Groundbreak Carolinas

GroundBreak Carolinas

Your source for construction industry news in the Carolinas

Helen Johnson

Reading the Signs: Why Economic Indicators Matter for Construction Executives

by Brian Gallagher, PPC Partners on

Construction leaders often pride themselves on instinct—the ability to “read the market” from conversations with clients, lenders, or subcontractors. But in today’s environment of volatility and complexity, instinct alone is not enough. To build resilient, forward-looking strategies, construction executives must treat economic indicators the way builders treat blueprints: as essential guides to navigating uncertainty. Why…

The Hard Power of Soft Skills: Why Active Listening Matters for Construction Leaders

by Brian Gallagher on

Construction executives live under constant pressure. Rising costs, shifting demand cycles, a competitive labor market, and the relentless pace of projects demand quick decisions and long hours. It’s easy to slip into a mode where communication becomes directive—emails fired off between meetings, instructions handed down on jobsite visits, decisions made in compressed moments. But in…

The Hidden Tax Strategy Every GC Should Know About When Building for Investors

by Sean Graham, CPA, Founder, Maven Cost Segregation on

If you’re a general contractor working with real estate investors, there’s a tax strategy that could quietly save your clients hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s called cost segregation, and while it’s handled by CPAs and tax engineers after the build is complete, the groundwork for maximizing its value often starts during construction. The more…

Hard Hats & Helmets: When Construction Season Meets College Football Season

by GroundBreak Carolinas Staff on

By the time September rolls around, construction projects across the South face an unspoken but powerful force. No, it’s not another supply chain delay, an inspector with a clipboard, or even a change order from the architect. It’s college football. And when kickoff season collides with construction season, hard hats and helmets become interchangeable symbols…

Behind the Hard Hat Recap

by GroundBreak Carolinas Staff on

Behind the Hardhat: A Recap of the 2025 ABC Carolinas Construction Convention The 2025 ABC Carolinas Construction Convention, themed “Behind the Hardhat: Collaboration in Construction,” was recently held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Myrtle Beach Ocean Resort, drawing construction professionals from across the region for three days of inspiration, networking, and innovation. Read More The Carolinas’…

Trehel Welcomes Superintendents Zach Wright and Paul Smith

by GroundBreak Carolinas Staff on

Greenville, S.C. – Trehel is proud to welcome Zach Wright to its team as a new senior project superintendent and Paul Smith as project superintendent. In his new role at Trehel, Wright will lead onsite industrial, manufacturing, and commercial projects, emphasizing safety, quality and efficiency. Wright has extensive experience managing large-scale projects across the country….

McCrory Construction Promotes Nichole Kopenhaver to Senior Project Manager

by GroundBreak Carolinas Staff on

McCrory Construction, South Carolina’s oldest general contractor, has promoted Nichole Kopenhaver, CIT, CBT, CIS, to Senior Project Manager. Kopenhaver has nearly 30 years of experience in the construction industry, the past 10 with McCrory.   “Nichole has grown tremendously over the past several years, both as a builder and as a leader,” said Allen Bridgers, President…

The Carolinas’ 2025 Deal Book: Foreign Investment, Growth, and Policy Crosswinds

by GroundBreak Carolinas Staff on

The first eight months of 2025 have confirmed what many executives and contractors in the Carolinas already sense: the region remains a magnet for capital investment, even as national indicators turn mixed. From hyperscale data centers and advanced life sciences plants to aerospace assembly lines and fintech hubs, North Carolina and South Carolina have captured…

A M King Experts Quoted in Food Engineering Cover Story

by GroundBreak Carolinas Staff on

A M King, a leading integrated Design-Build firm with offices in Charlotte, Greenville, and Chicago, was prominently featured in Food Engineering‘s August 2025 cover story detailing the magazine’s 48th Annual Plant Construction Survey results. In addition to having an A M King project photo tapped for the cover image, A M King’s Carl Morse, Vice President, and Tyler Goodwill, Design Leader, were among…

Two Kinds of Firms

by Mark Zweig, Chairman and Founder, Zweig Group on

Is your firm one that commands top fees and thrives, or one that will struggle to compete and keep up? As I have stated many times before, I’ve spent my entire 45 year post-graduate school career working in and around AEC firms. Big ones, small ones, all disciplines, growing and declining, profitable and unprofitable –…