High-density residential construction specialist to oversee expanding Southern California operations of C.W. Driver subsidiary
IRVINE, Calif. – September 5, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — With more than 17 years of diverse experience and industry knowledge, Brian Chartrand, LEED-AP, has been named president of Driver URBAN, a subsidiary of C.W. Driver. Answering the increased demand for higher density, urban living, Driver URBAN specializes in the construction of multi-family apartments, mixed-use developments, student and senior housing, affordable housing, and hospitality projects. Chartrand oversees all operations and client relations at Driver URBAN in his role as president in addition to sitting on the executive board of the parent company.
“Brian brings a unique background and industry knowledge to the entire C.W. Driver leadership team,” said John Thornton, president of C.W. Driver. “As a result of his leadership, the company has begun construction on several significant urban projects, reinforcing the C.W. Driver expertise and commitment to providing excellent results for our clients.”
Since its inception just over two years ago, Driver URBAN has emerged as a major player in the California market. Chartrand is currently leading various projects in California including, Lowe Enterprises East Village Apartments in Los Angeles; UDR Beach Walk Apartments in Huntington Beach; Westar Associates Goleta Mixed Use Village in Goleta; Wellbrook Southbay Senior Living in Torrance; Lennar Olympic & Olive in Los Angeles; Lennar Malden Station in Fullerton; WESTliving Estancia Del Sol in Corona; and The Current in Long Beach.
In addition to executing high-profile urban projects, Chartrand focuses on building a strong company culture with an emphasis on teamwork and community service. The firm participates in community service initiatives every quarter that have included serving lunch at the Midnight Mission, donating care packages for the homeless of Orange County, and even hosting a motorcycle toy ride benefitting Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Under Chartrand’s leadership, Driver URBAN has been recognized as one of OC Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” in 2013 and 2014 and was named in Multifamily Executive’s 2014 “Top 25 General Contractors List.”
“I’m excited to be part of a company that continues to evolve with the growing market,” said Chartrand. “I look forward to working with the C.W. Driver executive team to push forward the objectives of Driver URBAN and our parent company, with services that focus on collaboration and creative problem-solving for our clients.”
Chartrand earned a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering from Northeastern University.
About Driver URBAN
Driver URBAN is an affiliate of C.W. Driver and specializes in the planning and construction of urban living environments including multi-family apartments, mixed-use developments, senior and affordable housing, student housing, and hospitality projects. We retain the best in the industry; we maintain a team of professionals with a commitment to excellence and an expertise in our product type.
Driver URBAN is uniquely positioned to provide the highest levels of sophistication, technology, and financial strength at a competitive cost. We do this through our alliance with C.W. Driver, a general contractor with 95 years of experience. We share resources, technology, personnel, and expertise to provide our clients with a superior product and level of service. Our approach to multi-family construction utilizes innovative building practices such as lean construction, sustainable construction, and building information modeling (BIM). Driver URBAN provides services throughout Northern and Southern California with offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, Rancho Cucamonga, San Diego, and San Mateo. www.driverurban.com
About C.W. Driver
C.W. Driver is a premier builder serving California since 1919. As a leader in general contracting and construction management services, remaining on the cutting-edge across a broad spectrum of industries, including education, healthcare/biomedical, entertainment, retail, commercial, industrial and government. C.W. Driver serves “Fortune 500” companies including Sony, Disney, Universal Studios, Macy’s Inc.. Institutional clients include the California State University system, private colleges and universities, dozens of K-12 school districts and community college districts. C.W. Driver has offices located in Los Angeles, Irvine, Rancho Cucamonga, San Diego and San Mateo. For more information, please visit www.cwdriver.com
