Building Careers and Connections across the Carolinas

Last spring, civil engineering project manager Taylor Fletcher traded her desk in Mount Pleasant, SC for one in Charlotte, NC. Not for a new job, but for two days inside another SeamonWhiteside (SW+) office. The exchange is called SWAp: a program that lets employees temporarily swap offices to learn how colleagues in another market approach their work.

Growth is an exciting milestone for any firm; new offices bring access to new markets, talent, and expertise. But it also raises a harder question, one facing firms across the Carolinas’ construction industry right now: how do you keep employees connected, engaged, and invested enough to stay, even as the company enters more cities?

At SeamonWhiteside (SW+), that challenge was top of mind as the firm entered new markets across the Carolinas. Employees knew their immediate teams and what was happening within their own offices, but there was an opportunity to expand that knowledge. Team members wanted a better understanding of the company and their colleagues beyond their home office.

Launched as a pilot in the spring of 2024, SWAp is now an important part of how SW+ develops talent, shares knowledge, and keeps its teams connected as the firm grows across the Carolinas.

Turning Face Time into Stronger Teams

While our team regularly collaborates across locations using video calls, shared platforms, and digital project tools, technology doesn’t always build relationships.

Through SWAp, participating employees spend several days embedded in another SW+ office to learn about the local market, office strategy, and work alongside colleagues in their sector to experience how another team approaches its day-to-day work.

These face-to-face interactions give employees an opportunity to understand team dynamics, ask questions, and build relationships.

We’ve specifically seen connections develop between residential teams in Mount Pleasant and Charlotte. The cross-office relationships have made employees more comfortable tapping into another team’s experience when they encounter a challenge or want a different perspective. Once those relationships exist, picking up the phone or reaching out to another office for help is easier. That confidence has become one of SWAp’s most valuable outcomes.

One of the most valuable parts of the SWAp Program was the chance to build relationships with employees I otherwise may have only interacted with through email or Teams. Visiting the Mount Pleasant office and later hosting SWAp participants in Charlotte helped create personal connections that continue to benefit our day-to-day collaboration,” said Claire Folk, civil engineering project manager based in SW+’s Charlotte office and swapped to SW+’s Mount Pleasant office in 2025.

North Carolina Fueling Connected Growth

The SWAp philosophy has particular relevance as SW+ expands its presence in North Carolina. The firm’s first North Carolina office opened in Charlotte in 2019. Now we have teams in Raleigh and Asheville. As those offices continue to grow, connecting employees to the larger firm maintains a consistent company culture and gives employees more people, project experience, and expertise to draw on.

An employee accustomed to multifamily work, for example, may spend time with a team focused on single-family development. Someone whose typical projects don’t involve extensive grading work may see how another team approaches it. Employees can observe different management styles, workflows, and market conditions, then bring useful ideas and insights back to their home offices. The goal isn’t to make every office operate identically. It’s about making expertise easier to share.

Taylor Fletcher, civil engineering project manager based in SW+’s Mount Pleasant office and swapped to SW+’s Charlotte office in 2024, noted “I loved participating in the SWAp program and spending time in the Charlotte office! It was a fun opportunity to connect with my peers, learn from their different approaches to project design and management, and have dedicated time to chat with office leaders. I left the experience feeling like I had built great new relationships, gained fresh perspectives, and received valuable advice to incorporate in my work.”

Professional Development That Moves with Employees

SWAp also reflects a broader view of professional development. We don’t approach career growth solely through formal training or promotions. Exposure is an important factor as well. Seeing how other teams operate, learning from a different project manager, or working on an unfamiliar project type can broaden an employee’s understanding of both their profession and the opportunities available within their company.

SW+ has had employees who wanted to move to another city without leaving the firm. Familiarity with other offices and relationships across SW+ have helped make internal relocations possible, allowing employees to pursue personal changes while continuing their careers with the company. That flexibility supports retention while giving employees more control over where their careers take them.

SWAp has also become part of the firm’s recruiting conversations. When prospective employees ask how SW+ facilitates professional development or maintains its culture across multiple locations, the program shows candidates, in concrete terms, the resources the company puts behind those commitments.

Since the 2024 pilot, 18 employees have participated in SWAp. Interest has spread through word of mouth, with employees increasingly excited to have the opportunity to participate.

The program itself continues to evolve as we receive feedback and the industry changes. The goal is to make sure SWAp continues serving a purpose and making a meaningful impact on employees’ development and tenure at the firm.

Maintaining connection requires intention. Opening an office creates a physical presence in a community, but creating one company across multiple offices requires employees to understand, trust, and learn from people beyond the colleagues they see every day. Taylor is one of 18 stories and SW+ keeps growing; SWAp is how the firm intends to keep adding more.

About the Author – Jasmine Hawkins was born and raised in Chicago, IL and relocated to Charleston right before starting at SW+ in 2021. She graduated from Bradley University in 2014 where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations. She grew a sudden interest in human resources and later graduated with a Master of Business Administration in HR from Keller Graduate School of Management in 2017. Outside of work, Jasmine enjoys walking and exploring Charleston eateries.

ABOUT SEAMONWHITESIDE

SeamonWhiteside (SW+) is a full-service site design firm providing master planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, urban design, land surveying, water resources, permit coordination, and construction administration to public and private clients throughout the Carolinas. SW+ elevates the site design experience through a full commitment to its people, clients, plans, and communities. Their passion, collaboration, quality, and care results in innovative spaces that enrich lives and leave a lasting legacy for future generations. Headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, SeamonWhiteside also has offices in Summerville, Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, Charlotte, Raleigh, and Asheville North Carolina. For more information on SW+, visit www.seamonwhiteside.com.