When the Davie Construction team broke ground on the Burlington Commons affordable housing apartment complex in Knoxville, TN, in 2020, no one could have imagined that, within six short years, six more projects would follow. “As happens with most new clients, it started with a referral from a satisfied client,” remembered Barry Newcomb, Director of Business Development, and Project Manager on the job. “We had a good reputation with a developer with whom we’d completed a shopping center in Winston-Salem, and they referred us to the company that was building this property. Although we were unknown in the Knoxville market at that point, the strength of the relationships and our previous work opened that door.”
Project Manager Cade Carney moved to Knoxville a few months after construction had begun and became a key representative of Davie Construction. “Those early days were challenging,” he admitted, “There were late nights, tough phone calls, mistakes made, and the need for quick solutions. We knew that as the new GC in town, we had one shot at earning a strong reputation. We approached this project with the same guiding principles and business philosophy that have built our success in North and South Carolina over the past 30-plus years. We focused on supporting our hardworking field team, establishing relationships with subcontractors, trade partners, community leaders, and owners, and being true to our word in every aspect of our business. As a result, this 50-unit multi-family building was completed on time, on budget, and to everyone’s satisfaction.”
This success generated three more affordable housing community projects with the same client. Ammons at Asheville Highway with 80 units was completed in 2023, Inskip Flats with 66 units, and Central Terrace with 96 units completed in 2024. “We brought our own subs with us for the first project,” said Cade, “We worked hard to integrate our name and our people into the Knoxville community. Soon, we found ourselves in the enviable position of having the best local subs compete for the opportunity to work with us. They saw the respect with which we treat our business partners, our standards for workmanship, and our commitment to making it seamless for them to work with us to the benefit of all.”
As affordable housing communities, the Knoxville projects were funded by city, state, and federal resources. This gave the Davie Construction team the opportunity to meet local and state leadership, generating higher visibility than privately funded projects. Public funding from organizations like the Knoxville Community Development Corporation (KCDC) and the Tennessee Housing Development Authority (THDA) entailed stringent regulations, reporting requirements, and timelines, requiring a dedicated project accountant and Davie Construction’s sophisticated company infrastructure.
After the first four Knoxville projects were completed, one of the partners involved chose Davie Construction as the GC for their next project. Thus, Village at Inskip with 98 units, broke ground in 2025. While the quality of the work and exceptional client service helped boost the power of the Davie Construction brand throughout the Knoxville area, Cade credits the boots-on-the-ground commitment as equally valuable. “Knoxville is home to our head superintendent, who relocated his family to be part of the Knoxville community. We joined the Chamber of Commerce and will eventually have an office here to establish a brick-and-mortar presence. We strive to continuously enhance the relationships we’ve started with subcontractors, developers, bankers, city leaders, strengthening ties and expanding our involvement in all aspects of life in Knoxville,” said Cade. “I spend time in Knoxville at least once a month, and we are currently hiring more superintendents as our work here increases.”
The latest Davie project underway in Knoxville is Historic Giffin Square, the renovation of a 98-year old elementary school. It will include communal spaces, including a gym, kitchen, and gathering rooms. Two new buildings and a playground will also be built. When the project is complete, there will be 77 new apartments: 35 units in the historic building and 42 in the two new buildings. The next affordable housing project soon to go under contract on the west side of Knox County is set to start later this year and features 150 multi-family units.
Davie Construction’s Financial Construction Department, headed by Executive Vice President Ben Tuck, has also benefited from this brand expansion, gaining seven renovation projects for a bank client with locations in and around Knoxville. “With every project we’re putting down deeper roots and building upon our commitment to becoming one of the top General Contractors in this area of Tennessee,” said Cade. “We are being strategic and thoughtful in our business development. We’ve intentionally limited our growth to as far west as the greater Knoxville area to establish our brand and culture rather than expanding to neighboring cities like Nashville and Chattanooga. We prefer to maintain high standards and strong relationships with local partners before making a decision to grow into multiple large Tennessee markets.”
As the number of Knoxville-based projects grows, Cade hopes this will increase the visibility of Davie Construction, not only among potential clients but also among construction professionals who want to start or switch careers to work with a winning team that offers opportunity, stability, and career advancement. “We are always looking for people with integrity, motivation, and dedication to achieving their best on our team.”
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