Blythe Construction, Inc. by North American Constructors Journal

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Blythe Construction, Inc.:

Keeping The Carolinas On The Move

Since 1921, Blythe Construction of Charlotte, NC has been a regional leader in roadway construction and site development Written by Kevin Doyle Produced by Stephen Marino

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s it completes its first century of operation, Blythe Construction of Charlotte, NC is embedded throughout the region as a business partner and community member, deeply invested in the continued growth and development of the Carolinas. “We’ve employed thousands of men and women in that time and each has helped shape our local identity by forming longstanding relationships, and by conducting business with honesty and transparency,” says Senior Vice President Brian Webb. Established in 1921, the company has grown to become one of the largest local contractors in the Carolinas region. While it performs a significant portion of its work in and around Charlotte, it maintains offices and asphalt plants in both Raleigh and Winston-Salem as well as an office in Gaffney, SC. It has been a member of the Carolinas AGC for 85 years. The company’s operations encompass a diverse range of infrastructure and site development services across multiple sectors. It acquired the Plants and Paving arm of Lane Construction in 2018, doubling its number of yearround employees to approximately 800. At the end of 2018 the company had a work backlog of $1bn that Webb says “will keep us busy for the foreseeable future.”

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He wears many hats within the organization in his role as overseer of day-to-day operations. “My role is to provide collaborative leadership and clear goals for the supporting departments within the organization – our Safety, HR, Recruitment and Communications teams. I also have a responsibility to recognize and seize opportunities to grow and diversify profitably. That requires monitoring trends within the industry, which is constantly evolving,” he says. The company’s focus on innovation sets it apart from its competitors.

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“The construction industry is one of the most technologically innovative there is, although it isn’t always thought of as such. That’s driven by the demand for more and more complex infrastructure. As a construction company, you must be innovative to stay in business.” - Senior Vice President Brian Webb

we are consistently out front on trends like drone surveying, GPS stake-less construction, and other innovations such as PlanGrid,” Webb explains. The company’s ability to self-perform almost every aspect of a roadway project provides another distinct advantage. “This enables us to bid on and deliver projects that many other companies

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cannot — either for lack of resources, experience, or both. It’s an advantage over companies that would require subcontractors to perform those services for them,” Webb says.

Some Premier Projects I-85 Widening Project: This $439 million joint venture project in Gaffney, SC is the second largest Design/Build project in South Carolina DOT history. It involves the widening of 21 miles along the interstate and is being executed on an ambitious production schedule. I-485 Express Lanes Project: Situated in southern Mecklenburg County, the $346 million Design/Build project is

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one of the largest in Blythe’s history and it is anticipated it will take three years to complete. The I-485 is Blythe’s latest collaboration with the WSP design firm. The site stretches 18.2 miles along the existing I-485, from Westinghouse Blvd to around Independence Blvd and will create high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes along that entire stretch or roadway. In addition, crews will install 17 structures, 9.6 miles of new sound wall, and a new center median access at Johnston Rd and Westinghouse Blvd. Northern Beltway Expansion: The Winston-Salem teams have multiple projects under way relating to the beltway expansion, now in its

Blythe Construction, Inc. | 7 second year. The project includes intersection improvements at two sites: US-421 at Peace Haven Road, and US- 52 at NC-65. It requires the construction of bridges, ramps, and tolls, as well as roughly 562,000 cubic yards of earthwork placement. The project is valued at $54 million. The biggest challenge has been phasing construction around existing traffic patterns of high-volume roadways. Another priority has been maintaining compliance with erosion control standards for high-quality water features. Cabarrus County I-85 Widening Project: The company is nearing completion of its involvement in

this project for NCDOT. The project included adding four travel lanes (two in each direction) to an 8-mile stretch of the highway, from Exit 55 to Exit 63 north of Charlotte. Gama Goat Project: Completed last summer, the Gama Goat building is part of the multi-use Camp North End commercial complex in Charlotte. It involved repurposing a former military munitions facility into creative workspace, restaurants, and housing. Floor & DĂŠcor Retail Company: The contract, with developer Builtech Services, LLC for national retailer Floor & DĂŠcor, included demolition of an existing slab, grading and erosion

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Blythe Construction, Inc. | 8 control, installation of all water and sewage lines, and new paving ($2.5 million value). The company is also currently completing a facilities-expansion project at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Safety Initiatives The company has implemented a number of measures – such as daily Job Safety Analysis, weekly field safety talks and monthly all-hands meetings involving job site safety leaders – to insure the safety of employees, subcontractors and the traveling public.

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“No field task is completed without some form of safety assessment or discussion,” Webb asserts. “In May of 2019, we completely shut down all construction and paving operations to participate in a company-wide Safety Day event. Every employee in our organization gathered to discuss and promote our safety initiatives. “That event reflects our commitment to safety and has brought real value to our operations. Our safety culture involves the entire spectrum of our work force from the frontline employee to the President of the company, Mr. Alan Cahill. We strive to make safety personal and involve every team member,” Webb adds.

Blythe Construction, Inc. | 9 On those occasions the company brings a specialty subcontractor on board, it must have a proven safety record. “If a subcontractor is unwilling to adopt and follow Blythe’s safety policies, then there is no possibility for a business relationship,” Webb stresses.

“The CAGC has also been a tremendous resource on our journey to improved safety culture,” Webb says.

Blythe has benefitted from CAGC’s training and advocacy programs, its HR Management programs, and its The Value of CAGC Membership professional development options. As noted, Blythe and CAGC have Webb says company interns and worked together for 85 years. Webb employee family members have won notes the association is always at the scholarships available through the forefront of best practices in the areas association. The company participates of Human Resources, Safety and the in committee meetings that CAGC Environment and has forged positive organizes with the SC and NC DOTs relationships with the construction that have had an immense positive industry, both of the North Carolina and impact on the industry. South Carolina DOTs and the legislative bodies of each state. “The CAGC is an invaluable resource. It’s played a major role in driving improvements within the construction industry. Few if any organizations are as active in the Carolinas as CAGC in their advocacy efforts for a responsible, honest environment for businesses. In a very real sense, the CAGC legitimizes our industry. It has helped to shape the market from top to bottom, making conditions safer for employees, and improving standards of quality across the board,” Webb explains.

Staff Training and Retention As is the case across the industry, replenishing a work force that is aging out is an ongoing challenge at Blythe. “Recruitment and hiring have always

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been primary challenges within our industry—finding fresh talent to fill our labor force. A large percentage of workers in our industry are now approaching retirement age, and there is a shortage of incoming talent to fill their places,” Webb notes. Meeting that challenge has forced the industry to make changes that, Webb says, “frankly, are long overdue.” “Blythe Construction is very proud of the diversity within our company. We make a focused effort to hire qualified applicants from a broad range of background and ethnicities. We’ve also set a 2020 target of increasing our overall percentage of female employees to beyond 20 percent. Our performance as a company has

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benefitted from recruiting from a larger pool of talent,” Webb says. The company invests heavily in its employees through professional development programs, wages and benefits, and an employee-driven culture. Its Engineer-In-Training (EIT) program prepares new engineers by giving them the tools and understanding necessary to perform their responsibilities. Its newly developed and growing Emerging-Leaders Network, unique within the industry, offers new employees access to networking opportunities with both peer and senior team members, and encourages their involvement in community service initiatives and professional

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“In May of 2019, we completely shut down all construction and paving operations to participate in a company-wide Safety Day event. Every employee in our organization gathered to discuss and promote our safety initiatives.” - Senior Vice President Brian Webb

development opportunities. While it is a private company, Blythe Construction strives to work with the public’s best interests in mind. “Serving the public means delivering a quality product safely, efficiently, and at maximum value to our clients including taxpayers. It also means being a responsible steward of the environment and partnering with local

businesses for community service initiatives. We operate based on the belief that true success is the success that is shared,” Webb observes.

Looking Forward The company is positioned for continue success as it approaches the cusp of its second century. With a billion dollar backlog of work, 12 permanent asphalt plants,

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Blythe Construction, Inc. | 13 numerous field and corporate office locations across the Carolinas, Blythe Construction is a burgeoning regional power. “I have worked in the industry for more than 33 years,” says Webb, whose father owned a small construction subcontracting firm. “I personally love the people I get to work with every day. We often refer to our employees as team members and it’s sincerely felt. It is hugely rewarding to be part of a team that works hard on our shared vision of safely delivering projects for our clients.” It’s an approach that has worked for the company’s first 100 years. The next 100 beckon.