LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS
By Keith Wayne, President & CEO
Entering the busy summer season here at Wayne Brothers, we find ourselves approaching four decades of building across the Southeast. The extensive growth of our Civil, Concrete, and Industrial businesses continues to motivate and inspire us. Over the most recent decade our company’s construction revenue, equipment fleet, and most importantly employee numbers have grown at a faster pace than in any of the previous three decades. We now have three Regional Operations Centers operating as shared services hubs, for projects located within a 150-mile radius of these business centers.
Additionally, over the last ten years Wayne Brothers Holdings has diversified its service offerings by adding Southern Engineering Company to our family of wholly owned entities. This gives us design engineering capacity to help our clients with their Design-Build project needs. We’ve also added Process Piping, Equipment and Machinery Setting / Alignment, and Industrial Maintenance Services to our scope of services. And we have integrated vertically through the formation of our construction and industrial supply business Preferred Construction Supply (PCS) serving these same areas of the Southeast with quality materials and equipment delivered at best value direct to each customer’s project.
My forty years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Brothers have been a true delight. Building our company and traveling this journey with all its challenges and opportunities, have made my career thus far successful and incredibly fulfilling. Now our Executive Leadership Team continues to steer our company toward a future brimming with opportunities and sustainable growth. I can safely say that I’ve never been more proud, excited, and confident in the future of our building services business. This confidence flows from my steadfast belief in the character of our Executive Team. This gives me great confidence in the changes we are planning for our Corporate Leadership over the next phase of the company’s existence.
Effective on July 1 of this year, Isaiah Wayne will take over as the President of Wayne Brothers Inc (WBI). WBI serves as the contracting entity for all construction and industrial contracting operations of the company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wayne Brothers Holdings and generates as much as ninety percent of the total revenues for the parent company.
Isaiah began with the company in his teenage years, helping to repair and maintain equipment. After High school he transitioned to the field while completing his Construction Management degree at Central Piedmont Community College. During his formative years he led field teams as a Foreman, Supervisor then progressed to become a Project Manager, Project Executive, Vice President of Construction and most recently has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2019. He became a company stockholder in 2015 and is now one of five Directors on the Board of Directors for Wayne Brothers Holdings Company Inc.
Isaiah has extensive experience with knowing how best to meet client needs. Having led and managed many of our more challenging project experiences, he has built a reputation for being fair minded in resolving for success of everyone involved with the clients’ projects. Isaiah also knows how to support employees in their need for career growth, further ensuring success for all of our team members. His steady hand of leadership, thoughtful and deliberate approach to our work is well respected by his peers, clients, and team members alike. I am certain he will continue to take our company in the right direction for generations to come.
Chad Hensley will be stepping up to serve as Executive Vice President of Construction for our team of Concrete Project Management professionals. John Ashworth is being promoted to Vice President Concrete Operations and will lead the structural concrete field operations. These two long term company Executives and Shareholders will lead our team successfully as Isaiah transitions into the President’s role.
I will remain on as the CEO of Wayne Brothers Holding providing oversight of the strategic planning processes for the next couple of years. The Board of Directors and I have identified Jim Rhodes to eventually succeed me in my capacity as CEO on a similar timeline of approximately 2026. Jim, Isaiah, and I will be sharing many duties and hours together ramping up the activity of the Holding company’s current business entities while considering adding additional service offerings to serve our clients. I plan to remain as the Chairman of the Board for perhaps another decade in hopes of celebrating yet one more with our incredible team of building professionals.
Thanks, must be given to all of you! Whether a client, vendor, or industry associate, thank you for the assistance and support given to us over the years. We pledge our company’s purpose statement to continue “Building Together in Pursuit of Excellence.”
Gratefully,
D. Keith Wayne
