Last updated on July 31st, 2024 at 08:33 am
Atlanta’s retail industry is an active contributor to its industry and commercial scene. In recent years, Atlanta’s economy has experienced robust growth creating a strong and diverse economy that has given lots of residents job opportunities. The city is thriving with the presence of both global and local brands.
If you’re considering a retail project in Georgia, there are numerous builders you should consider reaching out to. Take a look at our list of the best retail contractors in Atlanta. Each builder was chosen for this list based on a number of criteria in addition to the style and quality of structures they build. These criteria include work history, client satisfaction, and recognition from various award-giving bodies. Whether you want to update your shop or invest in a new business, there’s a contractor on this list to help you.
Benning Construction
4695 S Atlanta Rd., Atlanta, GA 30339
Since 1953, Atlanta has trusted Benning Construction to contribute to developing its industry, its community, and provide solutions to any construction complications. The Benning family has over six decades of construction expertise and leadership. Today, the firm is led by the fifth-generation leader, Kelly Benning Huckaby. Over the years, the company has gradually developed an employee-ownership structure. This allows each employee to take part in the growth and success of the whole Benning Construction team.
Since Benning’s inception, retail construction has been the firm’s niche. Benning Construction provides new store construction, development, tenant build-out, and improvements. The firm’s expertise in construction allows store outlets and shops to remain operational during construction phases without any disruption. One of its featured projects is the Epps Bridge Center in Athens. The Epps Bridge Center is a fully-occupied and operational retail power center built on a 72-acre lot with 450,000-square-feet of retail space. In addition to retail construction, Benning Construction also specializes in constructing cinema houses, educational structures, office spaces, and groceries.
Chandlee and Sons Construction
8181 Industrial Pl., Suite A, Alpharetta, GA 30004
Originally founded by Seth and Jim Chandlee, Chandlee and Sons Construction quickly grew from a small company to a Commercial Design-Build firm. It builds on average 25-30 projects at any given time across the South-East. After assuming the role of CEO, Seth has grown the company into one of the most recognized brands in the industry. Chandlee is well known for its unrivaled quality, outward customer transparency, and negotiated construction projects which allow every client to have access to the best teams in commercial construction 24/7. As excellent work rarely goes unnoticed, the firm has been featured on What Now Atlanta, Atlanta Magazine, Architectural Digest, Eater Atlanta, and more. Chandlee and Sons have also been the recipient of awards from INC 500, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Forbes, and they won the Mayor’s Award of Excellence as well.
Chandlee and Sons Construction has built a reputation for quality construction with more than 20 constructed stores in the retail sector alone. The majority of its projects come from repeat clients and well-known names in the business. One of its retail projects is the Julian’s Cosmetics + Skincare store in Town Brookhaven. The firm collaborated with Kevin Gotsch of Gotsch Studios for the architectural design of the project. The firm’s exemplary work was praised by Sembler’s CEO as being “one of the nicest additions to Town Brookhaven I have seen.”
Choate Construction Company
8200 Roberts Dr., Suite #600, Atlanta, GA 30350\
Since 1989, employee-owned Choate Construction has been one of Atlanta’s most trusted construction companies serving the commercial industry. Today, led by President Matt Brewer and CEO Dave Priester, Choate performs a wide variety of projects by way of its expert employee-owned staff. While consistently topping $1B in revenues, the firm’s average project size is approximately $5.7M. Choate’s unique blend to projects both large and small ensures dedication no matter the scope of the project.
The firm offers its construction expertise in an array of industry sectors, including automotive, entertainment, hospitality, multi-family, and retail. Choate’s work has been recognized with awards from the AGC, ABC Carolinas, and the Engineering News-Record. It has also been featured in Architectural Digest, Atlanta Magazine, Contractor Magazine, ARCHITECT Magazine, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Its retail works can be seen across Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida. We were particularly taken by South City Kitchen located in the city of Buckhead, GA.
Fox Building Company
1550 Hillcrest Rd., Norcross, GA 30093
Terry Fox founded Fox Building Company in 1985 after an 18-year stint in the structural steel fabricating and construction industry. Fox previously served as the president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia, a past member of the ABC National Board of Directors, and currently serves in the Board of Directors of the Gwinett County Council for Quality Growth.
Aside from serving general construction for commercial clients, the firm is also an authorized dealer for Nucor Building Systems. Doing so allows the firm to build and furnish pre-engineered building projects throughout the Southeastern United States. Fox Building Company completes work in Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina. One of its retail general construction projects is the West Side retail structure in Atlanta. Other projects include the West Side Urban Market, Bass Pro Shop, and the A&S Marble & Granite.
Glazer Design & Construction
4167 Roswell Rd., Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30342
Glazer Design & Construction is an Atlanta-based firm that has been constructing and remodeling spaces since 1995. Founder Randy Glazer is a Design-Build expert licensed to build both residential and commercial structures. In addition to its detailed and excellent construction work, the firm is also an active green builder. A majority of its projects are certified and sourced from the USGBC, Earthcraft Houses, Southface, Energy Star, and Green Depot. Glazer Design & Construction is an active member of the NAHB, NARI, Greater Atlanta HBA, and the HBA of Georgia.
The firm has contributed greatly to Atlanta’s commercial industry. One of its featured projects is the Cambria Build Out store. The project displays a clean, modern interior with an open floor plan that makes the space feel expansive. Neutral tones are paired with marbles to bring a sophisticated look and match the store’s aesthetics.
Green Heart Enterprises
1401 Willingham Dr., East Point, GA 30344
Green Heart Enterprises is an Atlanta-based construction company specializing in interior tenant improvement and commercial construction projects. The firm is well-versed in building commercial and industrial structures for the educational, aviation, healthcare, and retail market. President, Melissa Sullivan is joined by a group of goal-oriented professionals who ensure each project is carefully completed to meet the highest standards. The firm’s list of clientele includes names like The Westminster Schools, Delta Airlines, CBS News, American Airlines, and more.
The Green Heart’s team is guided by the company’s four C’s of its construction process: Competitive pricing, Consistent quality, Completing projects on time, and Customer service. Although the firm has only been in the business since 2005, its works reflect years of experience and a strong dedication to the craft of construction. Recently, the firm has been awarded the AGC Build Georgia Award, the First Place Build Georgia Award, and a feature in Atlanta Business Chronicle. One of its award-winning projects is the build-out of the 11 Alive retail store in Concourse B at Hartsfield-Jackson which earned the 2016 AGC Build Georgia Award.
JMK Construction Group
425 Buford Hwy. NE, Suite #204, Suwanee, GA 30024
JMK Construction Group is a regional commercial general contractor founded in 2001 by Shayne Sharpe. Since its inception, JMK Construction Group’s focus is on building hotels, financial institutions, petroleum, and commercial markets like retail. Sharpe is joined by a skilled team of builders with over 75 years of construction expertise. With these seasoned professionals on staff, the firm is able to offer traditional general contracting services while employing leading-edge methods for clients like Chevron, Hilton, Holiday Inn, IHG, and RaceTrac.
One of JMK Construction Group’s featured projects is the Branded Barrel construction for Piedmont Development. The ground-up project consists of 9,500-square-feet of wine and spirits retail space and a 2-acre site housing the humidor and beverage refrigeration. Piedmont Development and Investments Principal, Viral Parekh, praised the firm’s attention to detail and project consistency that met the project’s budget and schedule.
Stellar Contracting
1135 Hightower Trail, Atlanta, GA 30350
Joe Stokes built Stellar Contracting banking on his over 30 years of construction expertise. Stokes began his career in the 1970s by joining an apprenticeship program with a local carpenters union in DC. Through his dedication and hard work, he soon worked with companies including George Hyman Construction, Beers Construction, Perimeter Interiors, and later on Stellar Contracting. These allowed Stokes to grow a company that Atlanta can trust. Today, he runs the family-owned business with his daughter and son.
Stellar Contracting’s expertise ranges from commercial offices and restaurants to museums and government facilities. There is little to nothing that the firm has not attempted and executed in Atlanta. A majority of its projects come from the retail sector. Stellar Contracting has built and renovated various retail stores and big-boxes in the city including the ground-up tilt-wall construction of the 55,000-square-foot Hobby Lobby, the façade renovation of the West Park Walk, and the large-scale construction for the Canton Exchange.
Winter Construction
5616 Peachtree Rd., Chamblee, GA 30341
The award-winning firm, Winter Construction has been in the industry since 1962. Brent Reid is the current CEO of Winter Construction and Winter Environmental. Reid joined the company as a project engineer and has since then brought his leadership and forward-thinking innovations to grow the company and obtain his current position. Reid believes in allowing each member of the company to pursue their passions. He encourages and gives everyone the opportunity to innovate and bring fresh ideas to the table for Winter’s growth.
Aside from its impeccable reputation with general construction, the firm is also a leader when it comes to sustainable building practices. In 2018, the firm was awarded the LEED Gold Certification and Excellence Award for its FS360 project. Its portfolio is a culmination of all its projects in and around Atlanta. The firm has worked on over a dozen projects on retail alone. Among these is the development of Halcyon in Forsyth County.
Young Contracting
8215 Roswell Rd., Building #400, Atlanta, GA 30350
Young Construction has been providing construction solutions for Atlanta’s leading commercial markets since 1991. Gary W. Young founded the company, and under his leadership, Young Construction has put in place over $700M of commercial construction in the city. Young graduated from Northeast Louisiana University and has served on the board for the AGC, ABC, and the ICSC. Prior to Young Contracting, Young served as the president of J.M. Wilkerson Construction Company and as a vice president at Tribble & Stephens Company.
Its construction solutions have earned the firm a blue-ribbon reputation and the trust of its clients. Young Construction specializes in a range of markets including retail tenant, healthcare, adaptive reuse, historic preservations, hospitality, and industrial. Under its retail shopping center projects is the Victory Station for the SJ Collins Enterprises. The project included 64,000-square-feet of ground-up construction and expansion of Victory Drive. The project was completed in collaboration with Phillips Partnership.
