Construction projects are expensive. Oftentimes the final costs can be higher than the original budget. That’s why Sutton Webb smiles when his company can bring client projects in under budget. While not every project will result in upfront savings, Sutton and the team at Riley Palmer Construction always aim to lower their client’s lifetime cost of owning a building. That’s been the company mantra since it was founded by Tallahassee builder Riley Palmer in 1978.
Webb has been a partner at Riley Palmer Construction since 2004. Riley Palmer was his father-in-law. Webb learned the construction trade at the University of Florida and then cut his teeth at large commercial construction companies in the region. He came to Riley Palmer after marrying the founder’s daughter. The partnership was not without conditions though.
“I told him that I’d love to come join his company, but he had to promise I could work on commercial projects,” remembers Webb. Riley Palmer Construction specializes in both commercial and residential work. Webb wanted to make sure he got to work his expertise though. The move has paid off for both him and the company.
The residential side of Riley Palmer is run by Webb’s partner, Rodney Wilhite. Wilhite is a registered architect and has extensive experience in custom home building, historic preservation, and technical renovations. Together, they can manage projects with shared attention to detail.
Currently, that attention is focused on the future. As he nears 20 years at Riley Palmer, Webb has his eyes set on growing the family business for decades to come. In fact, he sees the business much like a family. “We still have team members here who were with Riley Palmer when he founded the company,” says Webb. “Our approach to construction is rooted in close relationships with our team and clients. When we take care of each other it makes it easy to take care of construction projects.”
That team includes an impressive collection of skilled tradesmen. Riley Palmer is unique in the Tallahassee construction industry because they self-perform much of their work. From masonry to concrete and cabinetry and site preparation, Riley Palmer helps their clients save money by using their own team to perform many of the key tasks.
Webb sees their skilled team as a strategic advantage. “We are of course a general contractor, but by self-performing so much work we can control quality and costs.” Webb and the Riley Palmer team believe that clients should be able to save money from their building both in the short term and long term. By working on every detail of the project, they create value for their clients during each phase of construction. Webb says, “Putting our team on the job site throughout the project is how we are able to surprise clients with savings during construction and keep costs down long after we leave the building.”
It’s an approach that worked well for Riley Palmer in 1978 and still matters to their clients today.
Learn more about how Riley Palmer Construction can help you on your next project by visiting www.rileypalmerconstruction.com.
