Bringing an Owner’s Perspective to Food Facility Design and Construction
For more than a decade, I worked side-by-side with the leadership team at A M King, tackling large-scale projects for a global food industry client. These complex, high-stakes operations demanded expertise in site selection, growth planning, and balancing timelines, budgets, and regulatory requirements — all critical elements of successful food facility design and construction. What…
Industrial Market Rebounds: Stronger Demand Signals Stabilizing Logistics Sector Heading into 2026
After a turbulent start to 2025, the U.S. industrial real estate market regained momentum in the second half of the year, signaling that businesses are beginning to adjust to shifting economic conditions and policy uncertainty. New projections from the NAIOP Industrial Space Demand Forecast suggest the sector is entering a period of stabilization, with demand…
Are Living Shorelines Overused, Underused, or Just Misunderstood?
Living shorelines have become a familiar phrase in coastal work. If you attend conferences, work near the water, or talk with clients worried about erosion, you’ve probably heard the term more times than you can count. And for good reason. In the Carolinas, we see shorelines shift in real time, and everyone is looking for…
How Construction Leaders Can Build Cross-Generational Trust (and Keep Projects on Track)
In construction, trust isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the difference between a project that moves forward and one that stalls under miscommunication, missed handoffs, and finger-pointing. What’s causing those miscommunications? One big factor is the sheer number of different generations in the modern workforce—in fact, today’s jobsites are more generationally diverse than ever. Veteran…
New Book, Building Smarter with AI, Positions Artificial Intelligence as a Strategic Imperative for Construction Leaders
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a defining competitive force in the construction industry. But while many firms are experimenting with tools, few are approaching AI as a strategic leadership issue. In his new book, Building Smarter with AI, construction strategist and industry leader Brian Gallagher reframes the conversation. Rather than focusing on technology features or…
The Evolution of Character in the Construction Industry
It was the fall of 1985. I was in my last semester at the University of Florida, just a few short weeks before finally finishing my degree in Building Construction, when one of my professors uttered these words: “When you tell people you are a contractor, most of them will immediately assume that you are…
Anchored in Trust: Harper’s Next Step on the South Carolina Coast
Growth along the South Carolina coast has long been a part of Harper General Contractors’ long-term vision, and that vision is taking a visible step forward. With the expansion of our office in Summerville, Harper is strengthening its roots in the Lowcountry and creating a home base for our growing team of construction professionals who…
Carolinas AGC Celebrates Awards-Winning Construction Projects Across the Carolinas
Carolinas AGC (CAGC) has bestowed the 2025 Pinnacle Awards to five construction projects which enhance their communities, and one “Build with the Best” Pinnacle Award to an individual whose partnership efforts strengthen the construction industry. Pinnacle entries are judged on unique aspects and challenges; special values; project management; budget and schedule; and safety performance. In…
Pocket Parks, Big Impact: How Small Urban Green Spaces Strengthen Carolina Communities
In cities across the Carolinas, a quiet but powerful shift is taking place. As urban areas grow denser and development accelerates, municipalities and designers are rethinking what it means to build healthy, resilient, and connected communities. A quiet hero in that effort isn’t massive regional parks or sweeping greenbelt systems, it’s the pocket park. These…
2026 Look Ahead with Christi Powell, ABC Carolinas
GroundBreak Carolinas is pleased to share thoughts and insights from key leaders in the construction industry from North Carolina and South Carolina. Christi Powell, President & CEO of ABC Carolinas, shares her thoughts about 2026. What is your outlook on the construction industry for 2026? I view 2026 as a year of “cautious optimism” and…
