7 minute read
Bryson Constructors Prepares Second Generation to Build on Solid Foundation
Bryson Constructors Prepares Second Generation to Build on Solid Foundation
Succeeding in the footsteps of a leader whose accomplishments are celebrated by the community they serve can be a challenge for the next generation of leadership. The challenge can be even greater when the next generation is the company's namesake. Such is the case for Bryson Barnes, the son of Bryson Constructors founder Steve Barnes. Steve started the company in 1989, just after Bryson's birth, and has steadily grown it into a leading general contracting and construction management firm in the Greater Atlanta Area.
The company started primarily as a contractor in the residential housing industry and grew into the affordable housing market and aviation construction while former Atlanta Mayor Maynard H. Jackson was in office. Over the years, the company grew in the commercial market, working in several industries, including public transit, K-12 education, and corporate construction. “We do a lot of work as a prime contractor but also partner with other firms on larger projects,” Steve Barnes said.
Steve serves as president of the company but has started the important transition of shifting leadership duties to Bryson, who joined the company as a full-time employee after graduating from Furman University in 2012. “I always wanted to do what my father did, and I have always said that if my father started a sanitation collection company, I would have learned the sanitation business and had a fleet of sanitation trucks too,” Bryson Barnes said.
Growing into a leadership role has always been the plan for Bryson, but Steve did not make it an easy journey for his son. Bryson’s first role in the company was as a construction laborer in the field. Over the years, he has progressed from field operations to executive management through his proven abilities and skills in strategic leadership, business development, and continuous improvement. Learning alongside his father and a well-developed team enabled Bryson to fine-tune his skills as a construction professional and grow into a respected leader. “My father did not coddle me at all. He fired me a couple of times to make certain I understood that I was not entitled to anything,” Bryson Barnes said. “I quickly learned, and I am still learning. The work we do and the legacy my father created is more than a successful business; it is centered around transforming the lives of people and communities that are often overlooked.”
Bryson Constructors is an established contractor in the Atlanta construction market. The company’s extensive portfolio covers several industry markets, including aviation, healthcare, sports entertainment, and multi-use developments. Throughout the company’s 32-year history, the firm has completed several signature projects as a prime contractor or subcontractor, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, State Farm Arena, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Most recently, Bryson Constructors was selected to perform as part of a team on the $1.4 billion Concourse D Expansion project at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
As a partner in the HolderMoody-Bryson-Sovereign Joint Venture (HMBS-JV) group, Bryson Constructors will collaboratively work to expand the central corridor of Concourse D to reduce traveler congestion, create more spacious amenities (restrooms, concessions, waiting areas, etc.), as well as modernize the terminal to provide an enhanced travelers’ experience. “We are excited to join Holder Construction and our other great partners on another monumental project at Hartsfield-Jackson. Not only is it one of the largest most complex projects to take place at Hartsfield-Jackson, but the project is also expected to provide more than 500 jobs for the local area,” Steve Barnes said.
One of the core values of Bryson Constructors is to “Lift as we Build,” meaning the company strives to enhance the lives of others as the company succeeds. One of the main strategies to lift others is providing meaningful employment and career opportunities for residents of the Greater Atlanta region, particularly in Southwest Atlanta, where the company is headquartered in East Point. “Providing career opportunities to underserved communities supports a pressing need to reduce the gap in skilled trades, but more importantly, it provides livable wages to individuals that positively impact their lives and the lives of their families,” Bryson Barnes said.
Bryson Constructors works closely with neighborhood-based workforce collaboratives like Westside Works and Construction Ready to provide career-building opportunities for individuals interested in joining the construction industry. “We enjoy working with organizations that expose the workforce to potentially high-earning careers in construction and the abundance of opportunities available within the industry to learn a skill and start their own companies,” Bryson Barnes said. “Westside Works provided us with more than 100 individuals from Atlanta’s Westside community to work on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium project. The workers were credentialed, understood the fundamentals of construction knowledge, and adopted our safety culture as priority number one.”
Bryson serves on both the Board of Directors for Construction Ready and the National Association of Minority Contractors (Atlanta Chapter) and often speaks to the youth and disenfranchised individuals about career opportunities and success in the construction industry. He recognizes the great achievements Bryson Constructors has accomplished for over three decades and understands the importance of representation; however, Bryson focuses on the future and what lies ahead. “The construction footprint in Atlanta is continuously growing as one of the largest tech hubs in the country, with Electric Mobility infrastructure at the forefront. We also have the highest rate of black-owned businesses in the U.S.,” Bryson said. “Diversifying our portfolio to meet the accelerated demands of technology and being able to provide opportunities for minority and women-owned businesses is a critical component of our company’s future.”
Bryson continues to follow in the footsteps his father has created over the years. Steve Barnes remains active in the greater community and the minority construction community, especially in Atlanta. He is a longstanding member of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) and, in 2019, received the organization’s highest honor by being inducted into the NAMC National Hall of Fame for his leadership and enduring commitment to minority business success in the construction industry.
In 2023, Bryson Constructors received national recognition from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) as the recipient of the 2022 National Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (IDE) Excellence Award for its exemplary IDE leadership within the company, workforce, supply chain, and community with best-in-class recruitment policies, retention practices, and training and mentoring.
As Steve continues to groom Bryson for his eventual retirement, he is confident the company’s best days are ahead. “Bryson still has a lot to learn, and that is what I’m here for, but he will take the company even further in the future,” Steve said. In the meantime, the company’s goals are strengthening the internal infrastructure of the company, nurturing its current business relationships, and initiating new associations that will expand the company’s footprint throughout the Southeast region. “My father has planted the seeds that have allowed Bryson Constructors to grow an abundant harvest of opportunities and relationships that have transformed and revitalized the city of Atlanta.” Bryson said. “I am humbled at the position my father has entrusted me to execute and I am excited about the unique set of challenges I face as I build my respect in the industry.”
