VILLA RICA, GA (June 30, 2026) — In a recent roundtable hosted by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Caliber 1 Construction owner and CEO Chris Elliott joined UWG Department of Economics Chair Joey Smith, Carroll County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rhyne Owenby and WDG Real Estate Partners Assistant Director of Development Rowshi Craven for a conversation on the construction industry.
Georgia is growing fast, but the infrastructure is being pressured by population growth and a two-decade gap in the workforce pipeline.
“The growth is there, and growth is great. But uncontrolled growth exposes weaknesses inside the system. What we’re seeing is that the ecosystem and the communities’ infrastructures are struggling to keep up,” said Elliott.
When asked where the industry needs the most help, Elliott noted the shortage of talent that runs through the middle of the workforce entirely. “We need help from the bottom to the top. There is a two-decade chasm in our system right now. We have 40- and 50-year-olds and 20-year-olds; there are very few 30-year-olds,” he said.
That missing middle generation reflects a period when vocational education was deprioritized in high schools and young people were steered away from the trades. As UWG Economics Chair Joey Smith noted during the discussion, construction wages nationally are now averaging $40.70 an hour — a figure that surprises most people unfamiliar with the industry’s earning potential.
Elliott believes we need to reshape how construction and vocational work are perceived and prioritized. “We must stop treating construction and vocational like it’s a fallback career. It’s a professional career path with real opportunity. And we have to do a better job of telling that story,” he said.
It’s a conviction Caliber 1 has backed with action. The company’s $1.5 million investment in the University of West Georgia’s Richards College of Business established a new Construction Management Concentration — one of the few programs of its kind in the state, designed with direct input from the industry. Caliber 1 has also developed more than 40 interns through its Building My Blueprint program.
Read the full story in the Atlanta Business Chronicle: Future Growth, Innovation & Talent in Construction
Learn more about the UWG Construction Management Concentration.
Caliber 1 Construction, Inc. is a woman-owned, Georgia-based commercial general contractor with a 37-state footprint. Since 2005, clients across industries have trusted Caliber 1 to take ownership from day one—managing every detail from concept to completion. Known for proactive communication, expert project delivery, and long-term partnerships, Caliber 1 builds high-performance spaces with integrity, quality, and satisfaction at every step.
