Blog Interview: Spartanburg Courthouse

Recently we sat down with Jamie Hodge of Hodge Floors, and their new Commercial Project Manager, Jon Wilkins, to discuss all things Spartanburg and specifically learn more about the recently completed Spartanburg Courthouse.

Can you tell me about how you have seen Spartanburg grow over the years? What was it like during your growing-up years?

Jamie: It has been incredible. We are blessed to live in a great town. Now, I’m the first to complain about traffic on the westside, but we can’t go back in time and change things now.

When my dad started Hodge Floors in 1965, almost all of the work that we did was residential and we would only get the occasional commercial flooring job.

Since that time, the commercial system has exploded in Spartanburg. We now have a variety of colleges, hospital systems, schools and corporations that just were not here 50 years ago. While our residential side is as busy as it's ever been, we are at the point now where our commercial business is a much higher percentage of overall business. It has been a fun ride, but also a challenge, since these markets are so different and we do such different work under the same roof, with the same team members.

What steps in your history at Hodge Floors prepared you for the newest project with the Courthouse?

Jamie: Years of experience prepared us well for the Spartanburg Courthouse project. Knowing that we had the right team in place, gave us the confidence we needed to put our name in the hat for consideration. We knew how important this project would be for Spratanurg and our legacy at Hodge Floors. The powers that be and relationships built here, they all know that we did the Courthouse which will benefit Spartanburg and the Hodge Floors name for many years. Landmark projects just don’t happen often. Projects like this only come through our town, once in a lifetime.

What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them as a family-owned business?

Jon: We encountered various challenges as a small family-owned business. The sheer size of the project posed a monetary challenge for us, requiring careful financial planning and resource allocation. Additionally, working in a 6-story building presented logistical hurdles, particularly with moving materials and navigating an unreliable elevator. During the installation of a 1,000 lb carpet in the courtroom, which had to be folded like a burrito to fit onto the elevator.

 

 

 

 

 

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The project also faced a tight time crunch, with stringent schedules and high expectations to meet. Collaborating with out-of-state companies, including a contractor from Charlotte, added another layer of complexity. Despite these challenges, we were fortunate to have strong participation from Spartanburg County subcontractors and a dedicated team of 10 installers whose exceptional quality of work, training, and work ethic ensured the successful completion of the project, demonstrating the unmatched capabilities of Hodge Floors.

We also completed the flooring in the Abner Creek Academy (a huge middle school for District 5) at the same time. Like I mentioned before, we really have the best team.

What is it like for a rooted family business of 25 full-time employees to pull off a project of this size?

Jon: Everyone on the team at Hodge Floors, is great at multi-tasking. Our installers put in many weeks and months of long hours for this project. We really do have the most fantastic team.