2023 “GroundBreakers” recognized for positively impacting the Carolinas construction industry
July 31, 2023
GroundBreak Carolinas has announced the results of its 2023 GroundBreaker Awards, an annual awards program that recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond to make a difference for the construction community in the Carolinas. GroundBreak Carolinas is an organization that focuses on connecting design, construction, economic development, and commercial real estate communities.
Selected from a well-rounded group of nominees from North Carolina and South Carolina, members of the 2023 Class of GroundBreakers represent both states. Two of the three honorees are based in the Upstate.
This year’s GroundBreaker Award recipients include:
Chris Moore, President of CarolinaPower and 2023 Board Chair for ABC Carolinas
Chris Moore, President of CarolinaPower, a leading, employee-owned, regional electrical contractor that serves industrial, commercial, healthcare and federal market sectors. Named one of the Best Places to Work in South Carolina for five consecutive years, the company has a total of four offices in South Carolina – Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and North Augusta – with plans for opening additional offices in North Carolina. A strong advocate for workforce development, Moore is dedicated to working closely with industry associations and public schools to promote construction trades as a viable career option. He was elected 2023 Board Chair for Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas (ABC Carolinas), representing more than 450 member firms in North and South Carolina; he serves on industry advisory boards at Greenville Technical College, Clemson University, and The Citadel; and is chairman for the South Carolina Upstate Electrical Contractors Apprenticeship program.
Adam Hoots, Lean Construction Shepherd with Construction ACHE Solutions
Adam Hoots, Lean Construction Shepherd with Construction ACHE Solutions, a coaching business that specializes in Lean Construction – a relationship-oriented, production management-based approach to construction project delivery that emphasizes the management and design of construction processes, as opposed to just the end product. Hoots also serves as Professor at Clemson University in the Nieri Department of Construction, Development and Planning where he teaches Construction Scheduling. Hoot’s passions include building, learning, and sharing knowledge obtained through more than 20 years of experienced leadership developing large-scale construction projects while employed by Whiting-Turner, DPR and Langston Construction. He hosts “Hoots on the Ground – with Adam Hoots,” a Lean Construction podcast where he and his guests dig deep into the topics that are relevant to men and women who earn a living doing the hands-on business of construction each day.
John Hildreth, PhD, Kimmel Distinguished Professor, Western Carolina University, Kimmel School of Construction Management
John Hildreth, PhD, Kimmel Distinguished Professor at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. Dr. Hildreth is known as an exceptional professor, mentor, and scholar in the Kimmel School of Construction Management (CM), which offers one of the few CM degrees within a College of Engineering. He is dedicated to making a lasting impact on construction management students and the construction industry. His advocacy for his students can be shown through his commitment to the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) as Director of ASC Region 2 and cultivating meaningful partnerships with the top construction and design-build firms in the region. Dr. Hildreth has engaged in research valued at over $3.5 million and has mentored dozens of graduate and undergraduate students entering the construction industry.
“Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 GroundBreaker awards. Dr. Hildreth, Adam Hoots, and Chris Moore represent the best of the construction industry in the Carolinas,” said Lauren Gallagher, Publisher of GroundBreak Carolinas. “It is their selfless commitment to advancing the construction industry that truly sets them apart.”
About GroundBreak Carolinas
GroundBreak Carolinas brings relevant insights, information, and resources to the Carolinas construction community, including a wide range of exclusive content intended to help design- and construction- related businesses be successful. GroundBreak Carolina contributors provide perspectives from thought leaders in the two-state region. Now in its seventh year, GroundBreak Carolinas is the only platform that reaches key decision makers and influencers in the architecture, engineering, and construction (general contractors and specialty contractors) sectors, as well as the commercial real estate and economic development communities in North Carolina and South Carolina. Visit www.groundbreakcarolinas.com and subscribe to our newsletter GroundBreak Carolinas Construction Connection at https://groundbreakcarolinas.com/subscribe/.
