Upstate construction companies navigate skilled-labor shortage

August 15, 2025

Thank you, Upstate Business Journal, for featuring Scout Mechanical in this important conversation on navigating the skilled labor shortage, where recruiting and retaining top talent remains our greatest priority – because our people are what set us apart and drive our success.

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Upstate South Carolina continues to see a steady demand for commercial real estate construction.

Projects ranging from small mixed-use developments to large industrial facilities are underway or planned across the region. Kyle Snipes, vice president of strategic development at Caldwell Constructors, explained the construction demand reflects the consistent population growth and economic investment in the area.

Due to the region’s development activity, the local construction-labor market is highly competitive. Bryan Royal, executive vice president of Harper General Contractors, said the shortage of skilled tradespeople remains one of the industry’s greatest challenges.

A key contributing factor to the shrinking labor pool is the number of skilled workers retiring from the field. Snipes explained that the volume of people leaving the workforce appears to be higher than the number of new candidates coming in.

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