Mr. Barnhill was an entrepreneur, a leader and a man of grit; and he showed these traits from an early age. His grit shown through at the age of four, as he fought through polio, spending an entire year in quarantine. He maintained use of his left arm and hand by squeezing a ball of yarn each day to strengthen his muscles.

In grammar school he showed his entrepreneurial spirit, selling candy to other students. Soon, he began employing other students to sell the candy for him. His work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit were demonstrated again after high school, when Mr. Barnhill purchased two oxen and a used truck and went into the logging business.

In 1949, Mr. Barnhill, along with RW Long, founded Barnhill & Long, a grading company. Three years later, Mr. Barnhill purchased RW’s interest and renamed the company to Barnhill Contracting Company. For the next five decades, Mr. Barnhill would lead his company with a focus the unwavering belief: that there is power in people.
 
One of the values that made Mr. Barnhill unique was his firm belief in the power of people. To him, every person mattered. And he demonstrated this by treating everyone with respect, fairness and honesty. Buddy Rose, an employee of Barnhill Contracting Company for 45 years said this about Mr. Barnhill, “I learned a lot from him. Not just about construction. About how to treat people and how to respect them.” The culture that Mr. Barnhill built, and his passion for empowering people, is still prospering in his company today.

In 1965, he convened a meeting of Carolinas AGC utility contractors to discuss creating the Carolinas AGC “Public Utilities” Division. Through his efforts, the Carolinas AGC Board of Directors officially approved what is now called the Carolinas AGC Utility Division in 1966.

Two years after the Public Utilities Division was created in the Carolinas, AGC of America followed and created the national Public Utilities Division.

In addition to his contributions to the utility construction industry, Mr. Howard was Chairman of the Carolinas AGC Board of Directors and AGC of America Board of Directors. He was the first Utility Division member and contractor to serve in both positions.

B.D.’s story is one of self-made success. In 1963, B.D. borrowed $5,000 on his life insurance policy and opened shop with one supervisor and a pickup truck. He was just 39 years old. Over the next five decades, with the help of his wife Pat, B.D. would turn Rodgers Builders into one of the most successful and well-respected commercial builders in the southeast. When asked to describe B.D., Former Chairman and CEO of Bank of America Hugh McColl said this, “he was a phenomenal contractor that built everything that mattered and he did perfect work.”

While many learn construction in a classroom, B.D. learned the construction business the hard way, as a combat engineer in World War II, building roads in Germany’s Black Forest during the Battle of the Bulge. He went on to officially earn his construction education at NC State University where he earned a degree in engineering.

B.D. was more than a respected contractor. He was a community leader and a passionate philanthropist. Michael Mar-si-cano, president of the Foundation for the Carolinas called him, “a gentle giant” and “one of the most generous men I have ever met.”

Mr. Terry was a leader in the Upstate South Carolina construction industry for over six decades. His company, Terry Construction Company built hundreds of water and waste water treatment plants in the Carolinas and dozens of dams across the southern United States. In fact, Mr. Terry was known for taking on the toughest projects and completing them with precision. Some might say that this can be traced to his introduction construction; which came through formal education as well as hard work and leadership under extreme pressure.

Mr. Terry graduated from Clemson College in 1942 and then received his master’s degree in civil engineering from MIT.  During World War II, he served as Captain in the 12th Engineers Combat Battalion. During his service, his unit was involved in five campaigns. As a result of his leadership and efforts, Mr. Terry received the Distinguished Service Cross, Bronze Star and Purple Heart with three clusters.

Mr. Terry was a man who believed in his people. He knew that if his people were better, then company would be better. There is perhaps no greater example of this than the many years of early mornings that Mr. Terry spent, before work, teaching one of his foremen how to read and write.
Mr. Terry was a man saw a problem and fixed it, no matter how difficult. His actions throughout his life demonstrated that.

Seth Wooten was a man who embraced the American Dream and refused to let it go. In 1952, Mr. Wooten started his business in a small building beside his home, and over the next four decades, would transform this small business into one of the largest contractors in North Carolina, with seven operating divisions and nearly 1,000 employees. That success is, to this day, based on Mr. Wooten’s principals: honesty, quality and caring about the employees.
 
Perhaps Mr. Wooten’s greatest passion was his business.  And no one can better define what that means than Mr. Wooten, himself, when he said, “Our company is a composite of talented, experienced people, the finest equipment money can buy, and a driving ambition to be the best in our chosen profession. We look at construction as more than earning a living. As we see it, construction is living in the midst of good competition, hard work and exciting challenges. It’s a good life for us.”

Brad Barringer has built one of the most successful and well-respected Utility Construction Companies in the Carolinas. His company, B.R.S. is well-known for their top-quality work, their willingness to take on the most challenging jobs, and for their incredible safety record. And these accomplishments alone, are worthy of his induction into the Carolinas AGC Hall of Fame. But as Brad has said, “construction people build more than just construction projects.” And it is his work outside of his company that we want to also recognize. 

For Carolinas AGC, he has served in nearly every leadership position available, including: Chairman of the Board and Utilities Division Chair. He is also one of the founding members of the Carolinas AGC Foundation.
Brad has decades of leadership creating and defending best practices in damage prevention. He is also the Co-Founder of the Common Ground Alliance which identifies “best practices” in underground utility safety. The best practices that Brad has helped to create are recognized by government agencies and associate industries throughout North America, South America and Australia.

As you can tell, Brad represents the Utility Construction Industry with great pride. He unselfishly gives of his time and treasure and is continually defending the Utility Divisions issues before local and state governments, even up to the United States Congress.

Carolinas AGC Utility Division Director Allen Gray said of Brad, “When you are going into a fight with special interests bent on placing as much project risk on a contractor, there is no one better to have by your side than Brad Barringer.”

Of course no tribute to Brad would be complete without recognizing his beautiful wife Ruby. She has accompanied him throughout his endeavors, criss-crossing the country on planes (which she hates) trains and automobiles. Brad best defines his wife’s importance when he says, “BRS stands for Brad, Ruby and Sons, and without Ruby we’re just BS.”

Frank Elmore has been a member of Carolinas AGC for more than 30 years. In that time he has exemplified the AGC ideals of skill, integrity and responsibility in the highest degree. Professionally, Frank Elmore is as good as it gets in the legal profession. He has been recognized many times for his success and accomplishments. He has been named as one of South Carolina’s Super Lawyers, one of The Best Lawyers in America, and one of the Greenville Legal Elite. He is a Fellow of the Litigation Council of America and a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers, an exclusive group of less than 200 attorneys throughout North America.

Like his professional accomplishments, Frank Elmore’s support of Carolinas AGC is in a league of its own. Frank is an unwavering advocate of Carolinas AGC and the construction industry. He has worked with our lobbyists for many years, providing feedback on the legal ramifications of legislation and Supreme Court rulings that will impact our members. This work provides huge benefit to our entire membership. 
Frank’s passion for Carolinas AGC and the construction industry extends beyond the association and the companies he represents. His passion includes the individuals that make our industry great- its people.

Harry received his construction education the hard way, as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
 
His commercial construction career would eventually bring him to Columbia, South Carolina, and the creation of Mashburn Construction Company in 1976. Since that time, Harry has built Mashburn Construction into one of the most well-respected companies in the Carolinas.

 40 years of experience creates a lot of wisdom, and Harry has used the lessons he has learned to better our industry and the South Carolina community. He has served on numerous boards and committees throughout the Carolinas, including Chair of the Board for Carolinas AGC and National Board Chair for AGC of America.

I can tell you, first hand, that Harry has dedicated his life to his company and his employees. Harry, I am proud to represent all of your employees, past and present and tell you, thank you and congratulations on an honor well-deserved.

Mike’s company, Turner Murphy, was founded in 1950 and specializes in building water and waste water treatment plants. In the 60 years, since its founding, Mike has helped transform his company to one of the most well-respected utility contractors in the Carolinas.

Mike is dedicated to ensuring that his company remains the best at providing Safety, Quality, and Value to his customers.  His belief that it takes a team to make a project successful, has made him a leader that others want to work for.  His long list of employees, owners, engineers, subcontractors, and suppliers will tell you the same.

Like many of tonight’s honorees, Mike has taken the lessons and wisdom he has learned throughout his many years in construction  and used them to better the entire industry. Mike served on the Carolinas AGC Board of Directors for many years, as well as Board Chair in 2010. He has also served on the National Board of Directors for AGC of America.

Mike is highly respected within the construction industry from his employees, peers and competitors.

Randy Snow has been involved in the road industry for over four decades. He began his career in 1968, with McKinnon Bridge Company, in Franklin Tennessee. Following his service as a 1st Lieutenant and Battery Commander in the US Army, he moved to South Carolina and has been building roads and bridges here ever since. In fact, Randy has managed at least one project on EVERY interstate highway in South Carolina.
 
Throughout the years, Randy has been involved in co-founding several companies, including U.S. Construction Company, Highway Materials Inc. and United Infrastructure Group.

He served on the Carolinas AGC Board of Directors as well as numerous committees throughout his career. The skill, integrity and responsibility with which he has conducted himself throughout his career have made him a sought-after mentor and a positive advocate for our industry.