Construction at airports is often complex and can significantly impact travelers and employees. However, it does not have to.

Swinerton’s expertise?crafts seamless experiences for travelers and airport personnel alike. Recognized among the top 20 aviation general contractors by?Engineering News-Record (ENR)?and?Building Design + Construction (BD+C), our portfolio spans international hubs like?Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)?and?Hartsfield-Jackson (ALT)?to regional facilities such as?Long Beach Airport (LGB)?and?beyond. Our priority is to keep passengers moving by deeply understanding each airport’s unique air- and landside operations.

Setting New Standards in Airport Construction

In collaboration with our mass timber affiliate Timberlab, Swinerton played a crucial role in renovating Portland International Airport’s (PDX) main terminal, which features the world’s largest mass timber roof. This impressive structure, totaling 3.5 million board feet, features 80-foot-long glulam beams and 35,000 pieces of intricately fabricated lattice. Our dedicated project team led efforts on local sourcing, working closely with regional suppliers across 10 forests promoting local economic development and sustainable forestry practices.

The glulam beams reduced the embodied carbon footprint of the structure when compared to structural steel and saved millions of dollars on the project. Our prefabrication and erection strategy minimized the impact on the traveling public through the airport, which remained operational through construction.

At LAX, we designed and constructed the?LAX Economy Parking Structure?with Watry Design and Gensler, redefining convenience and accessibility for travelers and staff. This visionary project, boasting ?4,300 parking stalls, transcends mere functionality with amenities like a meet-and-greet space, public restrooms and a dedicated pet relief area. Cutting-edge technology, including a parking guidance system, electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and drought-resistant landscaping, highlight the project’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Elevating Passenger Experience During Airport Construction

Navigating the intricate landscape of airport construction demands precision and foresight. Our adeptness in overcoming logistical challenges while adhering to stringent regulatory standards ensures minimal disruption to airport operations, even during peak travel seasons, setting higher standards in the industry.

At the Denver International Airport (DEN), Swinerton recently completed United Airlines’ $34 million Gates of the Future project, transforming 60 gates across Concourse B and the South Finger Regional Gates. This comprehensive renovation enhances the passenger experience through modern seating with integrated power outlets, ADA-compliant design elements exceeding accessibility requirements, enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity, self-service kiosks and dynamic queuing systems.

Working within the world’s sixth-busiest airport, we completed this complex renovation without a single flight delay or operational disruption. Through meticulous planning and overnight construction, our teams maintained continuous gate operations while delivering modern amenities that align with United’s vision for the future of air travel.

Similarly, at LGB, our multi-phased project to construct a?new ticketing facility?seamlessly integrates modern amenities with the airport’s 80-year-old?historic terminal. This endeavor not only enhances passenger circulation but also ?integrates the?Checked Baggage Inspection System?(CBIS) facility, which allows the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to screen checked bags more efficiently, further streamlining the passenger travel experience.

Executing Complex Airport Renovations

At?Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport?in Atlanta, our collaboration with Delta Air Lines to build a new?Centerpoint Sky Club?exemplifies the company’s prowess in executing complex renovations. From safely installing structural steel over a bustling terminal to crafting bespoke interiors with high-end finishes, Swinerton’s attention to detail ensures an unparalleled passenger experience.

“I am inspired by our relentless commitment to crafting seamless airport experiences,” says Carrie Shaeffer, Swinerton vice president and national director of aviation. “From redefining convenience to integrating modern amenities, airside and landside, our dedication to excellence ensures smooth journeys for passengers to their destinations and staff to navigate their day.”

Our?portfolio?highlights our dedication to ensuring that a passenger’s experience at the airport is positive while airport operations remain uninterrupted. As we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and expertise, we remain at the forefront of shaping the?future of airport infrastructure, one visionary project at a time.

Connect with our team at the 2025 AAAE/ACC Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Symposium.

Swinerton has promoted Brian McCarthy to Senior Vice President, where he will lead the firm’s strategic growth in California’s education, healthcare and parking structures markets.

In this role, McCarthy will oversee initiatives that strengthen collaboration across Swinerton’s national geographical operations, enhance client delivery, and support the company’s goal of becoming the preferred builder in these markets. His leadership will play a key role in advancing Swinerton’s long-term strategy for market diversification and sustainable growth.

With over 25 years of construction expertise, most of it with Swinerton, McCarthy has led projects from early conception to project completion. In his previous role as Vice President in Southern California, he established standards for performance and client experience, elevating project delivery, quality and client satisfaction.

“Brian has a proven ability to lead complex projects and diverse teams with integrity,” said Ray Haj, Swinerton COO. “His expertise with our clients’ unique priorities and needs ensures we will continue delivering outstanding results across California.”

Swinerton announces two strategic leadership promotions to continue delivering exceptional client experiences nationwide. Effective July 1, Chris Chany has been promoted to lead National Markets, while Derek Jaschke has been named Director of National Accounts, succeeding Chany.

Chany, known for his relationship-driven leadership style, previously served as Director of National Accounts, where he was instrumental in expanding Swinerton’s client base and driving growth. Under his leadership, the national accounts sales model grew from $350 million to more than $1 billion in just four years. Chany has strengthened partnerships across multiple markets and sectors, generating repeat business.

“Chris’ ability to strategize with teams from pre-sell to pursuit, through project execution and closeout, has allowed Swinerton to grow and solidify critical client relationships and seize growth opportunities for our teams,” shares Don Adair, Swinerton’s CRO. “Throughout his career, Chris has emphasized relationships, extraordinary client experiences, dependable project delivery and consistently generating repeat business.”

Succeeding Chany is Derek Jaschke, a 22-year Swinerton veteran with nearly 40 years in the construction industry. Jaschke has overseen account management, development management processes and operational excellence for major clients. His leadership has been instrumental to Swinerton’s long-standing relationship with multiple Fortune 100 companies, providing them with a consistent delivery model across Swinerton’s geographical regions.

“Derek’s superpower is external relationships and turning one opportunity into an enterprise repeat business partner,” shares Chany. “His extensive knowledge and client-centric mindset make him the ideal leader to take our National Accounts to the next level.”

Jaschke has been recognized for his industry-leading expertise in managing complex construction programs for Fortune 100 clients, including administrative offices, call centers, labs, switch sites and Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) projects, consistently exceeding client expectations. He has also introduced the concept for Swinerton’s Facility Solutions model, enhancing the firm’s ability to meet evolving client needs.

Having worked together for over 11 years, Chany and Jaschke bring to their new positions a shared vision and proven track record that will continue to provide exceptional client experiences and strategic growth of the National Accounts team.

PR Newswire

Swinerton is a leading commercial construction company with offices nationwide. It provides open shop craft employees with a market-leading complete benefits package, which is known for its inclusivity, supporting the diverse needs of the firm’s 2,200 craft employees.

Swinerton’s craft benefits package includes traditional offerings: healthcare, dental, vision, short-term disability, career development and training, and life insurance. Additionally, Swinerton provides extra benefits to support employees both at work and outside of work. This next level of benefits enhancement was based on input from the firm’s craft employees.

Five Highlighted Benefits Offered by Swinerton:

Three simple words—“I need help”—can be some of the most challenging to say when we’re struggling, whether it’s on the job, with our families, or our own health. When we add in the stigma and shame surrounding mental health, things can feel even tougher. The silent nature of this struggle means we often can’t access our usual support system or coping methods. In most cases, when dealing with mental health related issues, the first time we truly pay attention is when something goes terribly wrong.

What National and Industry Trends Say

In the United States, approximately one out of five people deals with a mental health issue daily. This can range from people who have are having acute issues to others who experience ongoing challenges. If this 20% statistic holds true for Swinerton as a company, that would mean roughly 800 people are struggling with some aspect of their mental health on any given day.

The unfortunate reality is that the construction industry has some of the highest mental health issues for employees and the second highest suicide rate—the ultimate expression of someone struggling in silence. There are many reasons for this, some being that our industry traditionally has valued toughness and strength, and where seeking help may be seen as a weakness. We have high stress and hard deadlines, and we work long hours, often away from our families and friends.

These conditions can make us especially vulnerable to mental health challenges and increase our need to be vigilant about how we and our coworkers are coping on and off the job.

What Are Some Signs of Struggle?

Prior to my career in Talent in the construction industry, I was a social worker. I worked with people in a variety of settings from child protective services to clinical services at therapeutic sites. While the places I worked were different, the needs of the people were always the same: we need to feel cared for, connected, and safe.

Even though I don’t practice as a social worker anymore, I still find the people I work with in construction settings have the same issues and needs. We often hide our struggles, yet struggles still find ways to show up. In the working world, these signs of struggling might range from extreme irritability and anger to withdrawing and isolating ourselves. Problems with alcohol and substances are also frequently used to hide the pain we’re feeling inside. Other common signs are frequently forgetting information, being obsessed with the same thoughts, or nonstop worrying.

What Can We Do?

It’s key to know that when we need help, there are ways to seek support. At Swinerton, we encourage our people to be on the lookout for signs of struggle in coworkers. This doesn’t require anyone to have a background in mental health or psychology; it also doesn’t mean diagnosing someone with a problem or asking about their mental health.

Instead, we encourage our people on the jobsite and in the office to listen and remain attentive to how fellow employees are doing. Have there been changes in behavior, or has something concerning happened? Has someone admitted that they are struggling with something? If so, reach out and offer your support.

Offering support as a friend or someone who cares is the first step in breaking the stigma of mental health issues—particularly in the construction industry—and increases the chances of someone getting help. At Swinerton, all employees have access to free, confidential services through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) called CONCERN.

Finding methods for better self care such as exercise, getting more sleep, and eating better can also improve well-being. In trying times, it’s important that we be there for each other and offer support. You never know when you might need the same help someday.

Signs of Struggling

Everyone needs help sometimes. Changes to your thoughts, moods, or body that make it hard to manage work, school, home, or relationships for more than two weeks may indicate a need for help. Everyone’s situation is different, but here are some common signs to look out for. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’ve experienced the following for more than two weeks:

Resources

To speak with a trained crisis counselor any time of day or night, call or text the free crisis hotline at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

If you are feeling thoughts of immediate self-harm or suicide, please call emergency services at 911.

As a Strategic Talent Partner, David Bolt supports the growth and development of Swinerton’s leadership, teams, and individuals on the East Coast in alignment with Swinerton’s national goals. He brings a strong background in mental health research and advocacy to his work, and is passionate about cultivating a positive employee experience.

In today’s fast-paced economy, businesses must remain nimble to address the needs of their clients and consumers. Whether firms require more flexible, open office environments to boost productivity and accommodate accelerated growth, or they need specialty spaces like laboratories to meet market demands, having a trustworthy builder who intimately understands how to meet a corporate firm’s needs remains key to project success.

As a national leader in construction services, Swinerton is uniquely structured and qualified to provide consistent, programmatic service on a nationwide scale with our National Accounts team (previously known as Corporate Services). This specialized model provides a single point of contact and a program tailored to each client. The result is seamless communication between parties across all geographic regions, as well as efficient internal knowledge-sharing within Swinerton and its partners to ensure our teams deliver consistently no matter the location, size, or complexity of the project.

Benefits of the National Accounts Framework

National Accounts aims to streamline project delivery while increasing impact. Each client is assigned a National Accounts Executive, a single point of contact whose primary goal is to understand the client’s preferences, needs, and design standards, and communicate those to local project teams through client-specific playbooks and build programs. As executives continue to build relationships with clients, they identify new needs and adapt their means and methods to continually ensure cost effectiveness, efficiency, and consistency in the project delivery process.

“What fuels the National Accounts team’s success is our ability to comprehend our clients’ standard needs and preferences, and build a robust project delivery framework to train our local teams so that our clients don’t have to,” says Derek Jaschke, National Accounts Executive. “This lessens the burden on our clients and eliminates the learning curve that contractors typically undergo when working on a new project. When our teams know what standards to expect, they can better focus on the details that are unique to the project to ensure a successful delivery.”

Where National Accounts Began

The National Accounts model first took shape in 2004, when Swinerton was awarded multiple programmatic projects for a national financial institution. The project team quickly realized the value in an organized, consistent approach and developed a playbook to tackle the client’s multi-location needs. As the project delivery model matured, the team began to explore how to scale it to other, similar clients with specific project needs.

Today, Swinerton’s network of national partnerships includes over 50 clients, 40 of whom are Fortune 100 companies. The group has proudly built a $10 billion portfolio of projects spanning a range of sectors, including aerospace, finance, hospitality, industrial manufacturing, large-scale and luxury retail, science and technology, and corporate workplaces.

The Client-Centric Model in Action

Swinerton’s current relationship with a well-known technology company serves as testament to the National Accounts team’s ability to provide consistent project delivery across multiple projects—with a deep understanding of what matters most to the client’s operations.

One of Swinerton’s early projects for this client was a new office project that spanned three floors and 89,500 square feet. The team facilitated the build-out of the client’s new prototype design standards that incorporated open office and collaboration workspaces across all three levels, including two technology laboratories, conference rooms, and restroom upgrades.

Throughout this first project, the local project team and National Account Executive closely tracked what was important to the client, noting preferences, culture, and design-standard drivers. Then, the National Account Executive worked to refine the estimate forms, contract documents, and project administration documents—including closeout records—to better suit these preferences and to ensure the space met the client’s requirements. Lastly, at the close of the project, the National Account Executive developed a program manual that outlined the lessons learned, favored documents, and specific design standards, leveraging it as a training tool for future projects.

Among the client’s most critical needs is security, which Swinerton has addressed with tailor-made procurement and installation strategies that prioritize a clear, secure path of travel from the front entrance of the building to the IT room. These strategies are included in the client-specific playbook, ensuring such a crucial concern is met prior to the onset of any project. This implementation of client-centered training has led to Swinerton’s successful delivery of over 40 additional major projects nationwide for this client over the last 14 years.

“The National Accounts model provides invaluable efficiencies to a very unique set of clients,” says Chris Chany, Vice President and Director of National Accounts. “For those clients, it’s a great way to elevate the relationship beyond merely that of client and contractor. It opens up the opportunity for a mutually beneficial, long-lasting business partnership.”

Driving the Future with National Partnerships

The National Accounts model has also led to Swinerton’s success in the technology market, where complex owner-specific workstreams often drive project schedules.

Though these specialized scopes do not often fall on the general contractor to directly perform, Swinerton understands that these critical workstreams directly affect overall project success. Additionally, many of these workstreams are not industry standard, but specific to each owner. National Account Executives provide key support to ensure complex and specialized workstreams are properly managed and coordinated to each owner’s specific standards.

Acting as a single point of contact, the account executive communicates directly with the owner or owner’s representative to understand how the pieces need to fall into place to guarantee project success. The account executive then communicates these to the project team and works alongside them to devise strategies, ensuring that everyone—from owner-selected consultants to specialized trade partners—understands their role in achieving the client’s vision, thus reducing risk of scope gaps, miscommunication, and delays.

Leveraging National Accounts Executives who have intimate knowledge and familiarity with specific client standards allows Swinerton’s project teams to be more “hands on” in coordination, and can also introduce efficiencies that otherwise may not have been identified by contractors less familiar with the owner’s product type and standards.

For example, Swinerton has worked on several projects for a Fortune-100 technology firm. One of these projects, a seven-level, 332,000 square foot tenant improvement in Texas, had an accelerated timetable. The project was in preconstruction for ten months, during which Swinerton planned a 38-week construction schedule to incredible detail. This site was also one of just two projects nationwide that remained operational during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to its importance to the client’s business.

Given the project’s unique circumstances, Swinerton implemented several strategies for the project’s box walks, which are detailed inspections that identify issues or discrepancies in critical electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and mechanical systems that must be addressed before construction can move forward. Box walks are also crucial to ensure quality standards are consistently met throughout the construction process.

To streamline the box walk process, maintain the project schedule, and also ensure the health and safety of the project team, Swinerton implemented a color-coding system throughout the project that clearly defined each trade’s scope of responsibilities. During the box walk, the color coding allowed each trade to identify issues and discrepancies more quickly, allowing the project team to complete the process for all seven floors in just four hours. Additionally, Swinerton leveraged in-house Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) technology to laser scan each floor throughout the project—allowing the client’s key stakeholders to remotely track the project’s progress and verify the project’s quality.

“Having the flexibility to meet unique client needs and quickly train teams is critical,” says Andy Roscoe, Eastern Regional President at PMA, the representative for the Fortune-100 technology firm. “Swinerton’s success in this area comes down to a foundation of culture and training well-rounded people who can deliver complex projects with a great attitude.”

Client Success Is Our Success

The National Accounts framework demonstrates Swinerton’s commitment to client success and satisfaction. We are dedicated to continually refining our framework for all of our clients, both new and legacy, because we fundamentally believe that our work is about our clients’ needs, not ours. Only when our clients are reaching their full potential are we truly successful ourselves.