T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc.
T.W. Frierson Contractor is a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) Nashville-based commercial construction general contractor founded in 1958, delivering preconstruction, construction management, and design-build services to industrial, commercial, and institutional clients across 18 U.S. states via four self-perform subsidiaries and VDC-enabled delivery.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1958
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. does
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) commercial construction general contractor headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, founded in 1958 and operating under President Kit Ozburn with approximately 190 employee owners. The firm delivers preconstruction, construction management, and design-build services to industrial, commercial, and institutional clients across 18 U.S. states with primary concentration in the Southeast. It executes work as General Contractor, Construction Manager, or Design-Build partner, and has been at the forefront of design-build delivery since the early 1980s.
The company operates through four self-perform subsidiaries: Design Systems Builders (pre-engineered metal buildings in partnership with Butler Manufacturing, erecting ~2 million sq ft of Butler product annually), DCi (architectural design), Professional Concrete Solutions (commercial concrete), and Armory Door Openings (overhead door and facility product services, launched 2023). Underlying technology includes Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) with BIM 3D modeling, clash detection, 4D sequencing, thermal drone imaging combined with photogrammetry, robotic total stations for field layout, and beta-tested wearable hydration monitoring; AI use is described as exploratory. Notable delivery metrics include 366,000+ work hours logged in 2025 with zero recordable incidents and multi-decade client relationships (Bridgestone 25+ years; recurring work with Nissan, Denso, Polaris, Portobello America, Amazon, FedEx, and Metro Water Services).
The business model is project-based, one-time engagement revenue with professional services preconstruction fees, monetized through competitive bidding, RFP responses, and repeat client relationships. Marketing is predominantly regional: a corporate website, a tri-annual Hard Hat News newsletter, LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram presence, ABC and ULI Nashville industry awards, and university career fair recruiting. Leadership includes President Kit Ozburn, Executive Vice President Ben Eberle, COO Lance Couch, CFO/Board Member Mike Melnyk, VP of Operations Matt Taylor, VP of Field Operations Michael Massey, and VP of Self-Performance Jack Barrett.
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc.
- Legal name
- T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc.
- Website
- https://twfrierson.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1958
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- T.W. Frierson Contractor is a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) Nashville-based commercial construction general contractor founded in 1958, delivering preconstruction, construction management, and design-build services to industrial, commercial, and institutional clients across 18 U.S. states via four self-perform subsidiaries and VDC-enabled delivery.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Construction Services
- NAICS
- Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)
Keywords
Where T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- General Construction Services: Traditional general contracting services providing quality craftsmanship and exceptional customer service for construction management and design-build projects.
- Preconstruction Services: Value analysis, cost estimates, project development, design/build, site evaluation, and permitting services delivered before construction phase.
- Self-Perform Services: In-house construction capabilities through subsidiaries including Design Systems Builders (pre-engineered metal buildings), DCi (architectural design), Professional Concrete Solutions, and Armory Door Openings.
- Design-Build Services: Single-source responsibility for both design and construction providing improved budget control, quality control, and shorter project timelines.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned construction company that delivers preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and self-perform services for industrial, commercial, and institutional clients. The company operates as a General Contractor, Construction Manager, or Design-Build partner, supplemented by four wholly-owned subsidiaries (Design Systems Builders, DCi, Professional Concrete Solutions, and Armory Door Openings) covering pre-engineered metal buildings, architectural design, commercial concrete, and overhead door installation.
Product overview
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned construction company offering a comprehensive portfolio of construction and design-build services. The company operates through four main service lines (Preconstruction, Construction Management, Design-Build, and Self-Perform) supplemented by four wholly-owned subsidiaries: Design Systems Builders, LLC (pre-engineered metal buildings with Butler Manufacturing), DCi (architectural design services), Professional Concrete Solutions (commercial concrete), and Armory Door Openings (overhead door services). The company also employs Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) technology and operates TWF University, an internal leadership training program. The company has been in operation since 1958 and maintains licenses in 18 states across the southeastern United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Preconstruction Services Pre-construction planning services including value analysis, cost estimates, project development, design-build coordination, site evaluation, and permitting assistance, delivered to industrial, commercial, and institutional clients before the construction phase begins.
- Construction Management Services Wide range of construction management and design-build services for industrial, commercial, and institutional projects, including safety oversight, quality control, and scheduling using advanced project scheduling software, delivered across the Southeastern United States.
- Design-Build Services Single-source responsibility for both design and construction, providing improved budget control, managed quality control, and shorter overall project timelines for industrial, commercial, and institutional clients.
- Design Systems Builders, LLC (DSB) Wholly-owned subsidiary partnering with Butler Manufacturing to deliver pre-engineered metal building construction, recognized as a premium Butler builder erecting an average of 2 million square feet of Butler products annually.
- DCi (Architectural Design Services) Wholly-owned full-service architecture firm specializing in design-build architectural design solutions, uniting form and function while meeting client budgetary needs.
- Professional Concrete Solutions Wholly-owned commercial concrete services subsidiary (known as the 'Wall Dogs') providing concrete work for contractors, developers, property management companies, and city agencies across multiple industries.
- Armory Door Openings Wholly-owned subsidiary providing overhead door installation and service, including overhead doors, sectional doors, performance doors, bug screens, vertical reciprocating conveyors, lifts, modular systems, guard houses, inspections, security partitions and cages, ergonomic equipment, HVLS fans, column protection, and mezzanines and stairs.
- Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Digital planning and coordination service using 3D/BIM modeling, clash detection, 4D sequencing, and prefabrication planning to identify and resolve potential construction issues before they reach the field, reducing risk and supporting safer execution.
Quantifiable outcome
- Zero recordable incidents across 366,000+ work hours in 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brasfield & Gorrie: Brasfield & Gorrie is one of the largest privately held general contractors in the Southeast U.S., offering general contracting, design-build, and construction management for commercial, healthcare, industrial, and institutional clients. Direct overlap with T.W. Frierson in Tennessee/Alabama industrial and commercial work, and both are large private regional GCs.
- Hoar Construction: Hoar Construction is a privately held general contractor serving the Southeast and Texas with general contracting, construction management, and design-build services across commercial, healthcare, higher education, and industrial sectors. Directly comparable to T.W. Frierson in delivery model, geography, and customer mix.
- BL Harbert International: BL Harbert International is a Birmingham, AL-based general contractor providing preconstruction, construction management, and design-build for commercial, industrial, healthcare, and government clients. Closely comparable to T.W. Frierson in Southeast regional presence and industrial project portfolio.
- Robins & Morton: Robins & Morton is a Birmingham-based employee-owned general contractor focused on healthcare, commercial, and institutional construction across the Southeast. Direct peer to T.W. Frierson on employee-ownership model, regional footprint, and design-build delivery approach.
- Batson-Cook Construction: Batson-Cook Construction is a Southeast-focused general contractor delivering construction management, design-build, and general contracting for industrial, healthcare, and commercial clients. Comparable in scale, geography, and service mix to T.W. Frierson.
- Choate Construction: Choate Construction is an employee-owned Southeast general contractor providing preconstruction, construction management, and design-build across commercial, healthcare, industrial, and multifamily markets. Highly comparable to T.W. Frierson in ESOP culture, geography, and project portfolio.
- Juneau Construction Company: Juneau Construction is an Atlanta-based general contractor providing construction management, design-build, and general contracting for commercial, healthcare, higher education, and industrial clients across the Southeast. Comparable regional competitor with similar delivery model.
- Dunn Building Company: Dunn Building Company is a Birmingham, AL-based design-build general contractor focused on commercial, industrial, and institutional projects across the Southeast. Comparable to T.W. Frierson in design-build emphasis, Alabama/Tennessee geography, and self-perform capabilities.
Regional players
- Baker Construction Enterprises: Baker Construction is one of the largest concrete specialty contractors in the U.S., operating across commercial, industrial, and infrastructure markets. Comparable as a peer to T.W. Frierson's Professional Concrete Solutions subsidiary in scope and customer overlap.
Broad incumbents
- Holder Construction: Holder Construction is a nationally ranked design-build firm specializing in large-scale commercial, industrial, and mission-critical projects including data centers. Comparable to T.W. Frierson's design-build delivery model and overlapping customer base, but Holder operates at significantly larger scale nationally.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceT.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc.
What does T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. do?
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned construction company that delivers preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and self-perform services for industrial, commercial, and institutional clients. The company operates as a General Contractor, Construction Manager, or Design-Build partner, supplemented by four wholly-owned subsidiaries (Design Systems Builders, DCi, Professional Concrete Solutions, and Armory Door Openings) covering pre-engineered metal buildings, architectural design, commercial concrete, and overhead door installation.
Is T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. a public or private company?
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. founded?
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. was founded in 1958. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. based?
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. General Construction Services are the primary driver. The others are preconstruction Services, self-Perform Services and design-Build Services.
Who are T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brasfield & Gorrie, Hoar Construction, BL Harbert International, Robins & Morton, Batson-Cook Construction, Choate Construction, Juneau Construction Company and Dunn Building Company. Baker Construction Enterprises is listed as a regional player. Holder Construction is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc..
What industry is T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc. in?
T.W. Frierson Contractor, Inc.'s product category is Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAAAA, Commercial General Contracting (New Build), with a secondary code of IMAFAAAD, Design-Build / EPC General Contracting. Its NAICS code is 2362 and its SIC code is 1540.