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SPC Mechanical’s story began back in 1965 in Wilson County, North Carolina. The company was founded by Buren Williford and his wife, Peggy Strickland – two hardworking individuals armed with a small business loan, $2000 in savings and a wealth of industry know-how. Originally called Southern Piping Company, Buren took the reins on the mechanical labor whilst Peggy handled the company’s finances, and soon, business began to boom.������

Today, SPC remains family-owned, led by Chris and Mark Williford, and continues to thrive, mirroring Buren Williford’s legacy of ambition, drive and dedication. The company has since grown to become Carolina’s full-service partner of choice for innovative plumbing and HVAC solutions across a vast variety of industries, including higher education, healthcare, commercial, and life sciences. From pre-construction and pre-fabrication to servicing and installation, SPC offers the full package.����

2025 marks the 60th anniversary of SPC and, despite current industry challenges, the company continues to thrive. To commemorate this milestone and learn more about what this year has in store, ������ý sat down with Adam Carrouth, Chief Operating Officer. Reflecting on the company’s journey, Adam considers the factors that have contributed to the business’ longevity and continuing success.����

“We’ve got a really great safety culture. Ten years ago, we made the decision to expand our safety team. We already had a safety director, but we added a field safety manager to the team who is solely responsible for visiting sites, being that additional resource and helping folks through their different circumstances. That department has grown a lot since then. We’ve got our dedicated folks to visit job sites, but we’ve also got our safety team to make sure that all of our employees have the resources they need to work through obstacles and challenges. At the end of the day, we make sure that we’re doing everything we can to bring our employees back home to their families each and every night,” he notes. “Our ownership and their generosity is incredible, not only in the monetary investments that they’ve made in all of us and in the business, but also in terms of their willingness to trust the team. The trust they’ve put in us to scale and grow the business has been extremely impactful.������

“There are many internal departments that play an integral role in the planning and execution of a project. We refer to all those teams as One SPC. We collaborate and communicate across the company which is key to where we are today as an organization. Remaining vigilant of complacency that can sometimes creep into a business, we’re always learning and striving to improve.”����

Significant investments��

SPC’s outstanding commitment to fostering a positive corporate culture is one thing that makes the company truly unique. Proudly people-centered, its leadership strongly values the feedback of both its employees and customers, advocating for communication, collaboration and continual improvement.������

“We look at feedback as a gift. The reason we’ve been able to grow and prosper as an organization is because of the feedback we’ve been able to gain from our employees and our customers,” Adam shares. “We make sure that we’re always listening to and valuing what our employees say, understanding that we’re all in this together, to help mold who we are as an organization – that’s not possible without feedback. Our culture is centered around making sure our employees have the tools necessary to do their jobs and be successful.”����

Pushing for development and success, the company recently moved into new headquarters, providing its employees with a plethora of cutting-edge technology and equipment, as well as a multitude of meeting rooms to encourage collaboration.������

“We built a 40,000-square-foot headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, which we moved into in October 2021. We are really focused on coaching and development; it’s our job to make sure that we’re developing our team every day – coaching each member individually to help them progress in their careers,” Adam explains. “We’re people focused, and the move from the old facility to the new one is night and day. We’re extremely committed to the prefabrication of our mechanical systems and have made significant investments in our 125,000-square-foot fabrication facility. This has given us the opportunity to push over 100,000 hours through the shop this last year while being able to provide the best quality product for the customer on time. We’re committed to making sure that our folks have the technology that they need to do their respective jobs.”����

Focus on fundamentals��

As testament to the company’s continuing commitment to construction excellence, SPC was the recipient of a prestigious award at The ABC Carolinas Chapter Excellence in Construction (EIC) Awards. When asked what differentiates SPC from its competitors, Adam tributes the company’s employees: “What makes SPC stand out is our people, and that collaboration and communication across all groups is key,” he emphasizes. “I feel like we are a very large company with the team and financial capability to go out there and take on any project, but we really pride ourselves on that family feel that we can provide to our projects at a pace that is different from our competitors. It’s the culture that we have and that we work so hard every day to sustain.������

“This year, we’re placing a renewed focus on the fundamentals. Like so many contractors, the last ten years have been amazing in terms of the opportunities that we’ve been provided and the growth that we’ve encountered. However, there comes a point where you can’t continue to grow without allowing your employees to catch up, so we met last year and decided that we were going to get back to the fundamentals and allow our team to get some reps in their respective roles. It was an opportunity for us to gain our employees’ feedback and slow down a little bit.����

“There are so many unknowns within the economy and what that will bring, but the center point for us is that we want to be the preferred mechanical contractor of choice. We want to make sure that we’re providing a stellar service that has the customer wanting to work with us again,” Adam concludes.������

Optimistic about the future, SPC is excited to take on new projects as it continues to build on its foundations and reach new heights. Perseverance is paramount, but, with its scope of expertise and exceptional workforce, SPC is set for lasting success.����