This article was written for Construction Today.
Since 1990, New South Construction (New South) has been reshaping the landscape of North America’s southern states. Last year, Greg Schlich, President, introduced us to the business and shared his vision for expansion into North Carolina. Around 18 months later, we had the opportunity to catch up with him. “In 2023, we generated $600 million in revenue, making it our largest year by volume,” he opens. “About two and a half years ago, we expanded into North Carolina with the purchase of a local company. Since then, we have gained some traction in the state, including a project for North Carolina State University and a contract at RaleighDurham International Airport. Besides this geographical expansion, we have also diversified into the industrial market. “Officially marking our re-entry into the sector, we have completed a facility for Hyundai Engineering of North America, which is set to support Hyundai Motor Corporation’s $3 billion investment outside of the Savannah area. For this exacting and challenging project, we completed around 600,000 square feet in a short time period. With developer-driven projects slowing down due to rising interest rates, it became essential for us to re-enter some of our old markets. Thus, we have pivoted to private K-12 educational projects with a few different jobs, as well as club work,” he continues.
Project portfolio
Over the last year and a half, New South has completed several exciting projects, which Jeff Brown, Senior Vice President, is eager to tell us more about. “Most recently, there is McLemore Resort, now known as the Cloudland, which is a new Hilton Curio hotel nestled into the mountain side in Northwest Georgia. It is currently the largest Curio in Hilton’s portfolio, boasting 245 rooms and 15,000 square feet of banquet space. As this development was a bond financed project for the owner and began during the pandemic, our team had to make substantial efforts to maintain the budget allowing the project to move forward. This entailed undertaking the MEP/FP systems as a design/build effort while the balance of the project was a true construction manager at risk (CMAR) approach working hand in hand with the owner’s team of designers and hospitality operators. Our team collaborated on multiple design options from material selections to different structural components for the guest rooms and common areas and ultimately delivered a project that aligned with the client’s dream and pro forma. I believe it is a remarkable feat for our team as over the next 28 months, we were able to transform an inaccessible, mountaintop site into a true resort facility, poised to bring tremendous success to the owner and region for years to come.”
Continuing on this topic, Jon Harris, Executive Vice President of Preconstruction, adds: “We also completed the new American Express Centurion Lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which opened its doors on Valentine’s Day of 2024. The project involved extensive collaboration with American Express for over a year during the pre-construction planning stage, as well as visiting some of its other clubs in the eastern US. During construction, we manages the logistics of gate closures and passenger safety, and successfully completed the project without a hitch. Currently, the Centurion Lounge is American Express’ premier club and it opened to much fanfare, making it a very successful project at the airport.”
Employee Engagement
With New South recently recognized as a great place to work, Greg explains how the company builds a positive working culture and supports its employees. “Maintaining our culture is a top priority that requires constant diligence, which is why we have established a set of core values and a vision statement that emphasizes our ‘build, grow, lead’ ethos. This approach focuses on developing better builders and people, as well as growing leaders. One crucial item within this vision is communicating and making sure that every employee within our organization understands the ‘why’ behind our actions. With nearly 300 employees working in large teams, it’s easy to get caught up in daily tasks and lose sight of the bigger picture. By consistently explaining why we are doing something (not just what we are doing) we find that our employees fell more connected to the team and our company’s larger mission and are empowered to ask for support from their teammates. This is just one of many ways we are working to uphold our core values and overall vision,” he enlightens.
New South’s talented workforce has been keeping busy with several exciting project expected to be completed in the next few years. Jon shares insights into the company’s upcoming pipeline. “The Atlanta Braves have been a long-time client of ours, as out first collaboration dates back to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Following their move into their new stadium at Truist Park, we have been working on various projects there almost every off-season. Excitingly, the 2025 All-Star game is coming to Atlanta, meaning that we will be working on several projects to improve the fan experience for the big game.
“In addition, we just broke ground on a 862-bed student housing project at Georgia Tech in Midtown Atlanta, set to open in the fall of 2026. Furthermore, we were recently awarded a student housing project for Emory’s Oxford Campus just East of Atlanta, starting next summer and expected to open fall of 2027. Both projects emphasize sustainability and reduced energy usage, reflecting our expertise in developing buildings that meet campus goals for sustainability,” he concludes.
With a plethora of exciting new projects lined up for the coming years and its ongoing dedication to its on people, environment and local communities, New South Construction is fully equipped for a bright future of continued success.