“Work hard and be good,” might sound simple, but Chip Crane said it is pretty key for both life and career success.

After 26 years working his way up the Lowcountry construction ladder, Crane serves as president and CEO of Hill Construction, which specializes in commercial pre-construction, design and building services, construction management, and general contracting.

“There is no substitution for hard work, in construction especially,” Crane said. “I think sometimes people try to find a way to get around something, but to me, success will follow those who work hard.”

He was a member of the SCBIZ inaugural class of the SC500.

After entering the industry in Lowell, Mass., for a real estate developer, he worked as an architectural draftsman. The job sparked an interest in going to school for architecture at The Catholic University of America followed by earning his master’s degree in construction from the University of Illinois.

After completing school, Crane worked for construction companies in the Northeast for about 11 years, focused around the Boston area. Hill Construction offered Crane a position as a preconstruction services manager in Charleston in 2000, transferring his homebase to the Lowcountry.

Though he noticed the likenesses of the two regions, Crane has found a community in the Lowcountry that he wasn’t exposed to in Boston. Crane said greater Charleston’s construction community works together to see one another succeed.

“Charleston has been a great fit for me. It has a lot of similarities to Boston in terms of culture and feel, and of being a coastal port city,” Crane said. “I love the camaraderie in our industry, and I’m good friends with most of the people that we compete with for work. Charleston is much more collegial than it is competitive.”

After 10 years working as a manger and then director in preconstruction for the company, he was promoted to vice president of business development, where he served for nearly nine years before accepting his current position of seven years.

Looking back at his career, Crane credits networking with local industry peers as one of his keys to success. In his first 10 years in Charleston, he said the industry was growing with strong opportunities to develop personal and professional relationships in the field.

After 70 years in business, the firm is made up of almost entirely Lowcountry and Pee-Dee projects, hugging the South Carolina coast. Crane considers the company a “traditional Lowcountry construction firm” with about 18 to 20 projects going on at one time, a majority based in Berkeley, Dorchester and Charleston counties.

With about 80% of the companies’ projects being repeat clients, Crane said it allows for the team to count on its past successes to bolster more success. Most projects, both public and private, are buildings made to support a growing community — projects such as churches, amenity centers, office space and parks.

“It’s super important to us that our employees can go home and sleep in their own beds,” Crane said. “So that shapes how we craft our staff and how we continue with the quality of service people have come to expect from Hill Construction.”

Yet as population grows, there is a shift in the construction landscape in Charleston. Crane said he has watched national firms move in and the quantity of projects expand. Nonetheless, Crane thinks the market can support all the firms currently working in the Lowcountry.

A partner in the business, Crane works alongside three other leaders: Gene Garrett, chief operating officer and project manager; Bart Bodkin, senior vice president and project manager; and Ted Chestnut, director of preconstruction.

“We have purposefully made the decision to not get all the work we could get and add a bunch of new employees,” Crane said. “We like the size that we are because we can manage it, and we find that it allows us to maintain the level of service for the repeat clients.”

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LPGA pro Michelle Wie West is trying something new on the golf course, and she’s picking a still-developing South Carolina course to do it.

The U.S. Women’s Open Champion and five-time LPGA Tour winner will design her first golf course at Candyroot Lodge, a public golf destination in Chesterfield County. Named Sweet Tooth, developers say the course will be a challenging, yet playable par-3 layout designed in collaboration with architect Mike Koprowski.

Set across approximately 25 acres within the broader 1,210-acre property, Sweet Tooth will blend traditional Sandhills design with modern playability. West and Koprowski will bring to life a terrain-driven course rooted in inclusivity, creativity and multi-generational play, according to a news release. Night play, along with a routing where holes crisscross and converge, are designed to foster a social, communal atmosphere.

“My golf journey began on par-3 courses, so this project feels incredibly personal to me,” West said in a news release. “I grew up playing on a public course, and that shaped my love for the game. With Sweet Tooth, I want to create that same kind of environment, where families can connect, kids can discover golf for the first time, and players of all levels feel welcome and excited to play.”

Sweet Tooth will feature elastic tee boxes and irregularly shaped greens with multiple pin positions, allowing holes to play at dramatically different yardages and angles depending on the daily setup, the release said. Two distinct scorecards will offer varied course experiences — one preserving a traditional par-3 format for more advanced players and another that reimagines select holes as par-4 and par-5s to better suit beginners and juniors.

Candyroot proprietors Aaron and Ethan Oberman in April announced plans for the golf retreat.

Designed to emphasize a firm-and-fast ground game, Sweet Tooth will encourage creative shot-making, from low skippers to bump and runs, reinforcing a dynamic and engaging experience for every golfer, the developers say.

The course also reflects West’s deep familiarity and appreciation of the Sandhills landscape from a player’s perspective, shaped in part by her 2014 U.S. Women’s Open victory at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.

Designed for players of all ages and skill levels, Sweet Tooth aligns with Candyroot’s vision for a modern, walkable public golf destination centered on accessibility, community and memorable experiences.  Candyroot will include four championship courses, a par-3 course with night play, design-forward lodging and restorative wellness amenities, according to the release.

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An affordable housing project on Laurens Road in Greenville is underway officially after a ceremony that drew residents, city leaders and developers.

A groundbreaking at the corner of Ackley Road and Laurens Road drew a crowd as efforts to expand housing affordability in Greenville took another step.

The Alliance is a $38 million, fully affordable housing project consisting of two four‑story buildings on 3.8 acres at 1200 Laurens Road. The project will deliver 100 rental units reserved for households earning 70% of the Area Median Income or below, according to a city news release.

“This is going to allow our children to go away to school and come back and still be in the home area that they were raised in and have opportunities not only for a decent and affordable place to stay, but to also work in the community that loves and cares for them,” Yvonne Reeder, a former neighborhood president, said in the release.

The Alliance will include:

• 10 units at 20% AMI (for those earning approximately $15,300 a year)
• 11 units at 30% AMI (for those earning approximately $23,000 a year)
• 68 units at 60% AMI (for those earning approximately $46,000 a year)
• 11 units at 70% AMI (for those earning approximately $53,600 a year)

Mayor Knox White said The Alliance fits into a broader, deliberate strategy the city has pursued to preserve affordability.

“We can buy land and we’re buying key strategic sites, whether it’s around Unity Park, Haynie Sirrine, Greenline-Spartanburg. We can provide these enclaves where affordability is possible,” White said in the release.

The project is a partnership between NHE Inc., HF Housing Inc. (the nonprofit housing arm of Hollingsworth Funds), Jordon Development, and SCG Development. The development features 4,200 square feet of commercial space and approximately 5,000 square feet of amenities.

“We understand that it takes partnerships to make sure that we keep the diversity in Nicholtown that we need — not just racial diversity, but diversity of wealth, life circumstances and backgrounds,” District 3 City Councilmember Ken Gibson said in the release. “That’s what we believe makes a community great and makes a city great.”

While NHE began formal planning five years ago, residents say the need for such a project stretches back decades. Nicholtown — a historically Black neighborhood — has seen major changes over the past 10 years as Greenville has grown. Older homes have been flipped or converted into investment properties, and longtime residents have faced increasing housing pressures.

“The significance of the project is straightforward: it helps residents stay in the neighborhood they’ve long called home,” the Rev. Calvin Hailstock, president of the Nicholtown Neighborhood Association, said in the release. “We’re always trying to keep people in the neighborhood. With the drastic rise in housing costs, anything we can do to keep people in Nicholtown who’ve been in Nicholtown is amazing.”

The Alliance is expected to be complete in the summer of 2027.

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Construction firm Robins & Morton joined Self Regional Healthcare on May 5 to celebrate the groundbreaking of Self Medical Center Spring Street, a new 68,000-square-foot multispecialty medical office building in Greenwood.

The health system says the facility will bring together a wide range of specialty services under one roof, including urology, gastroenterology, general surgery, bariatric surgery, women’s health and infusion services. Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2027, according to a news release.

“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to make specialty services more available to our community, as well as the other outpatient services that will now be available under one roof in this beautiful new building,” Dr. Matthew Logan, president and CEO of Self Regional Healthcare, said in the news release. “We are so grateful to S.C. DHHS for the funds that helped make this project possible.”

Robins & Morton is the general contractor for the project. McMillan Pazdan Smith is the architect.

“We are honored to partner with Self Regional on the new Self Medical Center Spring Street, which will enhance access to quality health care for the Greenwood community,” Robins & Morton Operations Manager Mike Bumgardner said in the release. “This groundbreaking marks an exciting step forward, and we are committed to delivering a facility that supports Self Regional’s mission and serves the needs of the community for years to come.”

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Harmony Housing Affordable Development is partnering with the Greenville Housing Fund to build a new affordable housing community for seniors.

Southernside West will be located at 846 W. Washington St. in the Southernside community.

Plans call for a four-story development that will bring 54 high-quality apartment homes to residents aged 55 and older, offering a mix of affordability levels serving households earning between 30% and 80% of area median income, with 10% of units specially reserved for individuals with disabilities, according to a news release.

Southernside West will meet a growing demand for affordable senior housing in an area experiencing significant population growth with limited comparable supply, according to Harmony Housing Affordable Development.

Financing for the development includes a loan from CommunityWorks, a Greenville community development financial institution, along with a construction loan and federal tax credit equity provided by Huntington Bank, according to a news release. Permanent financing will be supported through a 9% Freddie Mac Forward loan arranged through JLL. The city of Greenville contributed to the project through a land donation.

The development will offer a range of modern in-unit features, and the developers say community amenities will further enhance daily life, offering spaces to gather, stay active, and connect, including a community room, fitness center, free on-site parking, and bike racks. Southernside West is a collaboration among industry leaders, including McMillan Pazdan Smith as architect, Creative Builders as general contractor, and Thomas & Hutton as civil engineer.

“Southernside West is designed to provide high-quality, affordable housing that supports the health, independence and well-being of Greenville’s senior population,” Tanya Eastwood, president and CEO of HHAD, said in the release. “This development represents not just new housing, but a meaningful investment in the future of the community.”

The same players partnered on a similar project nearby, last summer launching construction on Southernside East.

“HHAD and GHF previously partnered on Southernside East, located a few blocks away, which broke ground last July and is adding 93 affordable apartments for people age 55 and up,” said Deborah McKetty, interim president and CEO of The Greenville Housing Fund. “Partnerships are what make affordable housing a reality in our community, but it also takes vision, leadership and planning. All of these came together to bring us here today.”

Completion of Southernside West is anticipated in October 2027, followed by lease-up through year-end and conversion to permanent financing in April 2028.

Harmony Housing Affordable Development Inc. is an affordable housing developer and developer partner that specializes in construction, rehabilitation, repositioning and recapitalization of projects. To date, the team has developed approximately 18,000 apartment homes with another 4,800 in various stages of completion in 10 states, according to the release.

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Greenville Federal Credit Union plans to build a new branch in Berea.

The branch will be on Cedar Lane Road and will feature drive-thru lanes, ATMs with cash deposit, a coin counting machine, safe deposit boxes, a complimentary coffee bar, and multiple private offices, according to a news release.

Selecting Berea for the credit union’s first branch expansion in 19 years came with careful consideration, according to the company.

The company says it chose the location because no credit unions are centrally located in Berea. With portions of the community that qualify as Opportunity Zones, Berea has a large, diverse and dedicated population, many of whom are underserved or underbanked within mainstream financial services, according to the news release.

Greenville Federal Credit Union says the project will beautify a section of Cedar Lane Road by replacing blighted buildings with clean, modern architecture and landscaping, and by contributing to improved infrastructure with underground stormwater management and revitalized sidewalks. Once open, the new branch will bring additional jobs to Berea. This project also aims to help attract additional investment in the Berea area, the release stated.

The credit union says the facility along represents its long-standing commitment to uplift the individuals in Greenville County and to support local prosperity through community-focused events and financial wellness programs.

“Our members and our community are always our priority,” Credit Union CEO Paul Hughes said in the release. “Currently, there are no credit unions in the heart of Berea, and we are honored to be the first. The new branch will feature our outstanding deposit, loan and commercial services, which our members know and love, as well as our award-winning financial education, delivered in both English and Spanish. We look forward to serving our members, new and existing, once our Berea branch opens.”

The new Berea location will complement the credit union’s four established stand-alone branches (Wade Hampton Blvd, Greer, Mauldin, and Pelham Road) and its two student-run branches at Greer and Greenville High Schools. The Berea location will be the second branch that the credit union has built from the ground up, according to the release.

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A new golf destination is taking shape in South Carolina’s Sandhills region. Candyroot Lodge, a 1,210-acre public golf retreat named after a native plant that thrives in sandy soil, aims to grow the golf tourism industry that blooms year-round in the Palmetto State.

Located roughly an hour from both Charlotte and Columbia, Candyroot will open its first 18-hole course for preview play in November, with a grand opening slated for spring 2027.

The lodge is located in the town of Jefferson in western Chesterfield County.

The routing emphasizes the natural contours of the Sandhills, featuring serpentine fairways, ridgeline greens and strategic shot-making rooted in traditional “ground game” golf, according to a news release. Designer Mike Koprowski said his minimalist approach in the design was guided by the land itself.

Koprowski is a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer whose debut design, Broomsedge, earned national recognition among top new courses in the United States.

“Candyroot is turning out to be a really old-school test of golf, more than I ever imagined,” Koprowski said in the release. “The land doesn’t need or want much alteration. The visual misdirection is intense and I think it’s going to enthrall golfers.”

Master planning and landscape design are led by Hart Howerton, with a long-term vision that includes four championship courses by emerging architects, a lighted par-3 course and walkable lodging integrated into the terrain. Amenities will extend beyond golf to include wellness-focused offerings such as saunas, steam rooms, hot-cold therapy, fitness facilities and an extensive trail network.

Candyroot proprietors Aaron and Ethan Oberman say the project is designed to meet growing demand for accessible, experience-driven golf destinations statewide and throughout the Southeast.

“The Sandhills offer some of the most compelling natural golf terrain in the country,” Aaron Oberman said in the release. “We saw an opportunity to create something publicly accessible and rooted in the land.”

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A new collection of mixed-use buildings is turning Hanahan’s town center into a community hub.

Blackwells Corner will break ground in June, adding six buildings to the current TideLine Aquatics storefront. According to a news release, the property will include dining, retail, fitness studios, salons and office space, all spanning more than 40,000 square feet, with a central lawn and outdoor dining areas.

“Through the city’s resident surveys, it became clear how much Hanahan needs a true town center,” Chuck Woodward, a project leader and Hanahan local, said in the release. “We see Blackwells Corner as an opportunity to help bring that long-discussed vision to life in a way that truly serves the community.”

The mixed used center was named after Blackwells Hardware, a family-owned store previously on the site for over 75 years which closed at the beginning of 2025.

In addition to Woodward, real estate representatives Michael Sivel and Jennifer Rinella have partnered to work on the project. SeamonWhiteside is the land planner, Bello Garris Architects is the project architect and Hill Construction is the builder.

“It is a proud moment for our community to see this vital, historic part of Hanahan come back to life,” Hanahan Mayor Christie Rainwater said in the release. “This transformation into a walkable district provides the sense of place our residents have long requested and deserve. I am thrilled to see a developer with local roots honor our heritage while creating a vibrant space for business owners and families to flourish together.”

The release said the Blackwells Corner project was guided by a resident survey to align with Hanahan’s long-term vision, and to create a recognizable downtown. The town center will host a grand opening in fall 2027. Pre-leasing is available now.

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The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, founded in Charleston and now scattered across the country, is expanding operations to Camden.

Currently under construction, the hospitality team will oversee operations of Haigler Hotel when completed in early 2027. The hotel will have 50 rooms and a clock tower focal point dating back 100 years, according to a news release.

“The Haigler Hotel represents a beautiful intersection of history, hospitality and place,” Steve Palmer, founder and chief vision officer of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, said in the release. “We’re honored to bring our passion for boutique hotels and restaurants to Camden and help shape a gathering place that reflects the city’s enduring spirit and equestrian legacy.”

The clock tower is topped with an 1826 weathervane that honors King Haigler, a Catawba chief who protected early settlers, the release said. The hotel will have a signature restaurant with Southern-inspired food as well as a coffee bar, with space for weddings, conferences and other gatherings.

The release said construction was led by architect Wentz Chesson and interior designer Daliana Shafner of Integrated Building Design, as well as CPI Construction. The hotel is developed by Ben Zeigler and Philip Woollcott of Kershaw Hospitality.

“We’re not recreating the past, but reimagining it,” said Zeigler. “The Haigler will nod to the 19th-century opera house that once stood here while introducing modern design touches that fit Camden today.”

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South Island Market by Pickney Partners broke ground in Johns Island, beginning the construction with confirmed tenants Roper St. Francis Healthcare and Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty.

The market will be located on a 34-acre development located at the southeast corner of Betsy Kerrison Parkway and River Road, according to a news release. The property is intended to be a hub for the Johns, Kiawah and Seabrook Island regions.

Roper’s space will be primary care medical offices for the growing population in the area, and Sotheby’s will be a new regional office for the increased demand for luxury real estate in the island markets.

“The pace of interest we are seeing reflects the scarcity of high-quality, master-planned commercial space in this corridor,” Charles Darby of Pinckney Partners said in the release. “With our building construction started, the project moves into its final pre-opening phase. We are focused on finalizing the tenant mix now to ensure a cohesive experience for the community when we open our doors.”

Phase I of South Island Market will consist of five buildings, 45,000 square feet of commercial space, the release said. Currently, more than half of the first phase is committed.

After completion later this year or early 2027, the release said the market is expected to have about 82,000 square feet for retail, dining, professional services and office uses across eight buildings. The acreage will also have 79 luxury townhomes by Toll Brothers and 16 acres of preserved open space for walkability and to reflect Johns Island’s characteristics.

The property is developed by Pinckney Partners Buddy and Charles Darby, mirroring the development of Freshfields Village in Kiawah Island.

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