Meet Distinguished Group of 2018 CAGC Hall of Fame Honorees and Legacy Award Winner
On July 28, 2018, Carolinas AGC celebrated hard work, perseverance and achievement by paying tribute to six individuals – one of whom has left an incredible legacy on our industry. The five others are still paving the road for future leaders to follow. According to CAGC leadership, each Hall of Fame honoree embodies the skill, integrity and responsibility that Carolinas AGC and the Associated General Contractors stand for.
“We hope that this award and event expressed the appreciation and gratitude that we have for them, their companies and their work,” said Dave Simpson, CAGC President & CEO.
The winners and their families were honored at the 2018 Carolinas AGC Summit & Expo July 28 held at Jekyll Island, Ga.
WINNER: HALL OF FAME LEGACY AWARD
Luther Barringer, RAND Construction, Richfield, N.C.
Barringer began his career in 1941 by doing custom grading, clearing land and building ponds for local farmers for $3.00 an hour. As World War II ended, he and his brother Jay formed a company called Barringer Brothers, which allowed them to start bidding on improvements to local roads under the Farm to Market Roads Program. In 1958, a local contractor approached the brothers about starting a utility company, RAND Construction, Company, Inc., which the brothers later purchased in 1964.
The “Chief” as Luther was called, was active in several industry associations throughout his construction career, including Carolinas AGC and National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA). Also very active in his community, he helped design and install his town of Richfield’s sewer system.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, RAND Construction weathered the storms of the big rigging scandals, labor shortages, fuel prices, and unfortunately, Jay’s passing. Luther, then semi-retired, ultimately left the operation of the company to his son Brad, who then closed RAND in order to fully incorporate his father’s passion and knowledge of the industry into his new business. Luther’s legacy continues to live on through his son and grandsons’ love of the utility contracting industry.
MEET THE 2018 HALL OF FAME AWARD-WINNERS
James Braswell, Langston Construction Co. of Piedmont LLC, Piedmont, S.C.
Braswell graduated from Clemson University in 1975 with a degree in Building Construction. While a student at Clemson he worked part time as a laborer, carpenter helper and carpenter for Foothills Real Estate and at Duke Energy’s Oconee Nuclear Power Station. After graduation, Braswell joined Terry Construction Company in Greenville, S.C. as Safety Director. While there, he helped implement the S-U-P-E-R Performance Program which emphasized productivity, safety and quality. Braswell then moved to Bailey-Brazell Construction as a Project Manager, and then worked for Morris Construction before settling in at Langston Construction in 1986.
At Langston Construction, Braswell used the knowledge he gained in his previous roles to eventually become President and CEO of Langston Construction. During his career, Braswell has served on numerous CAGC committees, and most notably he served as the 2015 CAGC Board Chair. Nationally, he is also an AGC of America Certified Master Commercial Carpenter, an NCCER Certified Instructor, an AGC of America Lean Education Program Instructor and a LEED Accredited Professional. He is the only AGC of America Certificate of Management – Lean Construction holder in South Carolina. James continues to leave his mark on the construction industry both locally and nationally.
Steve Gennett, Carolinas AGC, Charlotte, N.C.
Gennett dedicated his 43-year career to serving the construction industry through his commitment to AGC. He served as Executive Director of the Louisville AGC and as Executive Vice President of the Kentucky AGC from 1965 to 1986. In 1986, Gennett assumed the position of President and CEO at Carolinas AGC, growing the Carolinas chapter into the largest in the nation.
Working passionately with members to tackle industry issues, Gennett served as a liaison between the contractor world and outside agencies. He never backed away from industry challenges and enjoyed working with CAGC leaders to become an association on the cutting edge as technology began to creep into our industry. Under Gennett’s leadership, Carolinas AGC was the chapter that all other AGC chapters looked up to.
John David Griffith, Trident Construction, Charleston, S.C.
After carrying on the Clemson family tradition, Griffith started his construction career with H. G. Reynolds, where he worked for a decade and remains close friends with the Reynolds family.
He then joined his Clemson Sigma Nu brother, Robbie Fairey, as his partner in Trident Construction. For over 34 years, they have worked together to turn a start-up company into the largest locally owned and operated construction company in Charleston. Among Trident’s 75-plus employees, Griffith is a mentor and advisor to everyone. Whether he’s managing the workforce for each job or teaching an employee how to jack-up a failing pier on a dock, Griffith is always the “go to” guy. One of Trident’s subcontractors went so far as to say that Griffith, through his generosity and fairness, is the reason his company survived its early years in business. Best described as a friend, family man, role model, community and business leader, and longtime advocate of Carolinas AGC, Griffith is most proud to be a Clemson Tiger and can always be found decked out in orange at all the CAGC events.
Cleve Paul, D.S. Simmons, Inc., Goldsboro, N.C.
Paul began his construction career at R. N. Rouse & Co., where he served as estimator, project manager, scheduler, risk manager, vice president, president, and then CEO and owner of the company. In 2013, Paul made the extremely difficult decision to close the company; yet true to Paul’s character, his main concern was finding a company that would acquire his employees and complete his remaining projects with the same standard of quality. His mission was accomplished when he handed the reigns to Monteith Construction.
During his career, Paul served and often chaired countless local, regional and state organizations and boards. He served on numerous Carolinas AGC and AGC of America boards and committees, including chairing the CAGC Board of Directors in 2014. Among many other honors, Paul has been a CAGC Pinnacle Award winner and an inductee to the Longleaf Order of the Pine.
