Bret Estridge Joins the Team September 9, 2021
M. B. Kahn welcomes Bret Estridge, LEED AP, as Executive Vice President. Bret has successfully managed over $1 billion in high-profile construction projects during his 17-year career. At M. B. Kahn, Bret will apply his management expertise to oversee internal operations, build client relationships, maximize operating performance, and help achieve organizational financial goals.
“Bret has significant high-level construction management experience, and we are elated that he has joined our team,” said Bob Chisholm, President. “He has a proven ability to deliver best-in-class innovative management programs and process improvements. His portfolio encompasses significant federal, K-12, corporate, and municipal projects. Our clients will benefit from his aggressiveness in finding creative, data-driven solutions to their construction challenges.”
“We are excited to have someone with Bret’s capabilities join our team,” said Rick Ott, Senior Executive Vice President in M. B. Kahn’s Construction Management Division. “His project management expertise is outstanding, and his high-energy approach will serve our clients well.”
Bret has a degree in construction management with a minor in business administration from East Carolina University. He was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 by the Charlotte Business Journal, a prestigious honor that recognizes young professionals who play important roles in shaping their communities. Bret is a member of Leadership Charlotte Class 36.
Among the construction qualifications that Bret has earned is the LEED Accredited Professional BD+C (Building Design + Construction) credential issued by the U.S. Green Building Council. This designation suits professionals who have expertise in the design and construction phases of green buildings, serving the commercial, residential, education, and healthcare sectors. Bret has also passed the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies GC License exam. He is an active member of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association.
Bret currently serves on the board for the Charlotte chapter of the American Red Cross and as a member of the City of Charlotte Commercial Construction Advisory Council.
High-profile projects that Bret has piloted through the development process include:
- SPX Headquarters, Charlotte, NC—A LEED Silver-certified upfit of a 241,033-square-foot office building and 241,000-square-foot parking deck that also included site improvements to a 4.5 acre corporate campus.
- One Bank of America Center, Charlotte, NC—A LEED Gold-certified, 32-story office tower featuring an urban garden, an atrium leading to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, a cooling tower farm, and treatment plant for groundwater recovery.
- The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, NC—The first LEED Gold-certified hotel in the world for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel company and the first such facility in greater Charlotte. The 146-room, 18-story hotel incorporates “green” features including a planted roof to reduce strain on the cooling system, recycled and locally sourced construction materials; and water consumption conservation techniques.
- Hotel Bennett, Charleston, SC—The 8-story, 208,000-square-foot, 5-star hotel includes 179 guest rooms and a rooftop pool. The underground parking garage features mechanized bays that raise and lower double-stacked vehicles, maximizing space in the heavily congested historic district. The hotel’s below grade basement was the first of its type in Charleston.
- Federal Correctional Institution, Butner, NC—This project was the first federal prison project to earn LEED certification through the use of green building design principles. The secure facility has 16 buildings and 864 cells across its campus.
- Rocky River High School, Mint Hill, NC—Built for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the facility includes a 252,453-square-foot, two-story educational building.
