Scaling a Construction Business with an Enterprise-Level President

The
Client

Enclave, a rapidly growing real estate investment and development firm

Enclave is a real estate investment and development firm based in the Midwest with over 250 employees. Founded in 2011 by entrepreneurs Austin Morris and Ben Meland, the company has scaled from a five-person startup into a $275 million vertically integrated enterprise that has executed over 150 projects worth over $1 billion.

The Challenge

Maturing construction capabilities to drive exponential growth

Enclave has experienced rapid growth over the last 5 years, but much of their construction relied on outside partners. The leadership team recognized that true vertical integration required them to expand their Construction business, shifting control of their projects internally.

A robust, self-sustaining construction business would not only support Enclave’s development pipeline but could also win external general contracting (GC) projects, further accelerating their growth.

Taking advantage of this opportunity would require an exceptional leader who could successfully mature the firm’s construction arm, so they reached out to us.

The Solution

Finding a President of Construction who could successfully scale construction operations

After several intake discussions with Enclave’s Chief Operating Officer and Head of People/Talent, our team recognized that this search would require a nationwide search for candidate prospects with experience scaling a Construction business within a larger enterprise organization.

We began with a list of the largest national commercial construction and integrated CRE development companies across the US, identifying their Heads of Construction and up-and-coming succession plan executives.

This intensive strategy yielded 294 targets, many of whom were not actively seeking a new role.

Through the high-touch recruitment of our PrecisonPath™ process, we sourced 12 skilled executives with the large enterprise experience needed to scale Enclave’s construction business.

The Outcome

A proven CRE construction executive with deep expertise in scaling operations

“I want to thank the Cultura team for matching me with Enclave. By thoroughly understanding both their client’s needs and my goals, they unlocked an opportunity I wouldn’t have considered on my own. After 27 years with the same company, stepping into a new role was daunting, but their communication and support helped me navigate the transition seamlessly.”

Enclave chose a seasoned executive with over a decade of VP-level construction experience at Ryan Companies. The candidate had helped scale Ryan’s construction division from $390 million to $1.6 billion in just six years, making him an ideal fit for Enclave’s needs.

During his 28-year career at Ryan Co, he led projects from the field and provided executive-level oversight across a variety of construction product types, geographic markets, and project sizes.

His deep expertise in operational scale-up and hands-on experience made him the perfect fit to lead Enclave’s transition into a mature, self-sustaining construction business.

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