Carolinas AGC Honors Construction Leaders

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Aug 03, 2021, 08:00 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Carolinas AGC proudly announces the CAGC 2020 Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Legacy winners. These winners—two who have left incredible legacies on our industry, and four who are still paving the way for future leaders to follow—embody the skill, integrity, and responsibility that Carolinas AGC and the Associated General Contractors stand for. These prestigious awards honor individuals, including those who have passed, who are making or made extraordinary contributions over their careers to Carolinas AGC, the construction industry, and the community they serve.

The winners and their families were honored at the 2021 Carolinas AGC Summit & Expo on July 24 in Myrtle Beach, SC. Visit the Awards page of www.cagc.org to read the extended winners' bios and see photos.

CAGC Hall of Fame Legacy Award Winners

Raymond Bryan, T. A. Loving

Raymond, who studied engineering at North Carolina State College, joined T. A. Loving in 1931. By 1935, he was named General Manager of what would become the building division of the company. He went on to become Secretary & Treasurer, and later the company's president.

Throughout his life Raymond was involved and influential in many aspects of business, including working with his brothers at Calypso Plywood Company and Aviation Fuel Terminals. He also served as a Director of Wachovia Bank & Trust in Winston-Salem, a member of the executive committee for the State Capital Life Insurance Company (which later became Durham Life Insurance Company), and directed Carolina Power & Light, Atlantic and East Carolina Railway and the Carolina Motor Club. Other business ventures and partnerships included The Cameron Village Shopping Center (where the Bryan Building still stands today), North Hills Properties, Inc., University Mall in Chapel Hill, apartment complexes, and a partnership with Cliff Cameron and Jim Poyner at Cameron-Brown Company (which later merged with First Union Bank).

Raymond served as Chairman of the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, Vice Chairman of the NC Ports Authority, and in 1940 he served as President of Carolinas AGC. Raymond's greatest accomplishments though were depicted through his eulogy, which described him as "living his life humbly and sharing himself freely, for the betterment of all those he did business with."

Hal Thompson, J.M. Thompson

Hal Thompson attended North Carolina State University School of Engineering, and then joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII and become a P-51 fighter pilot. After serving our country, Hal joined his father's construction company, J.M. Thompson Co., in 1946, where he worked for more than 60 years. His legacy is carried on today by his three sons, John, Dickie, and Marty, and Hal's grandson Travis who now operate the company – which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this September.

Hal received many industry and civic awards throughout his lifetime, including the Carolinas AGC Pinnacle Award for Executive of the Year and Industry Recognition Award from the General Contractors Association of Raleigh, where he was a founding member. He served on the board of trustees of Louisburg College for 27 years and was an active member of the Raleigh Exchange Club for 63 years.

As a resident of Raleigh, NC his entire life, Hal certainly made his mark on his community and the lives of those who worked for him at J.M. Thompson Co.

CAGC Hall of Fame Award Winners

Benjy Hardee, A. O. Hardee & Son, Inc.

Benjy serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of A. O. Hardee & Son, Inc., a heavy/highway site contractor licensed in South Carolina since 1981 and North Carolina since 1985. He also owns and is a managing member of Hardee Group Holdings, LLC. In addition to developing numerous residential and golf course communities in the Carolinas, Benjy also has built numerous roads (including major sections of SC HWY 31 and SC HWY 22), hundreds of miles of primary and secondary roads, and airport and military facilities.

Serving as the current Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority (a position he has held for more than 32 years), Benjy serves on the Northeastern Strategic Alliance Board, the CAGC/SCDOT Joint Committee, and is a board member of the South Carolina Alliance to Fix Our Roads. He is a partner of and supports the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp. From 2000 until 2008, Benjy was a member of the local advisory board of BB&T Bank, and in 2015 he served on the Horry County Ride III Advisory Committee. As a founding member and director of Coastal Carolina Bancshares, Inc. and Coastal Carolina National Bank (CCNB), Benjy also serves on several committees within the bank.

Barry Gardner, Shelco

Barry joined Shelco as a project manager in 1984, and in 1992 was promoted to Executive Vice President of the Winston Salem office. In addition to managing operations at the Winston Salem office, he also co-manages Shelco's Raleigh office.

Barry has always shown strong support of AGC over the years, including serving on the NC Bar Association/CAGC Joint Committee, the AIA NC/CAGC Joint Committee, and he served as the CAGC Board of Directors Chair in 2007. On a national level, Barry has served on the AGC of America Elected Directors Board, the AGC Board of Governors, and he currently serves as a National AGC Life Director. Barry is a longtime contributor to the NC PAC in support of the construction industry.

Outside of his service to AGC and CAGC, Barry has served as the Chairman of the NC Building Code Council, a board member and past board chair for the Frankie Lemmon School, and currently serves on the Engineering Advisory Council at his alma mater North Carolina State University.

Mark Stubley, Olgetree Deakins

Throughout the years, Mark has supported Carolinas AGC by donating his time and efforts towards keeping Carolinas AGC members informed on all labor issues in both North and South Carolina and on the federal level. Through webinars, in-person meetings, and one-on-one council, Carolinas AGC members have truly benefited from Mark's expertise.

In addition to serving on many Carolinas AGC committees, Mark served on the AGC of America Labor and Employment Law Council, American Bar Association, South Carolina Bar Association, Greenville County Bar Association, Human Resources Construction Council (HRCC), Association for Transportation Law Logistics and Policy (ATLP), North American Transportation Employee Relations Association (NATERA), Urban League of the Upstate, and the Labor Lawyers Advisory Committee (LLAC).

Mark's heart for community service includes leadership roles within Camp Cole, the Hammond School, Citizens for Sound Conservation, The Oliver Gospel Mission, The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and many others.

John Thompson, J.M. Thompson

John is a professional engineer who graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He began working with J.M. Thompson Company in 1975, working his way from the field into project management. In 1995 he was promoted to President and CEO.

John's service to Carolinas AGC includes CAGC/NC Prison Construction Committee Chair, CAGC/NC State Construction Committee Chair, CAGC Building Division Chair, CAGC/NC Legislative Committee Chair, CAGC Board of Directors trustee, and service on the AIA NC/CAGC joint committee. His loyalty to the greater construction industry includes service on the General Contractors Association of Raleigh, NC State Building Commission, and NC Apprenticeship Committee. John is also a past director for both Wachovia Bank and the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.

Outside of work, John has devoted endless hours to the Methodist Retirement Home, the Paraclete Foundation, the Indian Guides/Princess Program, Bible Study Fellowship Program, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

For more information regarding the CAGC Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame Legacy Awards, including full bios and photos, please visit CAGC's website or contact Chelsea Andujar.

About Carolinas AGC
Carolinas AGC (CAGC) is a construction trade association made up of contractors and construction-related firms that perform work in North Carolina and South Carolina. CAGC is a chapter of the AGC of America (AGC) and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). Our members are both small and large general contractors, specialty contractors, material/equipment suppliers, and service providers.

SOURCE Carolinas AGC