Dennis E. Thompson is Abstract's new executive vice president and will lead the charge. Thompson's hire solidifies the growing plan that Abstract president James V. Turner has been quietly putting together in the last year or so. Thompson, a 25-year veteran of the construction industry, most recently had been corporate vice president and chief development officer for Manhattan Construction Co.

"The only thing we know for sure is that change is going to happen," he tells GlobeSt.com. "It's a pretty interesting group of people." The mix hails from the ranks of Centex, Manhattan, Dal-Mac and Turner construction companies.

James W. Tyler is the new vice president of the new Ft. Worth office, and Jeff Davis, vice president of business development for the freshly christened Special Projects Division. Tyler is a 20-year veteran of the Dallas-Ft. Worth construction world and Davis, who worked for Abstract about a decade ago, had been special projects manager for Turner Construction Co. Frank Benenate, a 27-year industry veteran, is the senior project manager and Craig Gaussiran, formerly with Manhattan, is project manager for the ground-up division. The team also includes Michael Kusek, Keith Flowers and Kevin Flowers, all senior superintendents. Bryan Shanafelt is the manager of information technology and network systems.

With the new hires come promotions for Abstract veterans. Perry Pittman, a 23-year employee, is executive vice president and COO of the special projects group. He had been the company's vice president. Chris Robinson, senior project manager, has been promoted to vice president of operations for the ground-up division. Michael Scott, another senior project manager with more than 32 years in the business, is the new project director. Kelly Dilodovico is the new secretary and treasurer.

Abstract's restructuring is mortared in a plan to beef up revenues by 20% for each of the next five years, Thompson tells GlobeSt.com. And with that could come more offices to put the construction firm closer to its clients. It could be Denver, Oklahoma City, Little Rock or another Texas metropolis. Thompson says nothing's firm at this point, except growing via a seasoned team. And, he says, "we won't know for several months."

Since its inception, Abstract has had only one office for its 65-member team and that's been in a company-owned site at 11157 Ables Lane in Dallas. The Ft. Worth site has not been firmed up, but Abstract is weighing its options, which includes snagging space in one of the development projects in its pipeline, says Thompson.

Thompson explains that Abstract has "always been kind of the quiet company that's always worked hard and done a good job. That won't change." This year, revenues will bill out at $75 million to $85 million...and then the push starts as the team eyes a revenue goal of nearly $250 million in the next five years. It's not about just making money or business volume, says Thompson. The seasoned team also wants to have "fun" once again in the industry instead of driving at "110%," says Thompson.

The Abstract client roster includes such notables as Granite Properties, Trammell Crow Co. and Lincoln Property Co. Some of its high-profile projects are the just finished Worthington and Ashton hotels, both in downtown Ft. Worth; Granite 190 Buildings A and B along the George W. Bush Turnpike; 2500 Legacy Building in Frisco; and Lacerte Software's new headquarters in Legacy Park. Abstract does shell and core and interior build-out.