Company Profile
Baldwin & Shell Construction Company
Company Overview
Since 1946 Baldwin & Shell Construction Company has devoted our time and talent to
providing an unparalleled level of service to our customers. This level of dedication
is the reason 85% of our work is completed for repeat clients, and we have repeatedly
ranked on ENR’s top 400 contractors in the United States.
Since the beginning, Baldwin & Shell set out to establish a new standard of excellence
and professionalism in the building industry by prioritizing clients’ needs. We are on
the cutting edge of the negotiated price process and continue to develop innovative
methods of achieving budget goals. Our company has maintained a leadership role in
the construction industry; building a reputation for construction excellence, business
integrity and financial stability.
Strong client relationships are the key to our continued success. We have never filed
bankruptcy or walked away from a project due to contract defaults. We currently have
280 employees who are constantly building relationships with clients across our great
region. With 5 offices around the region, we are perfectly positioned to provide the
highest standard of service in the industry to our clients.
With an emphasis on professional leadership for all staff, Baldwin & Shell employs 40%
of all certified professional estimators in Arkansas and is the only contractor to employ
four former presidents of the Associated General Contractors of America – Arkansas
Chapter. In addition to providing competitively priced construction management and
general contracting, Baldwin & Shell provides tenant finish-out, pre-engineered metal
building, steel erection and concrete construction services in order to provide our clients
with timely, cost efficient construction options.
It is our experience and high standards that make Baldwin & Shell Construction Company
a truly unique building partner and the ideal team member for your future project.
Company History
For 70 years Baldwin & Shell Construction Company has upheld the standards we were founded upon. The company was created in 1946 when P.W. Baldwin, Werner Knoop, and Olen Cates combined their areas of respective expertise to form The Baldwin Company. Mr. Baldwin’s skill as a builder was widely known and Mr. Knoop brought over 20 years of business management and civil engineering talent to the company. With Mr. Cates, who provided the experience in construction management the foundation was cast for a long-term and successful partnership. The expertise and integrity exhibited by these three men would come to be the standard for our people and our projects.
In the early years the company was union based, as were most all commercial contractors in Arkansas at the time. In 1950 Robert J. Shell joined the company and began his training in management, which would eventually lead to the position of president and to his current role as chairman of the board. Robert (Bob) began our reputation of building a client-focused company. In the early 1970’s Scott Copas, Jim Hardin, Doug Henson, Hank Johns and Jim Wilson joined the company in order to maintain the company’s growth and succession plan for the future. It was also during this time that we formed a non-union company that was completely separate from The Baldwin Company.
With the passing of Mr. Knoop in 1983 The Baldwin Company was dissolved and Baldwin & Shell was formed. With Mr. Shell as president Baldwin & Shell continued its growth and pioneered the negotiated project approach in lieu of traditional hard bid scenarios while continuing to construct quality work and building an impressive client base, many of which became and continue to be repeat customers. Our focus remained within the State of Arkansas, from hospitals to office buildings, educational to religious facilities, industrial plants to financial institutions, renovations and remodeling, Baldwin & Shell built it all.
Acting as Vice President through the late 1980’s, Scott Copas distinguished himself as a future leader of the company and assisted with guiding Baldwin & Shell into the next decade. In 1993 he was promoted to Executive Vice President and continued to help map a plan for Baldwin & Shell’s future alongside Bob Shell.
Baldwin & Shell remains focused on our clients, and in order to better serve those across the state we opened offices in Rogers (1997) and Jonesboro (2007). In 2014 regional and type specific teams were created. The Central Arkansas, Construction Services, Industrial Services, Northeast and Northwest Teams all offer a full range of capabilities to further enhance our ability to provide needed services not only across the State but also the region. Additionally, Scott Copas was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer in 2014 with Bob Shell assuming the position of Chairman of the Board.
Our founders created a construction company whose focus on quality work, timely completion, personal customer service and competitive prices remains just as relevant today as it did when our company began. No project is too big or too small and we welcome each and every challenge brought by our clients with the same level of personal service. We are proud of our history and look forward to continuing to build strong relationships.