Four Decades Strong
J.G. Coram Company, Inc.: Well-Established, Primed for the Future
![From left to right: members of the J.G. Coram Company, Inc. team, Jerry Coram Jr., Buzz Wilmoth and Zach Draughon.](storyassets/carolinas/feature_stories/S18-GC-Four-Decades-Strong/S18_NC_GC_Interior_1_530x370.jpg)
From left to right: members of the J.G. Coram Company, Inc. team, Jerry Coram Jr., Buzz Wilmoth and Zach Draughon.
![Highland Creek Sports Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, a J.G. Coram Company, Inc. project.](storyassets/carolinas/feature_stories/S18-GC-Four-Decades-Strong/S18_NC_GC_Interior_2_530x370.jpg)
Highland Creek Sports Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, a J.G. Coram Company, Inc. project.
According to Jerry Coram Jr., President of J.G. Coram Company, Inc., a general contracting firm based in Mount Airy, North Carolina, his company’s long-term stability and steady growth is due, in large part, to the careful planning he and his staff undertake throughout every stage of a project. J.G. Coram serves clients throughout North Carolina and the surrounding states.
“We take extra care when planning to make sure there are no unwanted surprises once a project is underway,” Jerry says. “Clients don’t like surprises that cost time and money. Neither do we. So, we focus on making sure we have the equipment, materials and field force in place before we start. That way, we know we can construct a quality building that meets our clients’ expectations, budgets and schedules.”
More Than a Thousand Projects
The company has completed more than a thousand projects since Jerry’s father, Jerry Coram Sr., founded the firm in 1978. Its client list is not only long, but also diverse. It includes some of the most influential companies and institutions in the North Carolina region: Wake Forest University, Appalachian State University, NCFI Polyurethanes, Renfro Corporation, Food Lion, Sterigenics, Walmart, and Spectrum (formerly Charter Communications/Time Warner Cable).
“I was just looking at the list of jobs we’ve done over the years,” Jerry says. “We’ve done over 200 medical-related facilities that range from a dentist’s office all the way up to assisted-living developments. We’ve completed 37 different projects for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, 116 projects for NCFI and 96 projects for Renfro Corporation.”
“NCFI helped develop the insulation that was used on the tiles of the original space shuttle,” he continues. “Sterigenics is a global leader in sterilization services for medical devices and Renfro Corporation is one of the largest hosiery manufacturers in the world. We have also done 15 projects for another firm, Nester Hosiery, based in Mount Airy, North Carolina, that makes socks sold in stores across the United States. Nester’s ‘Farm to Feet’ brand of products is sold at stores like Gander Mountain because it specializes in making socks for outdoor activities.”
Food Lion was one of J.G. Coram’s first clients and it remains so today. “It was known as Food Town back then,” Jerry says. “We’ve done about 470 projects for this grocery store chain in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia—and some work in Delaware, too.”
The company’s experience working with retail clients of all sizes and types has helped J.G. Coram establish and build its expertise in this market segment.
In 2010, the firm started doing work for Walmart and Sam’s Club and has been doing remodels for them ever since. “So far, we’ve completed 66 in four different states. We’ll reach 70 soon because we started work on four more projects in January 2018,” Jerry notes.
J.G. Coram’s commitment to careful planning plays a major role in the work it does for Walmart. “These are pretty straightforward projects that primarily require updating finishes,” Jerry says. “Doing these projects well depends on making sure we coordinate our efforts with Walmart’s facilities staff and that we know their unique systems and standards.”
Honors & Recognition
J.G. Coram’s work has garnered recognition throughout its history—from professional organizations and from companies that have provided the firm with important services. For example, the 68,000-square-foot technical center J.G. Coram built for Sterigenics in Charlotte, North Carolina, won the Architectural Brick Design Competition’s “President’s Award” in 1994 as well as a merit award from the Construction Specifications Institute.
“That was a very challenging project because we had to build steel-lined pits that were about 30-feet deep to contain radioactive materials used by Sterigenics as part of its nuclear sterilization process,” Jerry says. “We also had to construct concrete maze walls and a six-foot-thick elevated slab to shield other building areas from radiation.” Sterigenics is now part of the global company Sotera Health LLC.
“The Travelers Companies Inc., our bonding agent, recently sent us a plaque honoring the 30 years we have worked with them,” Jerry says. “This plaque shows the confidence Travelers has in the way we run our business.” Generally, surety companies issue bonds to contractors they consider to be good risks—ones with solid, proven experience and that are financially viable.
Loyal, Long-Term Employees
Jerry says he is especially proud of his employees’ willingness to work hard and their commitment to the firm. “Our average employee has been with us over 15 years. We have 20 staff members in the field and eight in the office,” he says. “Everyone gives 100 percent every day, from Mark Hiatt and Buzz Willmoth, who are my main project managers, to Zach Draughon, a newer employee who started working as a superintendent for J.G. Coram shortly after graduating from Appalachian State University.”
Jerry also believes field experience is the best experience. “The people who demonstrate their commitment and reliability—and who constantly develop their skills—have the chance to work their way up through the ranks to become job superintendents and project managers.” By keeping overhead low and “not being too top heavy,” he has been able to maintain a skilled field force and experienced superintendents during lean times. “If you can’t put a person in the field to do the project, you’ve really got problems,” he points out. “That’s just common sense.”
Building Community Inside and Out
Jerry makes sure his staff has opportunities to kick back and enjoy time together. “I buy season tickets for the Carolina Panthers and Wake Forest University Demon Deacons football games. Wake Forest is about 30 minutes down the road, and we do a lot of work with them. I put a schedule out and employees can choose which game they would like to attend. We also have a company Christmas party and every other year or so we take our people on a fishing trip.”
In addition, J.G. Coram has invested in the Mount Airy community for the past 40 years. Its leaders and employees volunteer their talents and time to help those in need and to support the causes of their clients.
“We donate tools, labor and equipment to Habitat for Humanity projects each year,” Jerry says. “We also support the local Shepherd’s House, a crisis prevention center, by supporting its fundraisers, and we are big supporters of the Surry Arts Council, a performance and visual arts center. We’ve done a lot of different projects for them, including building their Andy Griffith Museum and Blackmon Amphitheatre. We also did the original renovation to the Andy Griffith Playhouse in 1978 when it was the old Rockford Street Elementary School auditorium, where Andy Griffith attended elementary school and performed on stage.”
It’s clear that during the past four decades, the leaders of J.G. Coram have built a strong business that is positioned well for continued success. They have done this by carefully planning projects before work begins; recruiting and retaining expert, dedicated staff; strategically expanding in key market segments; and supporting the causes that matter most to their clients and community.
![Heather Beal](storyassets/contributors/HeatherBeal.jpg)