Sanford, FL – November 16, 2017 – “Today Osceola County is upping its game with a $10.7 million investment to improve Austin-Tindall Sports Complex,” said Osceola County Commissioner and Vice Chairman Fred Hawkins, Jr. as he addressed the crowd at the project’s groundbreaking ceremony.

Originally constructed in 1993, the 115-acre sports park serves as a venue for various sports events including soccer, football, lacrosse and rugby. The park has hosted many influential teams throughout its history including the 1994 Moroccan World Cup Team and the 1996 Japanese Olympic Team.

“The timing for this is right,” remarked Commissioner Hawkins. “In April,…

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Sanford, Florida – November 17, 2017 – It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Wharton-Smith co-founder Bill Wharton on Sunday, Nov. 12, at the age of 95. He is survived by his wife Lina and six children.

Bill and co-founder George Smith met in Ohio in 1966. They worked together at Bay Construction and in 1975 they were part of a team working to grow the Florida office. Nearly 10 years later when Bay announced they were closing the company, Bill and George mortgaged their homes and took the risk of a lifetime. They made an offer…

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Sanford, FL – November 17, 2017 – In celebration of American Education Week, Wharton-Smith employees from our Sanford and Tampa offices participated in the Great American Teach-In, an annual event where members of the community visit area schools to speak to students about their jobs and the role they play in the companies they work for.  The Teach-In introduces students to career options they might not have considered and emphasizes the importance of staying in school.

Project Manager Keri Strawder visited students at Seminole County Public Schools’ Millennium Middle School in Sanford. She shared her story of working her way…

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Sanford, FL – On November 10, 2017, Wharton-Smith’s Commercial Division celebrated the traditional topping out of Seminole County Public Schools’ (SCPS) new Millennium Middle School being built adjacent to SCPS’ Midway Elementary School off S.R. 46 in Midway.

More than 350 subcontractors, team members, members of the SCPS Board, and Superintendent Dr. Walt Griffin were in attendance to recognize this important milestone. Senior Superintendent Matt Kugelmann and Senior Project Manager Paul Fulks welcomed the large crowd and thanked everyone for their hard work in getting the project to this point. “We can do all the planning and design, but…

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Sanford, FL – November 8, 2017 – As part of the Architecture, Construction, Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program of America, Wharton-Smith hosted a construction site tour for more than 40 high school students within the Seminole County Public School District. See more pictures.

As the students arrived at Millennium Middle School—a $43 million performing arts magnet school—they received their safety glasses, vests, hard hats and some important words about safety on a construction site from Senior Project Manager Paul Fulks.

Project team members conducted a full tour of the project site with many stops along the way to explain construction…

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Charlotte, NC – On November 1, 2017, Wharton-Smith was honored as one of the Charlotte region’s “2017 Best Places to Work” by the Charlotte Business Journal (CBJ). Wharton-Smith’s Charlotte office ranked No. 12 for mid-sized companies. Nineteen companies were recognized in the mid-sized category and eighty submitted for the honor.

CBJ’s annual Best Places to Work program recognizes companies throughout the region that have benefits, policies and practices in place that are among the area’s best, based on employee surveys. A festive awards celebration was held at the Charlotte Convention Center with about 600 people attending. Project managers Allen Anthony,…

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