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Eden Village of Wilmington marked its official Grand Opening of thirty-one tiny solar-powered homes that will offer permanent housing for disabled and chronically homeless individuals with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony attended by Thomas Construction Group, LS3P, and members of the community.
Additional images are below.
The public was welcomed in to tour the pedestrian-only gated community, which is strategically located next to the Wilmington Airport and The Salvation Army’s future complex to provide access to appropriate support services and job training. Guests could walk through the 4,000-square-foot community center, garden area support buildings, and five tiny homes.
Eden Village of Wilmington is a non-profit corporation founded in 2020 by Dr. Tom Dalton and his wife Kim, both medical personnel passionate about advocating for the chronically homeless and dedicated to providing them with dignified living conditions and a supportive community. The Daltons adopted their idea from Eden Village of Springfield after seeing the inspiring work its founders, David and Linda Brown, were doing for their community.
“When Tom and Kim Dalton first approached me with a vision of creating a tiny home community for the chronically homeless, I was intrigued – after spending time and hearing his motivation and the case for the people we should service, seeing the pure divine inspiration, I was sold. Thomas has always been about the community – one of our mantras has been to invest in the community through ‘people we know’ – the Daltons fit that bill,” said Chris Reid, President of Thomas and a board member at Eden Village.
Thomas Construction Group, LLC (Thomas) has been involved with this project for over two years, handling the delivery and installation of all thirty-one homes, coordination of subcontractors, site work, and the construction of the SECU Gathering Tree Community Center.
LS3P designed the community center and many of its employees have donated their time and resources, as part of the company’s Design In-Kind program. Through this initiative, LS3P pledges up to 1% of staff hours – roughly 20 hours a year per employee – for pro bono work. Anyone in the firm can propose and lead a project, and all employees are encouraged to participate. LS3P’s design team of Matt Barnett, AIA, Charles Boney, FAIA, and Chris Wellman led the pro bono design effort for Eden Village. Other design partners include Cheatham and Associates, Woods Engineering, and Coastal Land Design – all of whom donated or discounted their services.
Several other notable partners donated their supplies, time, and services at discounted rates or completely free of charge. This project was able to come to fruition with their dedication and support.
Notable Construction and Trade Partners from around the community who contributed to this project are included but are not limited to:
As Controller, Jennifer manages all company-wide accounting and human resources activities, while managing the firm’s operating budget. With decades of accounting & financial experience for Thomas and other notable contractors, Jennifer leads the daily internal finances within Thomas.
Jennifer Noland
Controller
As President of Thomas Construction Group, Chris Reid is dedicated to creating a company where employees and clients alike flourish under our Core Values of Team, Improvement, Excellence and Service. With over 30 years of experience in Construction Management, Chris utilizes his knowledge and that of his peers to drive strategic success and growth while delivering best-in-class results. Chris serves on the leadership committee of the Cape Fear Country Club, the Surf Club and Eden Village and is actively involved and invested in the future of Wilmington.
Christopher N. Reid
President & Cheif Operating Officer
Jill has been an integral part of Thomas since the company’s founding year in 2005, with over three decades of industry expertise. As Marketing Director, she drives the Thomas brand forward and solidifies our position in the market, while ensuring that the company’s marketing efforts are consistent with and supportive of Thomas’s overall strategic plan.
Jill Sullivan
Marketing Director
Katie Seidel brings 17 years of diverse HR expertise across industries such as construction, property management, and IT services. With a focus on talent management, benefits administration, and professional development, she is dedicated to cultivating a thriving organizational culture.
Katie Seidel
Director of People & Culture
Mike joins Thomas with over 20 years of experience in the construction industry and a proven record of producing accurate budgets, implementing management processes, and building teams. His decades of preconstruction and estimating knowledge, along with a strong skillset of managing and leading teams, lends itself to creating seamless experiences for Thomas’ clients. Mike splits his time between Wilmington and Raleigh, where he resides with his family.
Mike Pritt, LEED AP
Preconstruction Director
After successfully leading project teams within the healthcare industry for over 15 years, Chris Thorn relocated from the Pacific Northwest to Wilmington, NC in 2022. His industry experience ranges from K-12 to mixed-use projects, but his expertise lies in healthcare, having worked on various multi-million dollar projects throughout the years. Hailing from one of the world’s largest general contractors, Chris brings a valuable perspective to the leadership team and will serve an important role as he leads and develops the Healthcare sector.
Chris Thorn, LEED AP
Project Executive
With nearly 25 years of experience in leadership roles for both Thomas and other regional contractors, Tony is highly skilled in project and team management. His expertise spans various project types, including senior and assisted living facilities, continuing care centers, condominiums, apartments, and specialty commercial projects, establishing him as a prominent operational sector leader.
Tony Datena
Vice President / Project Executive
Bruce has decades of Financial Advising and Accounting experience and served as Thomas’ Chief Financial Officer from inception in 2005 until 2023, when he transitioned to Managing Partner. In this role, he is actively involved with strategic planning for the company and advises on a wide manner of business matters, working closely with the CFO & COO.
Bruce Chappell, Jr.
Managing Partner
Since joining Thomas in 2006, Roger has strengthened our construction core by providing nearly 40 years of construction industry experience. As General Superintendent, he is responsible for all field staff and subcontractor relations, quality control, safety coordination, and client satisfaction. Roger makes frequent job site visits to review project progress, schedule, compliance, and quality. He is recognized as one of the most respected General Superintendents in our market today.
Roger Connor
General Superintendent
Vince is an industry leader with more than 38 years of experience, ranging from estimating and buyout to project manager and project/firm executive. His aggressive cost control measures, dedication to team, and approach to project relationships has created a successful track record of on time contract completions. As VP – Operations, Vince is responsible for supervising and controlling all strategic and operational aspects of the company while providing risk management of the firm’s construction operations.
Vince Tryer, Jr.
Vice President – Operations
As a well-known community leader, Jim brings more than 30 years of managerial and executive level professional business affluence to Thomas. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Novant Health/NHRMC as Chairman and as 1st Vice-Chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. As EVP, Jim is responsible for the growth and implementation of corporate business development, marketing, preconstruction and owner-contract activities for Thomas.
Jim Hundley, Jr.
Executive Vice President
