MIAMI—Skanska is witnessing strong growth in Florida. With over 200 employees, the construction and engineering firm ranked top in the state in terms of revenues.
At the helm is Fred Hames, general manager and executive vice president of Florida. Under his leadership, the company is working on some of the largest and most complex building and infrastructure developments across Florida.
GlobeSt.com caught up with Hames to discuss the factors driving construction industry growth across the state and the challenges that a hot construction market poses for the industry as a whole in part one of this exclusive interview. Be sure to check back this afternoon for part two.
GlobeSt.com: What has been the strategy behind Skanska's increasing market share in recent years?
Hames: Skanska's growth in Florida stems from our focus on expanding in a handful of sectors and focused geographic areas. Florida stands out as a state where there is high demand for our full range of services among institutional and municipal clients, so we've been targeting this market for years.
We are unique in the construction space because we manage everything from pre-construction planning and design to building and financing. We like to think of ourselves as the firm that takes on the most complex and sophisticated projects in the State, with examples being the redevelopment of Interstate 4 in Orlando and the state-of-the-art Florida Polytechnic University recently completed in Lakeland.
GlobeSt.com: The company is currently working on several new hospitals across the State. What is driving this segment of construction and will this activity continue?
Hames: We were building healthcare facilities when most competitors were pursuing other types of projects, so this has become a specialty of ours in Florida. We enjoy strong relationships with a number of the State's largest providers, such as Tampa General, Moffitt Cancer Center, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, and Broward Health.
We're involved in the $225 million expansion of UF Health Shands' Cardiovascular and Neuroscience Hospital in Gainesville and the $144 million project underway at Golisano Children's Hospital in Fort Myers. We also recently completed the award-winning construction of Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando. We expect investment to continue pouring into healthcare as Florida's population rises and ages.
GlobeSt.com: Some of the larger construction projects in the state today are a result of public-private partnerships. What makes this a successful formula for new development and what projects are you building funded through this model?
Hames: Successful public-private partnerships require a construction partner specializing in large and complex projects as well as one with the ability to provide financial support. When a client engages Skanska as a P3 partner, they are accessing all the abilities of our construction and engineering teams as well as the financial wherewithal that comes with working with one of the world's largest firms.
Examples include the $2.3 billion Interstate 4 Ultimate project here in Florida and the Elizabeth River Tunnels project in Virginia. Generally speaking, we have found that the P3 model allows the public sector to begin a project with certainty that it will make financial sense and move forward in an efficient manner.
Be sure to come back this afternoon for part two of this exclusive interview.
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