When your history stretches back more than a century, you learn a thing or two about adapting to change. For Swinerton, that journey began in 1888, when a Swedish immigrant launched a brick masonry and contracting business on the West Coast. What started as a small operation serving a booming region has evolved into a $6 billion, 100% employee-owned construction powerhouse with 23 offices nationwide.

Today, Swinerton’s work spans the spectrum—from tenant improvements and LEED-certified projects to high-rise towers and complex medical campuses. The company’s ability to take on projects of any scale, in any location, reflects a unique balance of local relationships and national strength. With services ranging from construction management and design-build to self-perform expertise, Swinerton is known for meeting challenges head-on and delivering quality work that strengthens communities.

We sat down with Derek Mosiman, VP and Division Manager, to talk about Swinerton’s growth, culture, and vision for the future of construction.

Give us a snapshot of your brand.

Swinerton traces its roots back to 1888, when a Swedish immigrant founded a brick masonry and contracting business to serve the West Coast building boom. More than 100 years later, Swinerton has grown into a 100% employee-owned, $6 billion national construction firm providing industry-leading commercial construction, construction management, design-build, and self-perform services. From small-scale tenant improvement projects and LEED-certified green buildings to ground-up towers and complex medical campuses,

Swinerton consistently responds to unique project challenges, regardless of size, location or complexity. Our strong ties in the local markets we serve keep us grounded in our communities, while our national reach provides the perspective and financial strength to deliver high-quality projects from across the U.S. With 23 offices coast-to-coast, Swinerton meets the needs of national, regional, and local clients.

What type of clients and markets are you targeting?

We’re leaning into public sector opportunities and deploying alternative building materials, shoring up our supply chain. We just started building the first net-zero police department in Charlotte and are also building an all-electric fire station there.

Swinerton continues to build momentum in aviation and healthcare, recently ranked among the top 20 aviation general contractors by Engineering News-Record. Our core markets of expertise also include affordable and multifamily housing, civic, education (K-12 and higher education), healthcare, industrial and critical facilities, hospitality, life sciences, mass timber, office and self-storage.

Our ecosystem of companies affords the firm stability and guidance in unique market footholds, which include Timberlab, Swinerton Energy, Lindgren Development and SAK Builders. Timberlab broke ground on a 190,000-square-foot mass timber manufacturing facility in Oregon earlier this year, and Swinerton Energy is building alternative renewable energy facilities across the U.S. Lindgren Development is a wholly owned subsidiary that provides capital for real estate development.

How does your work cater to today’s end-users?

Swinerton caters to today’s end-user in many ways, for both national, regional and local clients. For regional and national clients such as Verizon, Delta Air Lines and others, Swinerton provides a financially secure, single-source solution to fulfill multi-site builds with resources from a robust network in most major U.S. markets.

Each client receives account management services through a dedicated account executive responsible for ensuring seamless program delivery across every market. Our single point of contact and trained project teams provide peace of mind and total consistency no matter the size or scope of a client’s building needs.

Locally, Swinerton has made numerous strategic leadership appointments to place national account experts in our local offices and position Swinerton for bold growth. We also pride ourselves in local workforce development, working with multiple trade partners to develop construction education programs in local high schools and providing an apprenticeship program built on the NCCER curriculum.

How is your construction strategy based?

Our construction strategy is based on innovation. We prioritize technologies that enhance value for our clients, our trade partners and our employee-owners.

Innovation at Swinerton goes beyond ideas and tools; it’s about creating tailored project experiences that align with client priorities. We leverage technologies like robotic layout tools and autonomous drones to increase on-site efficiencies when appropriate for the project scope.

Our Innovation Program builds on Swinerton’s established operational excellence by:

• Encouraging employee-driven ideas through our annual Innovation Challenge.
• Supporting internal champions who implement innovative solutions.
• Staying ahead of industry advancements to continually expand our capabilities.

What are some of today’s biggest challenges?

Tariffs have created ambiguity in the market, making it challenging for our trade partners and self-perform teams to establish firm fixed costs for building materials. In response, we are conducting transparent conversations with clients to explore mitigation strategies.

We assess which materials may be impacted, evaluate the origin of manufacturing and, for those materials impacted by tariffs, identify opportunities to redirect procurement toward domestic options. This not only reduces exposure to cost escalation risks and supply chain limitations but also provides opportunities for budget and schedule efficiencies.

How are you working to promote sustainability?

Swinerton promotes sustainability by investing in technologies and practices that benefit both the environment and local communities. Through our affiliate companies, Timberlab and Swinerton Energy, we advance mass timber and renewable energy solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect natural resources.

We also recognize the broader social impact of construction. Our teams engage with local organizations through volunteerism and social investment to enhance our local communities and increase engagement with environmental management principles.

By collaborating with owners, design teams, trade partners and community members, we create efficient, resource-conscious structures that support the well-being of all who live and work there, from builders to end-users.

What do you see as some of the biggest challenges in construction, moving ahead?

One of the biggest challenges in construction is navigating uncertainty, whether economic, regulatory or industry specific. Swinerton addresses this by maintaining foresight into how global and national trends may shape the industry in the next two to five years. We evaluate federal policies not only for their risk but also for the opportunity they present.

To stay resilient, we focus on strengthening supplier relationships and maintaining a diverse project portfolio, helping us adapt to market shifts and provide stability for our clients, partners and employees.

Are you optimistic about what you see in your building and construction sectors?

We are incredibly optimistic about Swinerton’s future and how we will build upon our 137-year foundation. Swinerton’s ongoing focus on recruiting, training and retaining our craft talent has been highly successful.

Five years ago, in anticipation of opportunities in self-performing tasks and the need for skilled craftspeople, we established an internal department solely focused on recruiting, retaining and training the craft trade.

In the first two years, our craft population turnover significantly declined. Swinerton’s retention strategies have fortified our workforce development goals and strengthened operational excellence and strong, long-term partner relationships.

What trends are you seeing?

The skilled labor shortage continues to challenge the construction industry. Swinerton actively partners with organizations such as SkillsUSA as well as local schools to educate young people on construction careers.

We also offer an Apprenticeship Program that provides hands-on training and a clear path for advancement from entry-level to supervisory positions.

Investing in workforce development remains a top priority, as the next generation of construction professionals is critical to our long-term success.

Robots on jobsites are an emerging trend. Robots not only assist with critical construction tasks but also attract the industry’s next generation workforce. For example, Swinerton’s Atlanta team used a Dusty Robotics Field Printer robot to print ultra-precise BIM layouts directly onto the floors of an innovative retail renovation.

The renovation featured curved walls and 150-plus chandeliers and lighting fixtures—not a straight line in the design. The curvature of all elements resulted in a complex design that would have taken at least two weeks to layout. With Dusty, Swinerton completed the layout in two days, enabling Swinerton’s self-perform drywall team to start sooner and finish faster.

Where is your business headed?

Swinerton is in growth mode nationwide. Aviation, healthcare, civic and other markets remain exceptionally strong, and, subsequently, our diversified services and proven expertise are equally in-demand. Our aviation portfolio spans international hubs coast-to-coast, such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), as well as regional facilities such as Long Beach Airport (LGB) and beyond.

Likewise, Swinerton’s healthcare competency includes commissioning, demolition, medical equipment backing and coordination, equipment installation, infection control, parking facilities and more, deployed in hospital and healthcare facilities nationwide.

Tell us what makes your brand unique?

Swinerton’s core strength has always been and will always be our people. Four thousand employees from coast to coast create a diverse and passionate collective. As a 100% employee-owned company, our people not only have a personal interest and stake in the success of every project, but also a pride of ownership over decisions, results and performance.

Our collaborative national network of project teams ensures proficient project delivery with peace of mind, every time. Swinerton’s leadership team has decades of homegrown experience and a long tradition of stability. Its dedication to the livelihoods of our employees and clients fosters an approachable, open-door management style.

Our core values of ownership and integrity that have guided Swinerton for decades continue to accelerate us into the future of innovative building.

Is there a story you can share that really shows off your work and ability to engage with the industry?

Since expanding to the Southeast, the Atlanta Division has partnered with One Street Residential to build six affordable workforce and active adult communities. These builds support communities and provide much needed local housing to often overlooked populations.

Our thorough understanding of unique financing requirements, ability to provide cost and schedule certainty, and transparent communication have established Swinerton as a reliable and trusted partner.

One-on-One with Swinerton’s Derek Mosiman

Describe a typical day.

On a typical day, I wake up at 4 a.m., exercise, and call at least one or two superintendents on my way into the office. I try to get a couple hours of work at the desk before the day officially starts. Most days, I meet with clients, national leaders, local team members or industry partners. At least one or two days a week, a dinner or happy hour fills my evening hours. Other days, it’s family time after 6 p.m.

What was the best advice you ever received?

I have two—my dad always told me, “You don’t achieve goals that you don’t set.” The other piece of advice is to always ask a lot of questions; never assume you know everything. If you don’t ask questions, it’s a disservice to yourself and a missed opportunity to educate yourself.

What’s the best thing a client ever said to you? What was the job and why?

In recent memory, following the completion of a residential build called The Millery in Mableton, Georgia, Prestwick Development commented that Swinerton’s proactivity and constant communication resulted in the best project they have completed in over 20 years.

When Swinerton encountered conflicts, team members immediately contacted the client to transparently present every possible path forward. While other general contractors may deal with problems as they arise, Swinerton proactively collaborates with subcontractors and inspectors to prevent or mitigate setbacks, ultimately saving the client time and money.