about us
trehel corporation is comprised of a unique group of gifted professionals that make up a full service commercial construction firm. trehel is located in the Upstate of South Carolina. Starting in 1982, trehel was designed and created around one thing: exceeding our customers’ expectations. Every day, we are building buildings and relationships all over South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Over the years, approximately 80% of our annual volume is acquired through repeat clients. With multiple offices in the Upstate of South Carolina, we are committed to supporting our communities in every aspect.
What began as a small custom home construction company has become a leader and pioneer in the region as one of the largest privately held commercial construction companies in the state. Many construction companies focus on market segments, while trehel’s focus has always been on market areas. trehel has extensive experience with Universities and Colleges, Retail, Restaurants / Food Service, Ministry / Religious, Healthcare, K-12 Education, Correctional, Historic Renovations, Interior Upfits, Manufacturing, Financial, Multi-Family and Non-Profit facilities. trehel corporation is a leader in innovation and uses the most modern technologies to help manage the process of construction.
Through our proven Better Building ProcessTM, we provide a step-by-step procedure of balancing function, size, quality, aesthetics, budget, schedule and safety for the construction of your new facility. This is done through three simple steps: discern, design & deliver. Experience it in 3D!
OUR VISION: What Drives trehel corporation
By openly shepherding our clients, our partners and each other, we will find the optimum solutions for designing and constructing quality buildings through our Better Building ProcessTM. We will make a positive impact on our families and our communities by being recognized for providing only premium services and quality products, balanced with humility and our core values of Integrity, Commitment and Excellence. One building at a time, we will transform our market area and make a difference in the lives of the community in which it is built.
OUR MISSION: How We Accomplish our Vision
To honor God, our clients, our communities, our families and our organization in all we do, and to enjoy the opportunities and challenges to do so.
OUR CORE VALUES: What We Practice & Believe, Our Guide in Decisions & Determine How We Serve Others
Integrity: trehel corporation adheres to moral and ethical principles…doing things right AND, more importantly, DOING THE RIGHT THING.
Commitment: trehel corporation is committed to our clients and each other. It is more than a promise…it is more like a promise with consequences. This is our promise to our clients, to each other and to those who help us accomplish our calling.
Excellence: trehel corporation pursues excellence…solutions, construction, relationships…we are called to do all that we do to the best of our ability…as individuals, as a team, and as a company. If we are not doing this, we are robbing ourselves, our peers, our construction partners, and, most importantly, our clients. Practically, this means we are the best we can be at everything we do.
OUR TAG LINE: How We Describe What We Do
Finding Optimum Solutions through our Better Building ProcessTM to construct buildings while building relationships…both to last a lifetime.
history
In 1982, Vector Corporation, located in Oconee County, had just been purchased by a larger northern company. A man by the name of Neal Workman was an officer of Vector and had been growing roots in Walhalla for several years. When this company took over Vector, Neal decided it was time…time to take a risk, but for specific reasons, and start a new company. He had a young family and did not want to move. He had already established many relationships, and did not want to completely start over. Neal borrowed $4,000 and started Trehel Corporation. Neal has two children: a son, Tres, and a daughter, Helen. He took the first three letters of each name and made Trehel. Because of our southern accents, it is pronounced “TRAIL.”
He bought a Ford F250 with over 200,000 miles on it, and that was the first company vehicle. The first office was a fifteen foot trailer on an empty lot at Clemson Downs and it was so small they went to the local hardware store to use the restroom! They had no computers, no faxes and all was done by hand for the first two or three years.
During the second year, Neal bought a used 1973 backhoe. A year or so later, Trehel finally needed a dump truck. Neal purchased a 1947 GMC for $200. It did not have a seat, so the guys took a ladder back chair from one of their dinner tables and put it in the dump truck to be able to drive and sit at the same time. About this time, Trehel moved from the job trailer to the house in Clemson. In 1987, Trehel bought its first computer.
On a specific day, in 1986, Neal took the knowledge he had from building custom homes and carried it over into the commercial arena; this was how Design-Build started at Trehel. Neal said, “We will find our own work, develop our own clients and coordinate all facets of a project, including the design. We will take on all the risk for our clients and will be able to manage it better than the traditional system.” With this epiphany, there was still a struggle to attract a lot of talent to a small company in Clemson, SC. In 1993, Trehel moved its headquarters to the current Clemson office and has expanded the office four times since.
If you asked Neal what is his greatest accomplishment in starting this company, he would tell you the greatest reward is seeing people influenced, given second chances, and taking what resources the company has to make a difference in peoples’ lives. “Trehel Corporation exists for the benefit of those God has entrusted us to guide and provide for in this company.”
In the early 1990’s, Trehel was finally to the size where Neal was able to attract the talent to move the company to a greater level. The vision remained the same, but the tent pegs began to move. By the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, even more talent was attracted and projects grew in size and complexity. The decision was made to expand into more regions of the Upstate and pursue projects over the Carolinas and Georgia. Trehel’s first Greenville office was opened and extensive hires were made in Greenville, Spartanburg and Laurens counties to complement the employees from Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties, as well as Hart county (Georgia) for Trehel’s offices in Pickens (Clemson) and Anderson (Pendleton).
In the early part of the 21st Century, trehel continued to grow and recorded annual volumes of up to (and over) $100 million and employed over 165 talented people. Project sizes range from $3,000 to $35,000,000 and include every sector. In other words, there are no projects that are too small and trehel has a proven track record of completing large projects as well.
Today, Neal Workman is still active in the company and leads the marketing department and serves as Chairman of the Board. The company has been led by Will Huss since 2005, when he was named President and Chief Executive Officer, and became majority owner in 2007. Will became a part of trehel in 1997 as a project manager and was mentored by Neal for years as he groomed Will to replace himself. Neal and Will are accompanied by an incredibly talented management team that is focused on trehel’s clients, trehel’s employees and their communities.
Moving forward, trehel will continue to operate multiple offices and focus on the same market segments. The core values of Integrity, Commitment and Excellence will not change, along with the tradition of caring for people, producing quality, while a continued focus on innovation, technology, mentoring, sustainability, and optimum solutions will carry trehel corporation into the future as pioneers in the next era of construction.
