Who Leads Miami’s Construction Companies?

According to the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida, 88% of construction firms are hiring because 45% of construction firms expect their companies to grow. Both the Sun-Sentinel and Construction Dive have reported similar optimism, including “plenty of work” in the South Florida construction market and a  “booming” market.

To capitalize on these near-ideal conditions, who is leading Miami’s construction companies?

We looked at both the firms and their degree of industry leadership as part of the research for the 87 construction companies studied in the South Florida Construction Market Opportunity Report -- which included analyzing 17 Miami-based firms.

Here’s who leading these companies, in alphabetical order by company name.

(In the South Florida Construction Market Opportunity Report, the CEOs are ranked and compared on two metrics regarding their perceived digital readiness. However, most of the 48 metrics in the report focus on their companies as a whole.)

• Amicon Construction (Miami) -- Adam Mopsick -- With 25 years of experience in construction and real estate, Mopsick works with Amicon Construction’s four other principals: John Wood (Principal and President), Adam “AJ” Mueller (Principal and Vice President), Ross Adickman (Principal and Co-Founder), and Jay Richmond (Director of Project Management).
• CAMCON Group (Miami) -- Carlos De Mena -- A graduate of the Florida International University School of Engineering with a B.S. in Construction Management, plus 20+ years of building in South Florida, Carlos De Mena leads the team at CAMCON.
• CDC Builders (Miami) -- Jose Ortega -- A resident of Key Biscayne since 1960, Jose Ortega founded CDC Builders in 1992. Ortega and his LEED Certified Staff have developed over 600 residential units throughout South Florida.
• Coastal Construction Group (Miami) -- Tom Murphy, Jr -- Leading the family construction that was founded in 1988, Tom Murphy, Jr. has grown Coastal Construction Group of South Florida to one of the top 100 construction management companies in the United States.
• Cuesta Construction (Miami) -- Michael Cuesta -- Working with his brothers and principals William C. Cuesta and George L. Cuesta, Michael Cuesta has a BS in Engineering from Florida International University and, since 1996, has led a wide variety of public and private sector construction projects.

• Dade Construction (Miami) -- Jonathan Cuesta -- Since 2012, Jonathan Cuesta has led Dade Construction for a wide range of commercial construction projects, including in education, healthcare, retail, office, and warehouse environments.
• First Florida (Miami) -- Gregory Wyka -- A construction industry veteran since 1996, Greg Wyka leads the First Florida Contractors team with expert knowledge of construction management, estimating, project design, and value engineering. Wyka has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida.
• GLF Construction Corporation (Miami) -- Francesco Senis -- First incorporated in Miami, Florida, in 1993, GLF Construction Corporation is part of the 100+-year-old Grandi Lavori Fincosit SpA of Rome, Italy. Francesco Senis’ leadership team includes Joseph M. Beaird (Chief Operating Officer) and Terry A. Williams (Chief Financial Officer) and specializes in bridge, civil, historical, and marine projects in addition to design/build and general contracting.
• Lunacon Construction Group (Miami) -- Patricia Bonilla -- A civil engineer with a master's degree in construction management and engineering from Florida International University, Patricia Bonilla leverages over 27 years of construction industry experience to lead the Lunacon Construction team in providing construction management, design/build, and general contracting services throughout the United States.
• McKenzie Construction (Miami) -- Gavin McKenzie -- A University of Florida graduate, Gavin McKenzie founded McKenzie Construction in 2005 with a focus on sustainable construction. His team, which includes Bentley Balzebre (Chief Financial Officer) and Benji Power (Chief Operations Officer), focuses on design, build, and craft projects -- including as part of sister company McKenzie Craft.
• MCM, Munilla Construction Management (Miami) -- Jorge Munilla -- As president of MCM (Munilla Construction Management) since 1983, Jorge Munilla leads the team that includes Alexis Leal (Vice President), Jim Rasche (General Construction Operations Manager), Luis Munilla (Texas Operations Director), and Gustavo Fernandez (Panama Operations Director). Jorge Munilla has a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Florida International University and is responsible for building and civil projects in Florida, Texas, and Panama.
• MV Group (Miami) -- Manny Angelo Varas -- With degrees from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Florida International University, Manny Angelo Varas has been part of the South Florida construction community since 2006. He has won numerous awards and appointments, including from U.S. President George W. Bush to the Presidential Business Commission. He leads the MV Group’s team to provide construction management, owner’s representation, design/build, custom home building, and general contractor services.
• NV2A Group (Miami) -- Gilberto Neves -- As president and CEO of NV2A Group, Gilberto Neves leads a team that includes Jesus Vazquez (Chief Operating Officer), Agustin Arellano, Jr. (Chief Financial Officer), Agustin Arellano (Chairman), and Yvonne Meyer (Director Of Preconstruction). Prior to co-founding NV2A Group, Gilberto Neves was CEO of Odebrecht USA and has degrees in civil engineering and management from Escola de Engenharia Kennedy - Brazil and Harvard Business School.
• OHL North America (Miami) -- Ashok Patel -- Prior to being named COO of OHL North America in 2015 and CEO in 2017, Ashok Patel worked in a variety of construction and infrastructure roles with New York City Transit (MTA). In addition to leading the OHL North America executive team that includes Tony Bagheri (Executive Vice President and West Coast Regional Director) and Arnav Amin (Executive Vice President of the Central and Southern Regions), Ashok Patel has a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Shri G S Institute of Technology & Science and an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia Engineering.
• Overholt Construction Corporation (Miami) -- Craig Overholt -- Founded by Rod E. Overholt with more than six decades of family history in the South Florida construction industry, Overholt Construction is today led by Rod E. Overholt’s sons: Craig Overholt (President) and Rod Overholt, Jr (Vice President). Craig Overholt’s team, which also includes Neal Pocquette (Vice President of Finance and Administration), focuses on various residential, commercial, infrastructure, and green construction projects.
• Thornton Construction Company (Miami) -- Thomas Thornton -- Since founding Thornton Construction Company in 1998, Thomas Thornton has grown the full-service contracting and construction management firm to focus on residential and commercial projects including in the aviation, education, healthcare, and municipal sectors. With a B.S. degree in Building Construction from the University of Florida, Thomas Thornton’s executive team includes Dagoberto Diaz (Executive Vice President), Felipe Laserna (Vice President of Construction), and Cristina M. Trabada (Chief Financial Officer).
• William R. Nash Companies (Miami) -- Russell Nash -- With four decades of financial and management experience in mechanical contracting, Russell Nash has served as president and CEO of William R. Nash Companies since 2009. Russell Nash’s leadership team focuses on residential and commercial construction projects in a variety of sectors, including corrections, education, healthcare, hospitality, industrial, marina, mixed-use, scientific, sports, and entertainment. With business management degrees from Florida International University and Nova Southeastern University, Russell Nash works side by side with William R. (Bill) Nash Jr. (Chief Operations Officer), Michael D. Nash (Vice President of Design and Fabrication), Ryan R. Nash (Vice President of Operations), Damon A. Nash (Vice President of Purchasing and Technology), Michael L. Pruiett (Vice President of Caribbean Division), John Youlden (Vice President of Preconstruction), George L. Wininger (Senior Vice President of Operations), and Kristopher Youlden (Vice President).
  

In this post, you’ve been introduced to 17 leaders of construction companies in Miami. While this may only cover part of the Miami construction ecosystem, hopefully, this post has given you a good introduction to many of the firms and leaders driving the construction industry forward in South Florida.