About Us
We Build Water & Commercial
About Us
We Build Water & Commercial
What began in 1984 as a leap of faith for two friends from Ohio has grown into one of Central Florida’s largest general contractor and construction management firms. George Smith and Bill Wharton met in 1966 during their tenure at a construction company in Ohio. The company opened a Florida office in 1975, bringing George and Bill to Central Florida. When the company announced they were moving back to Ohio, George and Bill made an offer to take over the firm’s unfinished Florida work. So, with just a handful of employees, Wharton-Smith was incorporated on April 2, 1984.
George will tell you that Wharton-Smith owes its success to “the employees that we had then and have now…Neither Bill nor I ever dreamed that the company would be what it is today.”
Now 40 years since its incorporation, Wharton-Smith strives to maintain the culture fashioned by its founders. A culture that believes core values like trust and integrity is just as important as business acumen and operations skills. A culture that rewards accountability and hard work. A culture built on meticulous planning, continuous training, standards, protocols, and research.
What began in 1984 as a leap of faith for two friends from Ohio has grown into one of Central Florida’s largest general contractor and construction management firms. George Smith and Bill Wharton met in 1966 during their tenure at a construction company in Ohio. The company opened a Florida office in 1975, bringing George and Bill to Central Florida. When the company announced they were moving back to Ohio, George and Bill made an offer to take over the firm’s unfinished Florida work. So, with just a handful of employees, Wharton-Smith was incorporated on April 2, 1984.
George will tell you that Wharton-Smith owes its success to “the employees that we had then and have now…Neither Bill nor I ever dreamed that the company would be what it is today.”
Now 40 years since its incorporation, Wharton-Smith strives to maintain the culture fashioned by its founders. A culture that believes core values like trust and integrity is just as important as business acumen and operations skills. A culture that rewards accountability and hard work. A culture built on meticulous planning, continuous training, standards, protocols, and research.
Working together, our leaders create the vision, support the strategies, and are the catalyst for developing the individual bench strength to move the organization forward.
Our leadership team brings decades of experience and many have been with the company since its founding. Their experience has taught them that people don’t want to be managed or driven; they want to be inspired and led. To do that, leaders must provide a compelling vision. It takes a big dream to inspire people to work more effectively with existing processes but also embrace new ways of doing things, and our dedicated leaders are doing just that.
As a construction firm, we help build communities with our hands and our hearts. Wharton-Smith believes in making a positive difference in the lives of others and is dedicated to enriching the communities we serve through our brand and our people. We support and partner with local charities throughout the year with monetary contributions, sponsorships, volunteer service, and in-kind services. Wharton-Smith stands, uncompromisingly, for doing what is right. Some of our community partnerships include:
- K-12 Education
- Higher Education
- Community Organizations
- Construction Industry Organizations
- Other Charitable Organizations
A company’s character is revealed in what it does. Improving the quality of life wherever we do business is part of our heritage and culture and is an indispensable part of achieving our vision — to be the construction group of choice. As building construction manager and general contractor, Wharton-Smith specializes in water treatment, municipal, education, entertainment, and hospitality projects — all the things a community needs to thrive.
Founded in 1984 by Bill Wharton and George Smith, today, our employees are proud to be a part of a company that makes a positive difference in the lives of our clients, our employees and those in the communities where we live and work.
At the heart of our success throughout the years has been our ability to identify and respond to industry opportunities and challenges ahead of the competition. We have ambitious plans. We’ve been laying a dynamic growth path for our company. We want, and expect, to play a larger role in the $3.6 billion building construction industry. We see an opportunity not just to lead in our markets, but to reimagine and transform them.
What began in 1984 as a leap of faith for two friends from Ohio has grown into one of Central Florida’s largest general contractor and construction management firms. George Smith and Bill Wharton met in 1966 during their tenure at a construction company in Ohio. The company opened a Florida office in 1975, bringing George and Bill to Central Florida. When the company announced they were moving back to Ohio, George and Bill made an offer to take over the firm’s unfinished Florida work. So, with just a handful of employees, Wharton-Smith was incorporated on April 2, 1984.
While both Bill and George have retired from the company, George is still active in his role as Chairman of the Board. George will tell you that Wharton-Smith owes its success to “the employees that we had then and have now…Neither Bill nor I ever dreamed that the company would be what it is today.”
Now 40 years since its incorporation, and under the leadership of Ron Davoli since 2005, Wharton-Smith strives to maintain the culture fashioned by its founders. A culture that believes core values like trust and integrity is just as important as business acumen and operations skills. A culture that rewards accountability and hard work. A culture built on meticulous planning, continuous training, standards, protocols and research.
Working together, our leaders create the vision, support the strategies, and are the catalyst for developing the individual bench strength to move the organization forward.
Our leadership team brings decades of experience and many have been with the company since its founding. Their experience has taught them that people don’t want to be managed or driven; they want to be inspired and led. To do that, leaders must provide a compelling vision. It takes a big dream to inspire people to work more effectively with existing processes but also embrace new ways of doing things, and our dedicated leaders are doing just that.
As a construction firm, we help build communities with our hands and our hearts. Wharton-Smith believes in making a positive difference in the lives of others and is dedicated to enriching the communities we serve through our brand and our people. We support and partner with local charities throughout the year with monetary contributions, sponsorships, volunteer service, and in-kind services. Wharton-Smith stands, uncompromisingly, for doing what is right. Some of our community partnerships include:
K-12 Education:
- Academy of Construction Technologies (ACT)
- ACE Mentor Program
- Backpack Project USA
- Brevard Public Schools
- Brevard Schools Foundation
- Buffalo Scholarship Foundation
- Charlotte County Public Schools
- Charlotte Local Education Foundation
- Cristo Rey Tampa Work Study Program
- Education Foundation of Lake County
- Education Foundation of Martin County
- Education Foundation of Osceola County
- Hillsborough County Public Schools
- Hillsborough Education Foundation
- iBuild Central Florida
- Lake County Schools
- Lavoy Exceptional Center
- Lyman High School Athletic Boosters
- Orange County Public Schools
- Pasco County Schools
- Pinellas County Schools
- School District of Osceola County, Florida
- The Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools
- St. Lucie County Education Foundation
- Volusia County Schools
Higher Education:
- Florida Gulf Coast University – College of Engineering
- Indian River State College
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Foundation
- The Foundation for Seminole State College
- Stetson University
- University of Central Florida
- The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- University of West Florida – Construction Management
Community Organizations:
- Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office
- City of Casselberry, Florida – Cultural Programs
- City of Tampa Black History Committee, Inc.
- Kissimmee Osceola County Chamber of Commerce
- Leadership Seminole
- Orlando Land Trust
- PARC’S Foundation
- Pensacola Chamber of Commerce
- Rotary Club of Ft. Myers
- Rotary Club of Kissimmee
- Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Community Foundation
- Team Volusia
- Volusia County Association for Responsible Development
Construction Industry Organizations:
- Associate Builders and Contractors
- American Public Works Association
- American Water Works Association – Florida Section
- Associated General Contractors of America
- DBIA – Florida Region
- Florida Water Environment Association
- Freshwater Freddy Charity
- National Association of Black Women in Construction
- Treasure Coast Builders Association
- Water for People
Other Charitable Organizations:
- Ali’s Hope Foundation
- American Cancer Society
- American Heart Association
- American Red Cross
- Bee Mighty
- Blessed Trinity Catholic Church
- Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida
- Boys & Girls Club of Charlotte County
- Boy Scouts of America
- Brevard Zoo
- Building Homes for Heroes
- Central Florida Urban League
- Central Florida Zoo
- Charlotte County Homeless Coalition
- Charlotte County United Way
- Charlotte Harbor Young Life
- Children’s Home Society of Florida
- City of Hope
- Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida
- Crossroads Corral
- Eckerd Kids
- Faith, Hope and Him
- Feeding Tampa Bay
- Florida International Air Show
- Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region
- Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast
- Habitat for Humanity Seminole-Apopka
- Habitat for Humanity Lake-Sumnter
- Heart of Florida United Way
- Kids House of Seminole
- Love Your Shorts Film Festival
- Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
- Meals on Wheels
- Onbikes, Inc. (Tampa & Pensacola)
- Power of Pizza Charities
- Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
- Sports 4 the Kids
- Tampa Kids Camp
- The Sharing Center
- St. John’s River Clean Up
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Starting Right, Now
- Toys for Tots Foundation
- United Global Outreach
- Winter Park Library
- YMCA of Central Florida
A company’s character is revealed in what it does. Improving the quality of life wherever we do business is part of our heritage and culture and is an indispensable part of achieving our vision — to be the Construction Group of Choice. As building construction manager and general contractor, Wharton-Smith specializes in water treatment, municipal, education, entertainment, and hospitality projects — all the things a community needs to thrive.
Founded in 1984 by Bill Wharton and George Smith, our employees are proud to be a part of a company that makes a positive difference in the lives of our clients, our employees and those in the communities where we live, work and play.
At the heart of our success throughout the years has been our ability to identify and respond to industry opportunities and challenges ahead of the competition. We have ambitious plans. We’ve been laying a dynamic growth path for our company. We see an opportunity not just to lead in our markets, but to reimagine and transform them.
What began in 1984 as a leap of faith for two friends from Ohio has grown into one of Central Florida’s largest general contractor and construction management firms. George Smith and Bill Wharton met in 1966 during their tenure at a construction company in Ohio. The company opened a Florida office in 1975, bringing George and Bill to Central Florida. When the company announced they were moving back to Ohio, George and Bill made an offer to take over the firm’s unfinished Florida work. So, with just a handful of employees, Wharton-Smith was incorporated on April 2, 1984.
George will tell you that Wharton-Smith owes its success to “the employees that we had then and have now…Neither Bill nor I ever dreamed that the company would be what it is today.”
Now 40 years since its incorporation, Wharton-Smith strives to maintain the culture fashioned by its founders. A culture that believes core values like trust and integrity is just as important as business acumen and operations skills. A culture that rewards accountability and hard work. A culture built on meticulous planning, continuous training, standards, protocols, and research.
Working together, our leaders create the vision, support the strategies, and are the catalyst for developing the individual bench strength to move the organization forward.
Our leadership team brings decades of experience and many have been with the company since its founding. Their experience has taught them that people don’t want to be managed or driven; they want to be inspired and led. To do that, leaders must provide a compelling vision. It takes a big dream to inspire people to work more effectively with existing processes but also embrace new ways of doing things, and our dedicated leaders are doing just that.
As a construction firm, we help build communities with our hands and our hearts. Wharton-Smith believes in making a positive difference in the lives of others and is dedicated to enriching the communities we serve through our brand and our people. We support and partner with local charities throughout the year with monetary contributions, sponsorships, volunteer service, and in-kind services. Wharton-Smith stands, uncompromisingly, for doing what is right. Some of our community partnerships include:
- K-12 Education
- Higher Education
- Community Organizations
- Construction Industry Organizations
- Other Charitable Organizations
A company’s character is revealed in what it does. Improving the quality of life wherever we do business is part of our heritage and culture and is an indispensable part of achieving our vision — to be the construction group of choice. As building construction manager and general contractor, Wharton-Smith specializes in water treatment, municipal, education, entertainment, and hospitality projects — all the things a community needs to thrive.
Founded in 1984 by Bill Wharton and George Smith, today, our employees are proud to be a part of a company that makes a positive difference in the lives of our clients, our employees and those in the communities where we live and work.
At the heart of our success throughout the years has been our ability to identify and respond to industry opportunities and challenges ahead of the competition. We have ambitious plans. We’ve been laying a dynamic growth path for our company. We want, and expect, to play a larger role in the $3.6 billion building construction industry. We see an opportunity not just to lead in our markets, but to reimagine and transform them.
What began in 1984 as a leap of faith for two friends from Ohio has grown into one of Central Florida’s largest general contractor and construction management firms. George Smith and Bill Wharton met in 1966 during their tenure at a construction company in Ohio. The company opened a Florida office in 1975, bringing George and Bill to Central Florida. When the company announced they were moving back to Ohio, George and Bill made an offer to take over the firm’s unfinished Florida work. So, with just a handful of employees, Wharton-Smith was incorporated on April 2, 1984.
While both Bill and George have retired from the company, George is still active in his role as Chairman of the Board. George will tell you that Wharton-Smith owes its success to “the employees that we had then and have now…Neither Bill nor I ever dreamed that the company would be what it is today.”
Now 40 years since its incorporation, and under the leadership of Ron Davoli since 2005, Wharton-Smith strives to maintain the culture fashioned by its founders. A culture that believes core values like trust and integrity is just as important as business acumen and operations skills. A culture that rewards accountability and hard work. A culture built on meticulous planning, continuous training, standards, protocols and research.
Working together, our leaders create the vision, support the strategies, and are the catalyst for developing the individual bench strength to move the organization forward.
Our leadership team brings decades of experience and many have been with the company since its founding. Their experience has taught them that people don’t want to be managed or driven; they want to be inspired and led. To do that, leaders must provide a compelling vision. It takes a big dream to inspire people to work more effectively with existing processes but also embrace new ways of doing things, and our dedicated leaders are doing just that.
As a construction firm, we help build communities with our hands and our hearts. Wharton-Smith believes in making a positive difference in the lives of others and is dedicated to enriching the communities we serve through our brand and our people. We support and partner with local charities throughout the year with monetary contributions, sponsorships, volunteer service, and in-kind services. Wharton-Smith stands, uncompromisingly, for doing what is right. Some of our community partnerships include:
-
- K-12 Education
- Higher Education
- Community Organizations
- Construction Industry Organizations
- Other Charitable Organizations
Meet Our Leadership Team
Officer
Corporate Services
Corporate Business Development
Preconstruction Services
Meet Our Leadership Team
Corporate Services
Officer
Corporate Business Development
Preconstruction Services
Commercial
Safety Director
building Communities
