountered an array of unforeseen conditions. One major unexpected challenge was creating a seamless tie-in to the new construction portion.

Boone Hall Plantation’s newly restored and renovated Gin House.

“We had an amazing owner’s representative to work with in Jim Westerhold, the general manager at Boone Hall Plantation,” said Chris Spach, President and CEO of SouthCon Building Group. “The SouthCon team was able to bring a longtime vision to life on behalf of the client and design team after the project had lain dormant for many years. We are honored to have been selected and tremendously proud of the project outcome.“

SouthCon Building Group took home General Contractor Project of the Year.

Specialty Contractor | Project of the Year

The 2024 Specialty Contractor Project of the Year went to Baker Construction for the Saint Albans Residential development in Raleigh, NC. Saint Albans Residential is a premier development that has significantly changed the face of the Innovation District at North Hills in Raleigh. By working closely with the owner, general contractor, design team, and city, Baker provided exceptional preconstruction services, construction pre-planning, and field execution during the construction of both buildings. Both were delivered to the client safely, ahead of schedule, and with outstanding quality.

“We battled the challenges of dealing with underground water tables every excavation, tight logistics, and working on foundations in the winter, but we had a great team that pushed through and overcame every challenge we faced,” said Thomas Theisen, General Superintendent with Baker Construction. Theisen went on to say that the “synergy with the partners, neighborhood, and awesome client, Clancy and Theys, made for a wonderful project team.”