City Grill

David Wise 
President
Harper General Contractors

“It’s a mixed bag,” says David Wise, Harper General Contractors president, speaking of the construction industry in Greenville. Many opportunities are moving forward, but they’re also seeing more projects press pause based on headwinds in the economy and challenges with financing. 

But the city still has significant projects in the works, like the development of the former County Square offices and enhancements to the recently completed Unity Park, this year’s ENR Southeast Best Project in the landscape/urban development category. Companies are also moving to Greenville, like Southern First Bank, which recently brought its headquarters to the city, while Harper continues to work on the downtown headquarters of United Community Bank. Inflation and delays in equipment and material deliveries are keeping construction crews vigilant, Wise says, while he sees a tightening of the market becoming evident. 

Multifamily, distribution/manufacturing, K-12 and infrastructure construction are the most active sectors, he says, amid concerns that construction starts are slowing with the private sector business.