New Fort Worth Contractor Arete Construction Opens, Backed by Empire Holdings

A new commercial general contractor and construction management company, Arete Construction, has officially launched in Fort Worth. The firm will serve the city and the wider North Texas region.

Arete is backed by Empire Holdings and its founder and CEO, Sandra McGlothlin. Her entrepreneurial background includes founding Empire Holdings, Empire Disposal and Empire Roofing, and the company says that experience running specialty construction businesses gives Arete operational knowledge and a long-term view of the local industry.

"Arete Construction is a new company, but it is not starting from scratch," McGlothlin said. She pointed to experienced leadership, a strong understanding of commercial real estate, and relationships built over many years.

Matt McCoy leads the company. He is a commercial real estate and construction professional with more than 11 years of experience taking projects from early planning and budgeting through construction and final delivery. In that time he has managed or supported more than 33 projects totaling over 1 million square feet and more than $100 million in construction activity.

McCoy was previously project manager for Sun Valley Industrial Park and Campus Industrial Park, and he will hold the same role on Empire Holdings' upcoming Woodhaven Business Park. Earlier, he worked at CBRE, where he held a Florida real estate license and served as a construction owner's representative in the Jacksonville market. There he led real estate and construction work for both tenants and landlords, including preconstruction and lease support, budget forecasting, tenant improvement renovations and ground-up build-to-suit developments.

His client list includes nationally recognized companies such as Grainger, The Home Depot, Raymond James and McKesson. His wider project experience also covers Marand US Holdings, Fonroche Lighting America, Skidabrader Group, Astro Pak and Empire Holdings.

"Arete may be a new name in the North Texas construction market, but our team's experience is not new," McCoy said. He said the team understands construction from the viewpoint of the contractor, property owner, landlord and tenant, which helps it anticipate challenges and communicate clearly. He added that work with Empire Holdings has produced a team, systems and a network of industry relationships able to serve clients beyond the affiliated portfolio, with an owner-focused approach "regardless of its size or complexity."

Arete handles tenant improvements, renovations, capital improvement projects and ground-up construction. Its project team coordinates with owners, tenants, design professionals, subcontractors and vendors during planning and building. The company also offers preconstruction and budgeting services and says it is committed to accountability, collaboration and transparent communication.

Empire Holdings, also based in Fort Worth, is a commercial real estate developer specializing in single-tenant, build-to-suit industrial properties designed around tenants' operational needs. McGlothlin's commercial real estate and business experience spans more than four decades. More information on Arete is available at areteconstruction.com.