Accent aims for $100 million
10-YEAR-OLD DIVISION OF CONSTRUCTION GIANT EMJ CORP. SPECIALIZES IN BUILDING MAKEOVERS
Chas Torrence says it takes a specialized skill set when the Chattanooga construction company he heads works on bringing vintage buildings back to life — the first is patience. “Nothing is level or square plum in the building,” said the senior vice president of Accent Construction Services. “You’ve got to have the mindset to deal with that.”
Accent, a division of construction giant EMJ Corp., is undergoing a growth spurt. Started just a decade ago as a construction manager to service one client, shopping center developer CBL & Associates Properties Inc., Accent now has its sights on becoming a $100 million-a-year business.
Torrence, who in March was named to his current post after joining Accent in 2013, said he expects revenues to jump from $55 million to $60 million this year to more than $70 million in 2018. The Accent chief said $100 million in business is “easily attainable.”
“We’ve sort of figured it out,” he said about the company that has an expertise in helping breathe new life into old structures. Last year, Accent had 40 projects in 23 states, Torrence said.
One project it’s currently working on is Signal Mill, the $10 million redevelopment of a historic former knitting mill
off Manufacturers Road in Chattanooga’s North Shore.
The century-old, 20,000-square-foot structure will become retail and potentially office space when work is finished within a month.
Torrence said one similar structure Accent has worked on is the Warehouse
Row commercial and office complex downtown.
“We’ve got a ton of experience on our staff,” he said. “It comes into play. You have to have an open mind.”
David Woodbery, president of Signal Mill developer The Woodbery Group, said there were multiple reasons why his company settled on Accent, and not just project cost.
“I like to deal with local companies,” the Atlanta-based developer said. “They had the experience in this type of project we’re doing.”
Also, Woodbery said, Accent is part of a larger company and he likes the quality of its personnel.
Accent parent EMJ had its best year in 2016, with revenues topping $1 billion for the first time in its nearly 50 years. The company was ranked No. 82 among Engineering News-Record’s Top 400 General Contractors in the country, climbing 19 spots since 2015, according to the builder.
EMJ has about 600 employees, including 327 in Chattanooga.
Torrance said Accent’s staff, which numbers about 38 employees, has the expertise so that its workforce can identify what he termed “potential land mines” when it comes to renewing old structures.
“They can cost more money if you don’t see that coming,” said Torrence, who has 15 years of construction experience in a variety of roles including estimator, project manager and construction manager.
Woodbery agreed, saying that Accent knew what it was getting into with the old knitting mill.
“It can be a can of worms sometimes,” he said. “You get into a 100-year-old building and you’re not sure what you’ll find.”
Torrence, 38, said that in addition to working on older buildings, the company has developed a specialization in erecting smaller health care structures and single-tenant retail space. Accent focuses on projects which come in at $10 million or less, Torrence said.
He said that when Accent was started in 2007, it would serve as a construction manager for projects. But, Torrence said, they soon discovered that Accent was better than the general contractors it was hiring.
“It’s exciting,” he said about the growth of the company.
Woodbery said some of Signal Mill is already leased up. The development will continue to house the Food Works restaurant, which opened in 2006, and will add Mean Mug Coffeehouse, Edley’s Bar-B-Que and Blue Ridge Fly Fishing this summer.
“We’re really happy with the way it’s turning out,” he said. “It’s been well received by the market.”
Woodbery said the company is in negotiations with a couple of other potential tenants.
EMJ, founded in 1968 by Edgar M. Jolley, has a number of other companies including EMJ Hospitality and Signal Energy in Chattanooga as well as RedStone Construction Services in Tulsa, Okla. The company also has office locations in Boston and Dallas.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress. com or 423-757-6318.