Meet Glenn Anderson: Growing the Swinerton Brand in the Southeast
Director of Preconstruction Glenn Anderson, a Georgia Tech Graduate, has been in the industry for over 33 years and is excited to keep growing the Swinerton brand in the Southeast. In his tenure, he’s worked for both the general contractor and owner/end-user, crediting this breadth of project management experience for his successful career transition into preconstruction over seven years ago.
Q: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
A: “Cutting the deal” by working together with our clients to settle on a final GMP, helping ensure we have a real project to build. Then, receiving a recommendation letter after job completion, when our preconstruction and construction efforts are realized by our client’s satisfaction.
Q: Why are you proud to work for Swinerton?
A: Swinerton fosters a culture where I can be myself and contribute to an organization that has endless opportunities for growth.
Q: What does your typical work day look like?
A: I enjoy getting into the office early, maybe stopping by a job on the way. Mornings are my time to plan and look ahead to ensure commitments are being covered.
I also try to get around to everyone in the office at some point to check in and ask them how their day is going. It’s important for me to spend one-on-one time with team members to offer guidance and assist them when necessary. Early in my career, I was very fortunate that the “older guys” took me under their wing when I was just starting out. Now the roles are reversed.
Q: What are some of your career highlights?
A: Two projects immediately come to mind. The Inforum was a two-year, hard-bid, downtown Atlanta project totaling over 1.7 million square feet with 70,000 yards of concrete and 5,000 tons of reinforcing steel. My primary responsibility was to ensure the structural redesign was on schedule as well as scheduling the hourly use of four tower cranes (this was 1988 — before computers were used on jobsites)! The project was designed and originated by the late architect John Portman (a fellow GT graduate) and was an impressive testimony to his design of exposed architectural concrete.
I am also fond of the role I played in reopening the historic Atlanta Winecoff Hotel in 2007 as a boutique hotel named “The Ellis.” All U.S. fire codes changed after the building’s devastating fire in 1946. Recognized as a team member at the Grand Reopening Ceremony by then-mayor Shirley Franklin, I was humbled to play a role in bringing such a key, historically significant building back to life in our city.
Q: What makes now an exciting time to work in Atlanta?
A: It’s a healthy market and we have endless opportunities to build relationships with our business partners and grow the Swinerton brand in the Southeast.
Q: How do you spend your free time? And how do you wish you spent your free time?
A: When not attending concerts or traveling to Europe with my wife and sons, I enjoy woodworking, gardening, golfing, and finding a shady spot on a beach or boat somewhere way south.
Q: Anything else should people know about you?
A: I live vicariously through one of my sons’ professions — Director of Production for Nashville-based country music group Old Dominion. When we can make it, you can find us backstage at various concert venues across the country.
