Culture

Since our founding in 1888, Swinerton has thrived on providing innovative solutions and being a trusted advisor to our clients. Our core values of integrity, leadership, passion, and excellence serve as the foundation for all we do – and set the standards we expect to deliver to our clients every single time.

We continuously strive to achieve the highest level of execution in everything we do, from safety, quality, and innovation to our attention to detail in every task. Our employee-owners are relentlessly driven, accountable, and enthusiastic in the pursuit of perfection. Building is not just what we do; it’s who we are.

History

Swinerton traces its roots back to 1888, when a young Swedish immigrant formed a brick masonry and contracting business in Los Angeles to serve the growing city in its post–Gold Rush building boom. Since our earliest days building along the Western frontier, the company has survived and thrived through two world wars, the Great Depression and Recession, dynamic cultural movements, and natural disasters. Since Swinerton’s earliest days, our exceptional craftsmanship has helped us create celebrated landmark projects throughout the West and beyond.

The company now has over 3,000 employees from coast to coast, and along the way we’ve helped build communities from the peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the Hawaiian Islands, from the Gulf of Alaska to the jungles of Colombia. The company still operates under California contractor’s license number 92—the one it obtained in 1927 when the state first began issuing licenses. Many Swinerton-built structures now claim a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and other architectural preservation lists.

To learn more about Swinerton’s legacy of building, flip through our History Book, or take a video tour through Swinerton’s long and fascinating history.

People

Swinerton’s core strength has always been our people and we’re proud of our diverse, passionate group of people committed to our company and our clients’ projects.

One of the foundations of Swinerton’s corporate culture is that every Swinerton team member is an employee-owner, which builds a unique pride of ownership and an unmistakable drive in our employees. Every Swinerton employee has a vested interest in the success of the company and our clients’ projects.

Swinerton’s leadership team has decades of homegrown experience and a long tradition of stability and collaboration. This deep insight into the lives of our employees and the experiences of our clients fosters an approachable, open-door style of management. With a commitment to ingenuity and integrity, they lead Swinerton into the future of building with innovative solutions while honoring the core values that have guided the company for decades.

Community

Local Roots, National Strength

Since our earliest days helping the people of Bakersfield and San Francisco rebuild in the wake of disaster, Swinerton has committed to building deep roots in the communities where we build, live, and work, and we’re dedicated to making our hometowns into better places for everyone.

Stronger Together

We recognize that equal opportunity leads to stronger communities, a more capable workforce, and better places to work. Swinerton is proud to establish a higher standard of excellence for the construction industry with outreach programs to small and historically disadvantaged businesses, including those operated by women, minorities, and disabled veterans. Our goal to award at least 20% of subcontracting and supplier volume to these valued partners is proudly maintained across all divisions.

A Foundation for Support

Through The Swinerton Foundation—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization—employees can support causes close to their heart, with the financial backing of the company and the emotional support of colleagues. From cancer walks to family crisis centers, health clinics to mentoring networks, Swinerton extends a hand to those who need it most.

Future

A culture of innovation and flexibility has been essential to Swinerton’s enduring success. The construction industry is constantly evolving, and we’ve seen innumerable changes in our 129-year history.

As builders, we recognize our responsibility to preserve natural resources for future generations, and we’re building for the future through our commitment to sustainability. Swinerton is committed to green building initiatives that create structures that will operate cleanly and efficiently for many years to come.

As part of our commitment to those standards, Swinerton has accelerated the company’s adoption of construction technology, including BIM, laser scanning, field robotics, and virtual scheduling and estimating.

Swinerton also proudly boasts its Renewable Energy division, using our experience as builders to create new energy opportunities for the communities we serve. In just a few short years, Swinerton Renewable Energy has over 1 GW of electrical capacity, and the division continues to innovate with EPC Solar Installation services, SOLV management and operations software, and Sunscreen, an application for tracking solar panel installation.